AN: I won't get political but I will say, I'm saddened and angry. It was expected but I had hope...
Enjoy the cliffhanger
Chapter Seven
Mercedes lungs hurt as she ran, she was so close to being home but it felt like it was miles away. She should've listened to her brother, she should've let Derek give her a ride home but she just had to be stubborn. Laughing, she ran harder, looking back seeing Justin chasing her.
"Here I thought you were the fastest man alive!" She taunted over her shoulder.
Justin shook his head, pushing harder so he could catch up with her. "When I catch you, it's over!"
"Ha! Just a few more-" she started before he caught hold of her and scooped her off the ground and spun her around. Mercedes laughed as they slowly tumbled to the ground.
"Got you!" He said breathlessly. "Who knew you were that fast?"
Mercedes giggled, smiling down at him. "Told you I was fast and I would've won too."
"Nah I let you win, now give me my prize." He replied, tickling her.
She rolled her eyes before leaning in and kissing him. "There, one kiss. Now let me up, I gotta get in before my dad sees us."
Justin wrapped his arm around her tighter. "But I'm not ready to let go yet." He replied, leaning up and kissing her, flipping them over so that he was hovering over her.
"Tough, I'll see you tomorrow." She said, smiling cheekily at him as she wiggled underneath him.
Justin sighed, kissing her again before standing and holding his hand out to help her. "You sure you can sneak out?"
Mercedes nodded, dusting herself off. "Just wait for me over there." She answered, walking to the steps. "Call me when you get home?"
"Depends." He said, moving closer. His dark eyes shimmering. "What will I get out of it?"
She smirked, shrugging. "Call and find out!" She said before prancing up the stairs, she winked at him over her shoulder before going inside.
Mercedes' hands trembled as she pushed start her car and drove off. Her mind was going a mile a minute and her main focus was getting to her son's school. Tears brimmed her eyes as that night so many years tried creeping its way back into the forefront of her mind.
She tapped her phone until, she heard it connecting. She sped down the road before hearing her brother's voice. "Yo, what up?"
"K-ken!" She stammered. "I… I ne-need you to get, to get Jack."
"What's wrong? Where are you?" He asked, she could hear the concern in his voice making her cry even more.
She sniffled. "Listen to me! Go get Jack, now!"
"Okay, okay, I'm going but what's wrong?"
Taking a sharp turn, she continued towards the school before realization hit her. "Just do it, please!" she said before she hung up. She took another turn before parking in a vacant lot and immediately started dialing another number. She took several deep breaths before it finally connected. "Daddy, I need you to help me."
"Mercedes, I'm at work. Can it wait?" Her father asked.
Quickly wiping her tears, she shook her head as if he could see her. "No, it can not wait. I need a restraining order against Justin and a protective order for Jack."
She heard some rustling and muffled talking before the line went silent. "D-daddy?"
"I'm here, just. Hold on a second." He said before the line went silent again. She turned down another road before pulling over. She got out and began pacing, fighting more tears as she tried to formulate a plan. She had resources but not enough to get Justin off her back for good and certainly not enough to keep him away from Jack.
"Daddy." She said into the receiver.
"I can get a temporary one but you're gonna have to come down to get it to be permanent. What took you so long to do this?"
She huffed, getting choked up. "Will it be served today?" She asked. "I has to be done today and you need to include my new address."
"What address? When did you move?"
"I've had the place for a little over a year but I couldn't just move with him around. It has to say 452107 Winston Court and it has to cover Jack."
"Not you?" He questioned and Mercedes knew he was slowly putting the pieces together. "Are you in trouble?"
She swallowed, looking around. "Yes but I can not involve you…I have to handle this on my own but I need to make sure Jack is protected."
"Mercedes, if you just tell me what's going on I can help. I can… I know me and your moma divorced but that doesn't mean I don't love you."
She sniffled. "Thanks but I have to do this myself. Bye daddy." She said before hanging up.
Mercedes was well versed in what happened between her parents and had no intentions of reliving that train wreck. She allowed herself a few brief moments to think before texting Unique to buy her a new phone and see that everyone got her new contact.
Luckily for her, the company was used to her getting new phone numbers so it would just come as no surprise to anyone. She texted her brother asking if he picked up Jack before getting back into her car and preparing to call Justin. She looked at the image for a few moments before hitting his contact and calling him.
She bounced her knee as she waited for him to answer. Her mind was going a mile a minute and she had to be smart, smart enough to rile him up.
"I see you remember who's in control." Justin said as soon as the call connected. "Now that I have your full attention, how are you going to make this up to me?"
Taking a deep breath, she rolled her shoulders, relaxing them. "Seems you forgot a few details or do you not remember what really happened that night?"
"Oh she wants to play, wrong answer. I'll be taking my son and we'll see how long you want to play, I'm outside his school right now."
Mercedes took another deep breath. "Justin, we both know that Jack won't go with you willingly and you forcing him is only going to put negative attention on you. Besides, I know just as well as you do that it's me you want but since I don't want you, you use our child as a pawn."
She texted her brother for an update and waited with baited breath as she saw the text bubble appear then disappear before she received a picture of Jack smiling with ice cream. She could get dangerous now. She texted him back specific instructions to take him to Unique's place and that she'd be by to get him.
"That's where you're wrong because I already own you."
She hit record on her phone before clearing her throat. "You don't and never will own me. There's nothing you can do to me that won't get you in trouble too. So, if you want to go down that road we can but you won't be happy with the results."
Justin laughed. "You think I don't know what you're planning? Mercedes I have you tapped, there's nothing you can do without me knowing, there's nowhere you can go that I can't reach. I will always be there and I will always, always own you."
She shifted, feeling uncomfortable about his tone. She was good at picking up on his pitch changes but this time he was flat, unamused. "Justin, you know what you know because I allow you to know it. You haven't outsmarted me, you've done everything I've been expecting you to do. You're unoriginal and tired, why do you think I let Derek have his way with me whenever he wants?"
"Mercedes." His tone was clipped, she got him. "Don't piss me off, I let you get away with that but I won't…"
"Won't what? Justin, you're not in control. I'm not seeking anything from you, it's you. You're begging to get back with me, you begging for me to let you enjoy this prize between my legs, it's you. You're obsessed. It's embarrassing really… you talk about how you own me but you are on your knees begging for me to let you have another taste and here I am letting another man turn me every way but loose." She taunted.
"You think you're cute, I see you on West 12th street."
Mercedes let out a laugh that was sure to irritate him. "You're just further proving my point, you're obsessed. Also stalking is a crime."
"You think just because your daddy has connections that I don't? Mercedes, you killed a man and left his cold dead body on the ground for me to clean up, you have no way of escaping me because you begged me to keep your secret. I have the evidence and will say that I was forced to help you. Nothing your daddy can do will ever change what you did, you're a murderer."
She hated the sharp intake she took because it let him know that he'd cornered her but she couldn't turn back now. "See your memory is selective because I remember why I was put in that situation to begin with so you might want to be very careful when it comes to evidence. Or are you forgetting, getting me drunk?"
"You accepted-"
"Are you forgetting what happened after you got me drunk? Or are you forgetting that my daddy had to get my stomach pumped because it wasn't just alcohol? You do realize the reach that I have still extends further than yours, right? You aren't the only one that has secrets, I know all of yours Justin."
She was met by silence, she could hear the sound of wind before the call ended. She blinked before letting out a strangled sob, she had to hold back her tears because she needed to get to Jack. Allowing herself a few moments to gather herself, she grabbed her phone and sent the recording to herself before taking her sim card out and snapping it half.
This would buy her at least a month but she didn't have the luxury of waiting for him to snap. He was already there, she could tell. He never hung up without the last word, she hit the only nerve she could, that was her last holy grail. She had to get Jack and hope like hell the protective order was enough for now. She put her car into drive and headed to Unique's place to get her phone before going to get Jack so they could go to their new place.
"Daddy, that's not fair!" Mercedes whined earning an eye roll from her older brother.
Winston, her father sighed. "You and that boy are just too close and you should be hanging out with your friends."
Throwing her hands up dramatically, she moved in front of her father. "He is my friend so by your logic I am hanging out with my friends. Besides, you let Ken hang out with girls!"
Her brother looked at her like she was crazy. "Why am I being mentioned, I ain't even said anything."
Mercedes shrugged. "It's true! Daddy lets you get away with everything but the second I hang out with a boy twice, it's too much."
Her father sighed again. "I don't have a good feeling about him and that's reason enough."
"THAT IS NOT FAIR!" She shouted before storming upstairs to her room and slamming the door.
Ken looked at their father. "You know she's just gonna sneak out right?"
Thinking it over, Winston couldn't see his daughter defying him. "Nah, she'll cool down and I'll smooth it over with ice cream."
Ken snorted, getting up and shaking his head. "She ain't twelve anymore, she's gonna sneak out to see that dude."
Mercedes threw herself onto her bed, sighing dramatically. "I swear he's so… ugh!" She muttered to herself.
JB: What's the verdict?
Mercedes looked at her phone before turning over and replying.
MJ: He said I can't come.
JB: Dang, why?
MJ: He said we're "too close" whateva that means
JB: I was hoping we could hang, sucks.
MJ: yea
JB: next time
Mercedes bit her nails before replying to Justin's last text. I'll be at our spot. After hitting send she felt a rush of excitement flow through her, she'd never snuck out before but her father was being unreasonable and she would face the consequences later.
…
Climbing out of her window was easier than she expected. The trellis that adorned the side of their house, once meant for decoration, now served as a perfect ladder. Her heartbeat quickened with each careful step downwards, the thrill of defiance sending a jolt of adrenaline through her veins.
She landed softly on the grass, her shoes damp with the evening's dew. The night air was cool against her skin, whispering secrets of freedom as she hurried down the street, the shadows of the trees casting long, finger-like patterns on the pavement. Every rustle of leaves made her heart skip, half-expecting her father or Ken to be chasing after her, but only silence greeted her.
As she approached their spot, the old treehouse in the abandoned lot a few blocks away, Mercedes could see Justin's silhouette waiting for her in the moonlight. A smile spread across her face as she quickened her pace, the anticipation of seeing him overriding any lingering doubts about sneaking out.
"You made it," Justin grinned as she climbed up the rickety ladder. He reached out a hand to help her up the last few rungs. His touch sent a shiver down her spine.
"Of course I did," Mercedes replied breathlessly, settling down next to him on the worn wooden planks. "I couldn't let my dad stop me from seeing you."
Justin draped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. "I'm glad. Now we can have some fun."
Justin reached into his backpack and pulled out a bottle of dark liquid. "Swiped this from my dad's stash," he said with a mischievous glint in his eye. "Thought we could celebrate your first time sneaking out properly."
Mercedes hesitated for a moment, eyeing the bottle warily. But the thrill of the night, of being alone with Justin, emboldened her. "Let's do it," she said with a grin, taking the bottle from his hands.
The alcohol burned her throat as it went down, making her cough and sputter. Justin laughed, patting her back. "Takes some getting used to," he said, taking a swig himself.
As they passed the bottle back and forth, Mercedes felt a pleasant warmth spreading through her body, loosening her inhibitions. She leaned into Justin, giggling at his jokes and enjoying the closeness between them.
"You know, I've been wanting to do this for a long time," Justin murmured, his face inches from hers. Before Mercedes could respond, he closed the distance and pressed his lips against hers in a deep kiss.
Surprised but excited, Mercedes kissed him back, the world spinning delightfully around her. Justin's hands roamed her body, slipping under her shirt. She gasped at his touch on her bare skin, a thrill running through her.
But then, as his hands grew more insistent, tugging at her clothes, a flicker of unease broke through Mercedes' alcohol-induced haze.
Mercedes pulled back slightly, breaking the kiss. "Justin, wait," she said softly, her words slightly slurred from the alcohol. "I... I don't think I'm ready for this."
Justin's hands stilled but remained under her shirt, his fingertips lightly brushing against the lace of her bra. "Come on, 'Cedes," he coaxed, his breath hot against her neck. "We've been dancing around this for months. You snuck out to be with me. Doesn't that mean something?"
She bit her lip, torn between the desire coursing through her veins and the nagging feeling that this was moving too fast. The treehouse seemed to sway around her, the moonlight filtering through the cracks casting strange shadows on Justin's face.
"It does mean something," she admitted. "But this... it's a big step. I'm not sure if I'm ready to go that far yet," she finished, gently but firmly removing his hands from under her shirt.
Justin's expression darkened for a moment, frustration flashing across his features. But then he smoothed it over with a tight smile. "Alright, alright. I get it. We'll take things slow."
He leaned back, putting some distance between them, and took another swig from the bottle. An awkward silence stretched out, the earlier excitement and ease replaced by tension.
Mercedes fiddled with the hem of her shirt, suddenly feeling very young and out of her depth. The alcohol churned unpleasantly in her stomach now, making her head spin.
"Maybe... maybe I should head back home," she said quietly, not meeting Justin's eyes.
"Seriously? You just got here." The irritation was evident in his voice, despite his attempts to sound casual
Mercedes shifted uncomfortably, the rough wooden planks of the treehouse digging into her legs. "I know, but I'm not feeling so great. I think the alcohol..."
Justin scoffed. "Lightweight." He took another swig from the bottle, his jaw clenched. "Fine, go home then. Wouldn't want daddy to catch his little princess out past curfew."
His words stung, but Mercedes tried to ignore the hurt. She slowly got to her feet, the treehouse seeming to tilt and spin around her. "Justin, don't be like that. I just... I need some time, okay?"
"Whatever." He turned away from her, his shoulders stiff with anger. "Go on then. Run back home."
She looked at him, her eyes furrowed. "Why are you being like this?"
Mercedes hesitated, torn between wanting to smooth things over and the growing unease in her gut. The alcohol buzz had turned sour, leaving her feeling dizzy and nauseous.
"I'm not running away," she said, a hint of defiance in her voice despite the wobble. "I'm just not ready for... for more. That doesn't mean I don't care about you."
Justin let out a humorless laugh. "Sure seems like you're running. Seems like you care more about what your daddy thinks than being with me."
"That's not fair and you know it!" Mercedes snapped, her temper flaring through the haze of liquor. "I snuck out to see you, didn't I? I drank with you even though I've never had alcohol before. Doesn't that count for something?"
He finally turned to look at her, his dark eyes glinting in the moonlight. A mix of anger and something else, something darker that Mercedes couldn't quite place, swirled in their depths. "You're right, it should count for something," he said, his voice low and controlled. "It should count for a whole lot more than just a kiss and then running away scared."
He stood up, swaying slightly from the alcohol, and took a step towards her. Mercedes instinctively backed up, her heart pounding. "I'm not scared," she said, hating the tremor in her voice. "I'm just not ready to go further. Why is that so hard for you to understand?"
Justin kept advancing, backing her up until she felt the rough bark of the tree trunk behind her. He placed his hands on either side of her head, caging her in. "Because I know you want me just as much
as I want you," he said, his breath hot against her face, the scent of alcohol heavy. "You're just too scared to admit it."
Mercedes' heart raced, fear and anger warring inside her. This wasn't the Justin she knew, the sweet boy who made her laugh and held her hand. This Justin was a stranger, his eyes dark with a hunger that terrified her.
"Justin, stop," she said, trying to keep her voice steady. "You're drunk. You're not thinking straight."
"I'm thinking just fine," he growled, pressing closer. His body was flush against hers now, pinning her to the tree. "I'm thinking about how much I want you. How much I've always wanted you."
His hand slid down to her waist, fingers digging into her hip. Mercedes tried to push him away but he was too strong, the alcohol making his movements rough.
Mercedes' heart hammered in her chest as she struggled against Justin's grip, panic rising in her throat. "Justin, please," she pleaded, hating how weak and scared she sounded. "Don't do this. This isn't you."
But her words seemed to fall on deaf ears. Justin's hand slid under her shirt, his touch no longer gentle but possessive, greedy. Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes as she realized how vulnerable and helpless she was, trapped in this treehouse with someone she thought she could trust.
Summoning all her strength, Mercedes brought her knee up hard, slamming it into Justin's groin. He grunted in pain, his grip loosening just enough for her to shove him away. She bolted for the treehouse opening, scrambling down the ladder with shaking limbs, not daring to look back.
Her feet hit the ground and Mercedes ran, her feet pounding against the pavement as she tore through the dark streets. Tears streamed down her face, blurring her vision, but she didn't dare slow down. Justin's angry shouts echoed behind her, spurring her on faster, her lungs burning with each gasping breath.
She didn't know where she was going, only that she needed to get away, as far away from Justin and that treehouse as possible. Her mind reeled, trying to process what had just happened, how the boy she thought she knew could turn into someone so terrifying, so dangerous.
The alcohol churned in her stomach, threatening to come back up. She stumbled, her ankle twisting painfully in her haste, but she pushed through the pain, limping onwards. The streets were empty at this hour, the houses dark and silent. There was no one to help her, no one to turn to, until someone appeared in the distance and the fear she had only grew in size…
Next chapter will have some trigger warnings.