The Mistress, Part Two (16 page)

He bit the underside of her breast, causing her to call out loudly, and he pulled himself away from her just long enough to undo his own jeans and free himself. But like her shirt, he only needed them out of the way – not off. His fueled need was beginning to overpower him. His jeans hung around his hips as he fell back toward her.

His lips covered hers and her breath disappeared completely, escaping from her lungs as if it was fleeing into oblivion, as he pushed himself deep inside her core. Her whimper was muffled by his kiss, and it pushed him forward. He pressed his lips into her own so hard that she tasted blood as the inside of his lip grazed sharply against one of her own teeth.

He grabbed her wrists and brought them up to the sides of her head, and held them down as he quickened his pace inside of her. She tried to pull her arms free, just to see if she could, and felt the rush of heat when she couldn't. His strength enticed her. She couldn't move, and she liked it. Joseph had always struck her as a strong man, but he was so much stronger than her. Much, much stronger. She could bring her hips up to meet his thrusts, and that was all she could do, so she did. Oh, she did. She closed her eyes and allowed herself to sink into the pleasure. Joseph was moving so fast in her that she could barely contain herself.

"Marissa, open your eyes. Look at me..." And she did. She opened her eyes, and he locked eyes with her. "I want you to cum, Marissa. Cum for me." His words pushed her over the edge. She began screaming as the intensity washed over her, endless waves that seemed to go on forever. She looked up and saw Joseph’s face as he exploded inside of her. He pulled himself from her wet center and gently fell to the mattress beside her.

He kissed her forehead and down her cheek until he found her lips once again. He tenderly sucked at her bottom lip and then kissed. She laid her head down on his shoulder and listened as both of their breaths started to even out. His became a slight snore; she looked at his face and saw it free of anxiety and doubt for the first time since the last time they had fallen into passion’s web. She finally closed her eyes and gave in to her own fatigue.

              Haley sighed and let her fists fall to her side. She didn’t dare knock on the door. She couldn’t find the nerve. This would be the first time she saw him in a long time; hell, it was the first time she saw any of the Lancers in a while. It was the first time she was invited to see the family. She was
invited
. She couldn’t contain the excitement she had when she first received the invitation, but now – she was completely butterflies-in-stomach nauseous.

              She turned on her heel and began to walk away, but then she hesitated. Was she really going to let this go because she was afraid? Was she really going to let her family go once again? Could she even call them that, after all that happened? She was lucky to be in the friend category again – if she was even that far up on the totem pole. Hell, she could be acquaintance. Regardless, though, they were trying. The least she could do was try back.

              She sank down the length of the door to sit. She felt light-headed. She drew her knees into her chest as a chill ran through her body from the wind. She hugged them tightly, allowing another tear to fall down her cheek. She felt pathetic. She felt as though she was making mistakes all over again, different mistakes, but mistakes nonetheless. Not only mistakes, but mistakes she knew were mistakes before she made them, and not only that but mistakes that hurt the family she loved and hurt before, the family she was striving with all her might to gain forgiveness from. Why didn’t she have the courage to knock on the door? That fucking door.

              She huffed as a lump danced in her throat. She released her knees as the chill of the wind grew colder. She rubbed her hands together, trying to friction heat into them before she blew her heated breath into them. She knew it could all be rectified if she’d just knock on the door, but no – she wanted to continue to freeze her ass off in the cold, bitter winds of Chicago. It was fucking summer – what the hell was happening?

              “It’s fucking Chicago – the windy city,” she scorned herself in a taunting fashion.

              “Hey, Haley!” she heard Lucas call from behind her. He had opened the door and she didn’t even realize it. She hadn’t heard him. She hadn’t heard anything except her own thoughts. And before she knew it, Marissa had appeared behind him.

              “What are you doing out here?” she asked, she and Lucas both looking on with concern in their eyes. “Why are you crying?” she asked. “Come inside.”

              And she did.

              She went inside behind Marissa and Lucas and let the aroma of home surround her. She felt another tear fall – but this time, it was a tear of pure happiness. Maybe tears didn’t lead to loneliness like she thought. Maybe it just takes a special kind of person to understand.

She always thought that fate had a masterful plan to fuck with her, but really she wasn’t that special. It was just dumb luck, in truth, and she was just an average cynic, just an average asshole that fucked up. As we all do. Sometimes we can make those fuck-ups right, and sometimes people just let shit go and forgive us. Sometimes shit just is and you can’t explain how or why. The only thing she could ever say for certain was that life was messy; it was unexpected and sometimes just plain shitty. But, looking around the room, she knew that the clouds just roll in from time to time. But those few moments of darkness are worth it in the end, because even after a great storm flowers still bloom.

Hell, the storm may even help the flowers bloom, for that matter. We don’t know what life holds; it’s unexpected, and she continued to stress that ideology in her mind. What is certain is that if there weren’t any badness in the world, we wouldn’t appreciate the good. Without the rain, there would be no flowers, and that essence of life – that roller coaster, bipolar essence – makes life beautiful.

And after all the bullshit in the world, at the end of the day, we are still left with family. They may piss you off or downright irritate the ever-living fuck out of you, but they’re there. Fully and without fail. Families fight and fuck up – but if someone sticks around through all the bullshit then they
are
family. Families come in all colors, shapes, and sizes, but all they are a group of characters journeying through the chapters of your life with you – by your side. We must forgive those who seek forgiveness, because only those deserving of it admit their faults and then act to improve – not only themselves but the image they falsely created within your mind for their wrongdoings. Or even if your perception of them isn’t false, and they really are as vile as you think they are – people can change. And they will if they deem it necessary.

It is important for the seeker of forgiveness to realize that they may never receive the exact relationship – the one they foolishly lost – back, but having someone there is what life is all about. And just because you don’t have the same relationship, doesn’t mean it isn’t meaningful. Hell, it doesn’t even mean it isn’t just as meaningful as the one you lost. Just because something differs from what you perceived as grand before, doesn’t mean this new relationship isn’t just as grand – if not grander.

Haley looked at Marissa, and she saw the affection in her eyes for Joseph. The love she held for Joseph wasn’t the same love she held for Preston, but it didn’t mean it wasn’t just as spectacular. Hell, this time around – it may be a truer, purer and more everlasting love. It may be the love to define all loves. It may be the real deal. She smiled as she looked to her friend – her sister.

This truly was the happiest beginning, and she could only pray for a happy ending with all of the family surrounding her. Even Preston. She watched him as he called his daughter and son over to the coffee table to play a board game, and she smiled. She was happy to see that he could have his children. Maybe he could be redeemed; only time could tell – but the same could be said for her. Time would tell. All that Haley knew for the moment was that the bonds of family were tricky, indeed.

~~~

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