This Rose Bleeds

Chapter ~Nineteen~

.:~*NATHAN*~:.

He drove me home after. What the hell is wrong with me?! I bit my lip as I thought back to when I agreed to be his...partner.

How am I supposed to act? So Kristy was right...surprisingly. Why does he like me? What if...what if he doesn't like me after a while? Just the thought made my chest ache. It's too late for me. I've ignored it for as long as possible, but it's impossible to ignore now. I feel safe with him, and comfortable. He's annoying and bipolar but he took care of me. I think about him when I should be focused on homework, and I want him to keep holding my hand. I don't want him to disappear. That alone is a lot to ask for, right? Was it wrong to wish for that kind of life?

We got out of his car and he slowly led me up to the door, while holding my hand.

"Nathan?" He said.

"Yeah?"

He leaned down and gently pushed his lips to mine. I was slightly shocked, but realized this was, what, the third time we kissed? It felt...wow. It felt...

I kissed him back. He cupped my face and pulled me closer. It felt so right. He trailed his tongue across my lip and I gasped, stepping back. He took advantage immediately and gently pushed me against the door.

He pulled back only slightly to ask, "You okay?" I nodded silently. I had never kissed someone like this before. I probably wasn't any good.

"Please don't tell me Kristy's been giving you tips..." He whispered as he leaned in again and continued. I smiled a little. She would, but I always ran away when she got into detail about her dates.

He moved away from my lips and gave light butterfly kisses down my neck. It was exhilarating, and nothing at all like Mattson. I felt teeth, and jumped when he bit down.

"R-Ryder–don't–" I felt his tongue and gasped.

He made a sound and brought his lips back up to mine. He pulled away at last and we were both breathing deeply. He kissed my forehead.

"Here." He handed me an envelope.

"What...?"

"Forty dollars for each hour we spent together today." He shrugged. "And a little extra."

"Ryder." I whispered. "I cannot take this. This is your money, and–"

"I love you."

My mouth dropped a little and my heart stopped. He smiled warmly and kissed my cheek. "See you at school."

I watched him, speechless, as he skipped to his car, got in, and drove away. I shook my head and opened the white envelope.

Woah.

"What the..." I whispered. He was right. There were over three hundred in the envelope.

I shook my head. That idiot. I have to do all that I can to thank him tomorrow at school. I entered my house with a large grin on my face.

As soon as I opened the door, a huge force drove into my stomach. I coughed and fell to my knees.

"Well..." I looked up at the shadowy figure. "I heard you've been wasting your time, flitting around with 'friends', when your payday was coming up."

My payday?

No.

No, no, no!

Please, god, don't tell me–

"It's the thirty-first, Nathan." Mr. Steven kneeled in front of me. The light from the street lamp lit his ugly face with yellow light and shadows. He grinned and I felt my body wither.

"Pay up."