NINTH FLOOR | 18+

XXI. P I N K

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V I O L E T T E
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"Mama?" The six year old girl looks up as her mom wrapped a pink teddy bear, the exact replica of the one she was holding, inside a pretty gift box before wrapping it in an even prettier wrapping paper.

"Yes amore." The mother replies as she stuffs the gift box inside a closet full of many others wrapped in different colors of pretty wrapping paper, some with sparkly bows and ribbons.

"Why do you always buy two of everything and then wrap it in pretty paper?" The blue eyed girl asked nervously while hugging her own pink teddy bear tighter against her chest.

With a sad smile on her face, the mother walks over to the little girl and brings her to her lap. Tucking in one of her chocolate wavy curls behind her hair, she kisses the top of the little girl's head.

"Because the other one is for your big sister." The mother whispers as a glaze of tears coats her own eyes.

"Where is she mama? Why doesn't she want to play with me?" The little girl asks.

"I'll share my toys with her mama." She adds with hope in her beautiful big eyes.

"I know baby, I know. She just hasn't found her way home yet." The mother says as she holds the little girl close to her heart with tears painting her cheeks.

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Danger. Sin. Him. I knew that cologne. It belonged to the man with gray eyes that brewed thunderstorms everyday when they collided with mine. The one who whispered against my lips with his whisky coated tongue. It belonged to Ruben Efrain.

My eyes slowly opened to find dark lighting and silky sheets over me. My head hurt as I pulled the sheets off of me in a hurry as I tried to recall what happened. And as it all came to me one by one, his voice echoed from the corner of the room.

"Go back to sleep Violette, you're safe." I turned my head towards where his voice was coming but couldn't make out more than his black shadow in what seemed like a couch chair. It suited him, the darkness. It made it easier to see him as what he was, dangerous.

"Where am I?" I asked but immediately grabbed my throat as it burned from being dehydrated.

"In my bed." He answered and from the shuffling that came along I knew he had just gotten up from his place on the chair.

I heard water being poured into a glass next and before I could pull myself out of my hazy mind, he stood there in front of me. His shirt missing, the glass of water extended towards me, and those gray eyes doing a number on me.

"Stop staring and drink Violette." I immediately dropped my eyes to the shiny flooring and tightened my fingers into my palms. But before I could continue gawking at his reflection on the floor, his hand grabbed onto my chin bringing my eyes back to his.

"Open your mouth." My eyes widened as his fingers kept a stronghold on my jaw, keeping me from looking anywhere but him.

He brought the glass of water to my lips and almost seemed irritated when I didn't open my mouth immediately. I slowly opened my mouth before letting the water spill into my mouth, all while keeping my eyes on his.

When I was done, I pulled away from the glass and waited for him to drop his hand from my jaw. His thumb rubbed my bottom lip almost punishingly and I grabbed his hand holding my jaw in place.

His gray eyes looked almost predatory as I slightly opened my mouth to take a deep breath in and he took that moment to pull away from me before placing the glass on the side table.

"You are going to fucken explain what happened out there tonight." I nodded my head while looking back down at the floor and I knew he didn't like that.

"While looking into my eyes Violette." He ordered and I immediately brought my eyes back to his.

"Start talking."

"I don't know, alright. One moment I was walking down the alley and the next thing someone grabbed me from the back and started saying stuff that made no sense. I seriously don't know."

"What did he say?" And as I tried to think of his exact words, Ruben seemed to be losing more of his patience.

"Violette what did he say?" He practically yelled and I instantly flinched, frustrated tears glazing my eyes.

His eyes instantly followed the trail of the single tear that had slipped free and before I knew it, he was kneeling in front of me.

"Fuck, I'm sorry." He said more quietly and wiped my tears with his thumb.

"Please stop crying." He pleaded and when I looked back at him, I knew this was hard for him. It was hard for Ruben to actually give a shit about someone and it frustrated him that he wanted to give me any to begin with.

"He said I looked like her and that she was coming for me." I answered as he continued to cup my cheek in the palm of his hand.

"Who is she, Violette?" He asked as I leaned into his hand more.

"I don't know." I said honestly as he hummed in understanding while continuing to stroke my cheek.

"That's okay." He said and I instantly wanted this version of him to love. The version where he wasn't all suited up with fake smiles. I wanted him vulnerable and understanding, just like he was right now as he was kneeling in front of me while begging me not to cry.

He got up from the spot in front of me and went into what seemed like his closet, bringing a white shirt and a pair of shorts with him this time. Both too big for me.

"Here, go change and take a shower if you want to. I'll go make us something to eat." I carefully grabbed the clothes from his hand and got up from the bed. Before I could make it to the bathroom, his voice whispered behind me.

"I was scared, you know?" He said almost to himself.

"Of what?" I asked back.

"Of losing you."

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Thank you for remaining patient while I finished my other book THE SERPENT, which you can now binge! I will try to be more consistent with updating for this story as I have my other finished.

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J. Iris Grace

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