Her Pleasure His Pain

PROLOGUE

HIGH SCHOOL SWEETHEARTS

JUSTIN LEGACY, JR

The moment I offered her my jacket, she said she had to think about it. I knew then she was the one. Most girls would've ripped it out of my hands on the merit of my name alone, but Bry, she was different. And as much as I enjoyed the lifestyle bestowed upon the son of a football legend and small town celebrity, I relished the uncomplicated companionship she offered more. I knew the behavior expected of someone like me. But I've always been an enigma of sorts, happy to be in my celebrated position, yet also private about my dream to someday decide my own fate.

With Bry, I believed that and anything else was possible. Her Auntie Marilyn raised my girl after her parent's fatal car accident, turning one summer visit to Hilton into her new home, making Bry the most important person in my life. Her aunt was a class-A nut job though she fed me well and provided more genuine, non sports related attention than I had even received at my own dinner table.

"What's her actual faith?" I whispered one Saturday after spending the day feeding the homeless with Bry and her family.

"I don't even think she knows." She muttered between yam heavy forks and sips of too sweet tea. We snickered, then gripped one another's hands out of sight of her aunt's judgmental gaze.

"I'll tell you what I do know." Marilyn preached from the opposite side of the room. "I know that devil is slick, and the roads to sin ain't glossed over because my God is blind. Nope... they wide and long because Satan knows the flesh is weak, that even the slightest, sneaky lil touch fills the mind with filth and vile."

Her self righteous gaze traveled towards our skinny brown arms forming a v at the other end of the table. Bry cleared her throat while I gripped her hand, tighter the moment she attempted to let go. I wanted to touch her and knew whether I did or not, in that moment, how I felt about her was more than the sinful lust her auntie made it out to be.

She always watched us like a hawk. It didn't matter. Every chance I got, I would pull Bry into my arms and profess my undying love. Corny, yes, but what teenage boy isn't. She would often ask why I chose her when I could have any other girl in town. My answer never changed.

"Because you believe in me, stand by my side and are always saving my ass from doing something stupid like punching Marshall Jackson in the face. Truth be told, I'm a better version of me because I never want to hurt you or let you down."

"Justin." She would whisper. "You won't ever hurt me. I know that. And you could never, ever let me down."

SABRYNA GREGGS

I was once in love, like really in love with the most popular boy in town. Justin was the most amazing part of my childhood until two months after our high school graduation. What I remember most is sobbing uncontrollably as he and his parents backed out of their driveway. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't charm his way out of attending college thousands of miles opposite of my destination. The night before, we lay on the hood of his car, holding hands, drifting in a sea of sadness, silently gazing at the raisin black sky. I was terrified of losing him, though Justin promised to stay in contact. He swore over and over again to remain faithful and to visit whenever he had the chance. But as his father's tail lights faded into the backdrop of predawn darkness, so did my belief that he and I would remain the couple we solemnly vowed to be.

Six months into my freshman year, I knew more about my so-called boyfriend through social media than from our infrequent phone calls and scarcely answered texts. Two years into our collegiate lives, we became more akin to acquaintances than high school sweethearts and by graduation, we were former friends.