Just Because (Interracial BWWM)

Chapter 23

"You gotta fight, girl!"

Taty's voice echoed in Braelyn's head as she knocked on Duke's door. Four days of lying in bed, no shower, hardly any food other than the numerous bags of chips she had stored up around the house for when Duke came over with the munchies. It didn't help that every time she ate them, it made her cry more, which made her depressed, which continued that vicious cycle.

It was only when Taty had come over to shake her out of it did she realize what she had to do.

"Life is too short to let some rich bitch step all over you and pretend like you're nothing. If you want Duke, then you have to fight. Fight for your love, girl. You gotta fight, girl!"

So, here she was, fighting for her love. Or, at least, she hoped that that was what she was doing.

And there he was. Gorgeous, just the way she remembered him. Then she looked over his should, and saw the thin, WASPy blonde over his shoulder. She wore a t-shirt. Duke's t-shirt. She wasn't wearing pants.

"Braelyn?" His voice sounded like sweet music to her broken heart. Though she hadn't heard it in awhile, she had never heard something that sounded so much like home.

"Hey, Duke." Her own voice, however, sounded hoarse, and stuttered.

"Is everything ok, baby?" the girl came up behind him, kissing his neck as she wrapped her tanned arms around his body.

Braelyn really wanted to beat that bitches ass in that moment. But, she realized that that wasn't who she wanted to be. But, still, It would make her feel so much better if she could just hit the cunt just once.

"Yea, everything's fine. Can you wait for me in my room?" He kissed her, smacked her ass, and she skipped up the stairs. Duke stepped out of the house, closing the door behind him.

Braelyn felt indescribable rage. "Really?"

Duke averted eye contact. "What?"

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Braelyn tried to keep her temper under control. "Did you have to do that in front of my face?"

Duke just shrugged, still not looking at her. But she knew why. She understood him. She had always understood him. She grabbed his face in her hands. He struggled against her, but only halfheartedly.

"Look at me, Duke." She focused her eyes on his brilliant ones. In them she saw so much confusion. "Do you love me?"

"Braelyn-"

"Answer the question, Duke. Do you love me?"

"You know I do, but that doesn't matter-"

"Of course it matters, Duke. It's the only thing that matters right now." She saw helplessness in his eyes, something that she had never seen from him. He had always been so defiant.

He shook his head. "You are the only thing that I give a fuck about. And I can't let her ruin your life."

"It won't be the life that I want if you aren't there with me, Duke, don't you see that?" Braelyn stepped closer to him, his face still in her hands. "I don't care about money, I don't care about any of it. I'd go to jail if I had to, I'd go to school out of state if I had to. I'd do whatever it took for us."

"And I'd do whatever it took for you." Duke responded. And though it was something that could make any girl's heart melt, Braelyn felt like someone had punched her in the gut. "And I can't let you give up your future for me."

"No, Duke, listen to me-"

"No, Brae, you listen." He grabbed her hands which you still on his face. His hands were so warm, so strong compared to hers. "I love you more than I thought it was ever possible to love someone. I'll never stop loving you. But I can't let you sacrifice so much of yourself for me. That's not something that I could live with." Duke reached over and stroked a tear from her face. It was amazing that she hadn't that she had been crying. "I can live with any punishment anyone can dish out, but not if it involves hurting you in anyway. I can never let that happen. Because that's how much you mean too me."