Tempted (#Wattys2015)

Tempted:22:

*Bella*

It was eleven o'clock.

Eleven o'clock and I was still in bed.

I wiped my eyes with the back of my hand, sitting Justin's note down after reading it for the hundreth time.

He said he was coming back though, we didn't break up.

So why was I so upset?

I didn't even want to leave my room.

"Izzy?" There was a knock on the door, then Josh peeked his head in while I lifted up my head, but I turned back around. "Jackie's here."

"Oh."

"Izzy, can I come in?"

"I guess." I shrugged, not bothering to move where I laid, seeing her blonde hair from the corner of my eye as the door clicked shut. "Has Mike said anything to you?"

"Just that Justin's ok, and he doesn't want you to worry about him.

"He should know by now that's impossible."

"Bella, I really think everything is going to be ok. Mike and Hunter are keeping an eye on you, and the same goes for him. He's not alone very often. It's not safe for him to be alone right now."

"He should be with me." I cried, rolling over to where she was and rested my head in her lap. "I don't understand why he thought leaving me alone by myself would make me feel safer. It doesn't. I hate sleeping by myself. What if Manny shows up? Or what if Justin is alone at night and they come and take him? Will I know? Does he really want me or is he trying to let me go while letting me think he'd come back? He's trying to keep me safe and he isn't here."

"I know, but this will all blow over, you'll be able to see him anytime you want. He won't come home hurt from jobs, he's going to have a family again, and he'll have you. Nothing has changed, just right now you guys aren't seeing each other - but he's still your boyfriend, and he still loves you. There is no denying that."

"I feel like I haven't seen him in ages. Is that just because I know he can't be here?"

"I think so," She nodded, soothingly running her fingers through my hair. "But I'm not letting you stay cooped up in your room all day for no reason."

"I don't want to go out."

"Bella, we're going out. Get yourself in the shower. I'm driving us into town and we're going to get our nails done, then do some shopping, ok? You love shopping, and sometimes it is really good medicine."

"I don't know."

"Come on, get up. You are going on vacation with that boy in like three weeks right? To the beach. We are going to go to Victoria's Secret and get you some killer bikinis that will make him wish you weren't wearing anything at all."

"I do like swimsuits."

"And you have a pool in your backyard! So do I! How about we do that? Hmm? Nails, we'll do some shopping and then we'll go lay out by the pool."

"Ok...but I got a shower last night before I went to bed, I don't think I smell that bad."

"Oh knock it off." She laughed, shaking her head at me as I sat up. "Now get dressed."

"I have one of Justin's shirts...would it be bad if I wore it out? Like if somebody recognized it?"

"It's a shirt, I don't think that's a big deal. What are you doing with one of his shirts here?"

"I took one when I spent the night. I sleep in it sometimes. He wouldn't care. Knowing him he'd think it was attractive." I laughed at that, reaching up for the necklace around my neck.

"Where'd you get that?"

"Him." I smiled with a sniff, making sure it was tight on my neck. "It was his mom's, and she gave it to him to give to a girl one day, you know, like the girl."

"Aw, and he gave it to you?"

"Yeah." I smiled proudly, my eyes flickering down to it. "He did."

"See? Don't worry. If things weren't going to change for the better, if he didn't want to make himself better for you, he wouldn't have given you that."

"I'm so scared Jackie." I admitted, pushing myself up and went into my closet. "I have a bad feelings in my gut, like something isn't right."

"You know Bella, maybe something will, but everyone around us is trying to do everything they can to protect both of you. Mike and Hunter won't let anything happen to him. Even Jaxon."

"Jaxon knows?" I kinda of gasped, my eyes growing wide. "Is that even safe?"

"Justin told him," She nodded slowly, pulling out a piar of my shorts from the closet. "so he could keep an eye on Jazzy, the house. He couldn't tell his dad yet. Jeremy could freak, and then Jazzy and Jaxon are gone again."

"He didn't tell me that."

"He went yesterday. Him and Jaxon went skateboarding at some place."

"He can be seen with his brother inpublic, but not his girlfriend?"

"Bella, it's different...don't take it personally. You know everything he's doing is because he loves you."

"I know." I sighed, slipping on the shorts, then exchanged the tank I wore for the teal shirt I had swiped of Justin's, the smell of cologne and smoke engulfing my nose. It felt like he was right here.
"I don't really feel like doing my makeup."

"Come here," She said eagerly, patting the couch in my room and plopped herself down with my makeup bag. "You know I love doing it."

"I know." I laughed, letting her do my makeup.

But I still felt bad.

__________________________

"What about this one?" I asked, walking out of the dressing room and peeked around to Jackie's.

"Ow ow." She laughed, nodding her head, "I love it."

"Really?"

"Yes, its a cute lavender purple. It makes you look tanner. What about the other one? The aqua halter?"

"I loved that one. And there is the black one with the gem in the middle and the cute flower bottoms."

"See? Are you going to get them?"

"I love all of them."

"Then go for it. I like my yellow one."

"You and yellow." I said with an eye roll, ducking back into my room and changed back into my clothes, grabbing the bathing suits and opened up the door. "Hey, I'm going to look around some more. I'll be back."

"Ok."

I went over to the underwear, laughing at myself as I picked through them, then thought of Justin, picking up two and checked out with them and got the bag, waiting for Jackie at the entrance, then hooked my arm around hers.

"I think he's going to drool."

"He better still be going with me or I really will be mad at him. I'm so excited to go to the beach, to be able to sneak over to the room right next to mine in the middle of the night and cuddle up to him, and other stuff, but you know how it is. When a guy holds you like that."

"Yeah, I know." She smiled at me, then I turned my head, something across the street catching my eye.

Then I saw him, my heart dropping into my stomach while Hunter pulled Justin along the strip, clearly arguing about something, and then I saw Justin pull out the box of cigarettes from his pocket and drop them in a trash can.

"Wow, he is serious." I murmured, staring at him, watching as he hung his head low and continued to walk. "He's here. I want to see him."

"Bella, you-"

"I haven't talked to him since the night he told me, please?"

"You're out in public now. Manny's guys could be here."

"Text Hunter for me and tell him. That way they don't know. We can go someplace. There are places around here."

"Bella, I think that defeats the whole point."

"He looks so sad." I whispered, frozen in place on the side walk. "You didn't bring me here on purpose did you? Knowing he'd be here?"

"No, of course not."

I looked around then, a few kids from my school here and there, then around at cars.

I didn't see a Manny.

One of my feet went forward, then I was crossing the street, following him into the store him and Hunter went to.

"Bella! No!" Jackie said, coming after me, and at that Justin turned, his eyes falling on me, slight circles under his eyes - and I thought when I got there I'd know what to say, but I didn't.

"Hunter, can we have a minute? Please?"

"Sure."

"I'm sorry," I blurted, hitting my forehead with my palm. "It was a bad idea. Sorry."

"No, Bella," He caught my hand, pulling me off to the corner of the store, hugging me in his arms, a whole new set of tears threatening to escape me, but I wouldn't let them.

Not this time.

"Haven't you heard from him? Manny?"

"No, but I've been keeping an eye out. Nothing. This can only be for a few minutes."

"It's ok, I understand."

"Are you wearing my shirt?"

"Maybe...I'd give it back but I can't exactly do that right now."

"It's fine. I like it." He held into my neck, moving his thumb along my cheek. "And you're wearing the necklace."

"Of course I am, I love it."

"Good." He softly smiled, placing a gentle kiss on my lips.

"Please get some sleep." I whispered, getting a closer look. "If you even need me to call you from a restricted number or something at night to help, I'll do that."

"I know you would Bella, and I love that, but it wouldn't be restricted for Manny. That's not a problem to figure out for him. We have to stay quiet. Just for now. Until everything has blown over."

"Ok."

"What's in the bag?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" I teased, a smile curling along my lips.

"I would."

"Too bad."



"Bella, hey! Bella! No!" Jackie said, catching my arm right as I was about to cross the street. "You can't."

"Wait- but-" I was confused, furrowing my eyebrows as I looked at Justin across the street, disappearing into a store with Hunter.

"Anybody could be here for Manny, you can't. Justin's right, it could be either of you."

"But I was just in the store with him-we -we-"

"Bella, you were standing here the whole time."

"Wait, did Justin just throw away a box of cigarettes?"

"Yes, and then they went in the store."

"And I didn't?"

"Is the smell from the salon just now getting to your head?" She laughed, pulling me into Forever 21."

"I guess." I mumbled, disappearing inside the store.

_______________________

*Justin*

"She saw you." Hunter told me, filing through shirts.

"I figured."

"I'm kinda surprised she didn't come over here."

"Maybe she's afraid to, and she honestly should be. I'm surprised you even got me out of the house."

"You can't just live in your room. Plus you were out of weed and alcohol, you were bound to leave at some point."

"I'm done with weed." I told him, picking up a shirt.

"Yeah, ok. You said that like a month ago and what did you do Tuesday night?"

"It was the last one, shut up." I glared, looking at another shirt. "I want to look for stuff for the beach. I'm going with her. She would be so mad at me if I didn't go, and we won't be here, it's not like they're going to follow us that far. He's too worried about his own shit here. I want to go."

"You should go. I'll stir up something here if I need to. When are you even going anyway?"

"Like three weeks, a month." I shrugged, rubbing the back of my neck with my hand. "I'm not really sure of the date off the top of my head. I already put in for it."

"You don't think it'll be awkward?"

"Why would it be awkward?" I snapped, giving him that glare again. "We're not broken up. She's still my girlfriend."

"I don't know, damn. Relax."

"I'm sorry." I groaned, running my free hand over my face. "I haven't slept much."

"I can tell."

"I want to get Bella something while we're out too."

"Like what?"

"I don't know. I want to look in the jewelry shop at the end of the strip. I want to give her something when everything's ok again."

"You should save it for the beach, or you could even look while you're there."

"I could." I shrugged, looking out the window in the direction Bella had gone. "Do you think she didn't come over because she's mad, or because she was really afraid?"

"Maybe both."

"I get why she's mad though, I would be to."

"Everything'll be ok though. Manny hasn't said anything to me."

"Of course he hasn't. You're my best friend, why would he do that?"

"Because you know how he is,he doesn't care about that."

"You really think he'd ask you to kill me?"

"I do." He nodded. "But I wouldn't do that."

"I know..."

"Who knows if he'll even do anything. He's always talking. No one is ever gotten out before."

"Which is what worries me. I thought something would have happened by now."

"Maybe nothing will, but it's good that you guys are being cautious. You never know."

"Exactly." With a final sigh, I put the shirts up on the counter, pulling out my wallet from my back pocket and paid for them.

At least Jackie was getting her out of the house.

___________________________________________

*Bella*

"Go away!" I threw my pillow at the door, holding onto another and turned on my stomach, crying as quietly as I could into my pillow.

"Izzy, open up. Please?" Josh said at the door for the fifth time, so I got up, letting the door fly open and ran back to my bed, facing away from him and wiped off my eyes. "What's wrong?"

"Why do you care?"

"Because you're my little sister. What happened? Did something else happen?"

"You don't even like him. You didn't even want me to be happy."

"All I want is for you to be happy Isabelle."

"No you don't. I love him! You don't even understand."

"What happened with you and Justin? Is it really just a break? You're sure about that?"

"You should tell me what happened with you and him! He wouldn't even come in the house when you were around or talk about you. My brother and my boyfriend can't even get along, so what happened?"

"I-Izzy..."

"Why won't anyone tell me?!"

"I'll tell you, you're- you're just going to not want to talk to me. But I want you to listen to me now. All I want is for you to be happy, and if he makes you happy, then you deserve to be with him."

"Just tell me what happened!"

He took a deep breath, feverishly running his hands through his hair and turned around, then looked back at me.

"It was one night when we were sophomores. I was out with my friends and I had been drinking. He was just walking the strip all by himself. I saw him, and-and we all beat him up pretty bad that night. Really bad. I don't even know how he got home. I don't remember much, but I know what I did. He was never the same after that."

"You beat him up?! It was you?! That night, was you?!"

"I was 15- and drunk- it-he-I know it's bad, ok? But I was serious when I told you he was dangerous - you would know that by now right? That was me trying to protect you!"

"You're the reason he's like this!" I was so angry, not even upset anymore as I flew up from the bed. "You gave him those scars! You're the reason why he got kicked out of his house! Do you even know how much damage you caused him?"

"Izzy-"

"God, you're such a dick Josh!"

I left my room, hearing him call my name as I stormed out of the house and just started walking away, then I was running, at least lightly, trying not to cry as I came across town.

Would he be mad at me? Was he even home? What if they already had him? What if he really didn't want anything to do with me anymore? He was trying to let me off easily...only to forget about me and move on later...

Then I ran up the stairs to Justin's apartment, catching my breath as I went to the door and started knocking.

"Justin?! Justin open up!" I said through tears, resting my head on the door. "I know you're there. Please Justin?"

He had to be here, if he wasn't where was he? Was he ok? Was he hurt as badly as I was, or was it just me?

Had I missed him at the basket ball courts?

It was Josh's fault...

That night JAxon had talked about, the night Justin refused to talk about...that was my brother.

If my brother wouldn't have hurt Justin, he wouldn't have lost his family, he wouldn't be here, Manny wouldn't even be part of our world...

He wouldn't have ever been hurt.

But then he'd be different, he wouldn't be mine, I wouldn't be here now...

It stayed quiet, and I reached for the door, trying to turn the handle but it was locked.

"I love you." I hit my fist on the door, his smile etched in my brain, the way he had brought my hand up to his lips the other night, writing me cute little messages on my balcony before I went to school, the note that sat on my night stand.


All too quickly, a cloth was placed over my mouth, my body tugged back with something dug into my side, causing new sets of tears to spring from my eyes as I kicked, my hands on top of the arm that was around me.

"Stop moving or I'll shoot you right here where he can find you."

Wait - oh no, Manny?

I shook my head, a jab in my side again, but it didn't pierce my skin, and slowly I lost feeling in my arms and legs, my world going black as I fell into his arms, leaving Justin behind on the other side of the door.

_______________

*Justin*

7:21 PM

"Just until I get things straightened out with my parents, Manny gets off my case. I don't want her to deal with all of that." I said to Mike and Hunter.

"Justin, that's part of a relationship."

"I'm new to it man."

"Did she cry?" Mike asked - I hadn't talked to him in a few days.

"Yes," I ran my hand over my face, watching him as he smoked. "Could you not? I'm really trying not to. I am really struggling."

"Sorry," He tossed it aside, putting it out on the ground with his shoe. "But what did you do?"

"I assured her that I wasn't going any where and it was only temporary. I just want her to be safe."

"That didn't help..."

"I don't know what to do! I'm trying. It's just temporary." I gave him a look, shoving my hands in the pockets of my shorts.

I went up the stairs of the apartment building, pushing the door open with my foot then went up the stairs to my level with Hunter and Mike behind me.

"Does something seem weird to you?"

"Um, no?"

My fingertips went up to the door, touching water droplets along it, then I unlocked it, kicking it open with my hand on my gun along my waistband.

"Man, it's fine. See?" Hunter said, looking out into my living room, then over to the kitchen. "Nothing."

"I think you just feel weird because of Bella man. You should call her."

"What if she doesn't want to talk to me? How can I talk to her without Manny seeing?"

"You never know unless you try...and I don't think he's looking into that. If he's going to go after anybody, it's you, not her. We've all made it clear she doesn't know anything."

Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I went to speed dial, bringing my phone up to my ear, my fingers tapping along the counter as it rang.

"It's about time you called." A male's voice said into the phone, making my head snap up.

"Who is this?"

"All these years and you still don't recognize my voice? Come on Justin."

Everything seemed to stop then, the walls practically crashing down around me.

No. No, no, NO.

Bella.

"Don't you fucking touch her." My fists clenched, gripping the phone in my hand.

"You should have seen her crying for you outside your door. How precious. And all to think we came for you. It worked out perfectly."

"Where are you?!" I looked around, throwing open the door to my apartment.

"You know the warehouse? Oh right, we have like three or four of those, don't we?"

"I swear if you hurt her I will fucking kill you."

"You sure are whipped, too bad you thought breaking up with her would be safer. Poor girl. She thought you weren't answering her on the other side, only screamed a little before she passed out."

"Where the hell are you?!"

I noticed Mike and Hunter now, both of their hands on there guns, wide eyed while they looked at me.

They knew.

I was wrong, wrong about everything.

They have her, when I thought keeping her at my side would have been how this happened...

"Figure it out. You have until midnight, or I have a few boys here who would love to have a little piece of your Bella. She has quite the set of lungs."

"If she's missing a single god damn hair on her head I swear to god I will find every single one of you bastards and kill you so slowly you'll wish you wouldn't have messed with me."

"Ah ah ah," His tone changed, my breathing now heavy. "You don't want to be talking to me like that now do you? I can do anything I want to her. You just have to get here in time."

"What do you want?! Money?! Some sort of unfinished business?"

"Simple. If you get here, she goes free."

"Just me in exchange for her?"

"Did I stutter?"

"I'll be there."

I hung up, letting out a frustrated groan and ran my hands over my face.

"Who has her?" Mike asked, nodding his head to my phone.

"Manny. I have to go, alone. I have to figure out where she is."

"We can go with you."

"No, you can't! I've already fucked everything else up! I can't mess this up. They'll kill her - They'll- I have to go."

I turned around, storming out of the apartment and slammed the door behind me, running as fast as I could down the hall and to the garage.

I had three warehouses to choose from, one was an hour and a half away, one a 40 minutes, and then just a few streets away.

The one farthest away was where most of his dirty work took place.

She had to be there.

________________

Author's note:
I couldn't take it anymore. I had to update this. And as I type I'm on my phone.
I think I'm going to update the next chapter at 25K reads, so that means you guys have to share like crazy!

Oh yeah, and please work on those contest entries :)