Never One To Ask (Book 2) (Completed)

Chapter 2: Diamonds In The Sky

"I was at 7-eleven the other day, and guess who I saw?" My bestfriend, Jaylen asks aloud as she folds a pair of my favorite light-wash jeans. She and my other bestie, Selina came over earlier to do some homework but now we're taking a study break to fold up some of my laundry, while Selina lays across my bed.

"Hmm?" Selina stuffs a handful of teddy grams into her mouth as she awaits Jaylen's answer. I too am a bit intrigued, but knowing Jaylen's dramatics, it could be nobody important.

"Kevin." Blatantly, she says the name. I nearly drop my black blouse on the floor, along with my jaw.

"Keri's ex, Kevin?" Selina clarifies with a mouth stuffed with food. Her Asian eyes widen as she looks to me.

"Ugh, don't even mention the name. He's dead to me." I shrug off the feeling of surprise and nervousness associated with his name.

'Here? Kevin?' Of all places to be, he comes back to the suburbs of Virginia. So many questions begin to race through my mind. 'Why is he here? When is he leaving? Will he ever apologize?' These are things I can't begin to question my best friends about because they know not even an ounce of as much knowledge about this boy than I did when I was the center of his universe.

"Keri, baby; look up." He told me to stare at the constellations in the night sky. My eyes were transfixed on the burning cigarette in the corner of his lip as he tied the laces to his black vans. "There's so many of 'em, but you're the one star that stands out the most." Kevin smiled with his devilishly deceiving wink as he exhaled smoke into the sky.

He referred to me as his 'star' when we were alone and told me that the song Diamonds by Rihanna was about us. I loved to believe him, though I knew everything was untrue.

He wanted me in the worst way known to a young girl's heart; not for who I was as a person, but the things I could do for him physically. He was intent on making me 'his' in the form of a forever my fourteen year old self knew nothing about. "Oh, you never forget your first. Baby, that's why it should be me," he said. "I promise, there's thousands of new gifts in the world with your name on them. You just have to make an A on that test."

This test he would speak of was more than just the common homework that I would foolishly complete for him in my spare time. It was more than keeping my eyes off of another guy. It was proving to my boyfriend that I deserved him as my first, even though he'd done nothing to show that he deserved me. It was proving that I wanted to belong to him because I wouldn't give it to anyone else. "You were especially made for me only. You won't do good with anyone else but me."

I had to pass his tests of not only mental endurance, but physical ones too. Not only did I have to steer clear of other male friends to avoid purple prints magically appearing on my arms, but I had to listen to his lies while he placed gentle purple marks on my neck like the sweet talking magician he was as well.

My tall, skinny, white boy with short, blonde hair was my sun. I was his sunflower. And though I believed I was growing, I was actually withering in his sight while he smiled on me because he knew it was all because of him. He was the first male figure in my life that I could willingly respect because his voice was so soothing while he complemented everything about me in just one sentence.

I didn't love him, but I loved the idea of him and what he stood for. I figured I needed to be controlled; someone had to keep me in line. I knew he didn't love me either, but he did a great job of saying how much he did; I almost believed him.

He pulled me into his arms while he sat on the park bench. Kissing my cheek sweetly he whispered "you just let me know when you're ready for the exam, okay?" I searched his blue eyes that matched the color of my own for the emotion of security and I wasn't surprised to find disinterest instead.

"What even happened to him after you guys broke up?" Selina asks, shaking me from bitter nostalgia.

"He had to move. He said something about his mom being in the military once; I'm guessing that's why," I lie. "In fact, that's why we split; because he was moving soon."

"You didn't want to try long distance like you and Jasean?" Jaylen asks me.

"No, I wanted him to leave. He was a horrible boyfriend." I shake my head and sigh. "I just hope he didn't move back because things could get awkward."

"Speaking of newcomers, spoken to Aracely lately?" She questions with a smile.

"No, we haven't talked since-" I stop myself from disclosing further information. "I don't know, we just don't talk anymore. It could be for various reasons, like the fact that I only see her at dance practice," I explain contently.

"Or maybe, ya know, the fact that Jasean doesn't like her for eating you out," Selina chimes. I immediately look to Jaylen's shocked expression. Her jaw drops in awe.

"Wait, what?!" She gasps. "You had sex with Aracely?" She says the word like its the most disgusting act on earth. I slam my hands down and look up at the ceiling.

"Selina!" I yell, furious with her.

"What? I'm sorry, it slipped. I forgot she didn't know already," her cheeks flushing the colors of tomatoes.

"And you kept that from me?!" Jaylen yells at me. "Oh, I don't even know who you are anymore. You don't tell me anything." She looks so hurt and my heart feels like it's falling asleep, it's so deep in my stomach. "Ever since he came into your life, you've just been so... so different, K. I bet you're not even a virgin anymore, are you?"

My eyes probably give her the answer as they fall towards the floor because she slowly backs away from the both of us. "When was Selina supposed to blurt that out to me, huh?" She shakes her head and turns, heading out of the door.

"Jaylen, wait!" I call, but there's no use. I turn my disappointed appearance toward a mouth-stuffed Selina. She does nothing but avoid my eye contact and shrug.

"Sorry," she finally speaks. I roll my eyes and let out a loud sigh.