Denial

Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Rae

I walked into school, ready to learn. I haven't felt this good in ages. Spending so much time with Serenity and her friends, it made me realize what I was missing.

Friendship.

Since I stopped talking to Natasha, I haven't really spent any time with anyone else aside from Serenity, Terry, and Derrick. Spending so much time with them, it appears that I've gotten closer to each of them in some way.

I was pulled from my musings by an arm wrapping around my waist. I turned and looked into the familiar eyes of Melinda.

"Hey, Rae," she purred, pressing her body against mine. "Wanna have some fun before class?"

I waited for the familiar simmer of arousal her words usually elicited, but it never came. I pulled out of her arms, putting a foot of distance between us. "Sorry, Mel. I'm just not in the mood."

She frowned up at me, confused by my admission. "Since when are you ever not in the mood?" She stared at me for a moment before her look darkened even further. "You've gone running back to her, haven't you?" She sighed, rubbing her temples to ease the frustration I knew had to be building there. "When are you gonna realize that she isn't good enough for you? Rae, she can never love you the way I do." She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around my neck, pressing our breasts together. "Let me love you, Rae. You know I can. Just forget about her and come back to me. You know I'll take care of you. I'm never gonna leave you like she will."

I frowned, not liking the way she was talking about Serenity. I opened my mouth to say something, but instead, she kissed me, forcing her tongue into my mouth.

Before I could react, I was roughly yanked away. When I looked up, I was staring into the nearly black eyes of Serenity and she was livid. Her normally gentle chocolate beauties were instead a boiling abyss. I wanted to say it wasn't what it looked like, but the words died on my lips.

I watched as she looked away from me and glowered at Melinda who looked like she'd won the lottery. Serenity's next words wiped that grin off her face.

"When are you going to realize Rae has standards and you fall short?" she growled at her, her hands in tight fists at her sides.

Melinda blinked and she got in her face. She opened her mouth to say something when a grin suddenly blossomed on her face. "From the way you're reacting about that itty bitty kiss, I guess it's safe to say you don't know."

Serenity glared at her, but her brows creased slightly in confusion. "What the hell are you on about?" She glanced back at me and then back at Mel.

Melinda's grin broadened like the Cheshire cat. She peered around Serenity at me and waved her finger in a mockingly chastising fashion. "Rae, sweetie, you didn't tell you're fuck of the day about what we shared the other night?" She tsked and shook her head at me, grinning all the while. She turned her attention back to Serenity and grinned triumphantly. "Rae and I had sex. Again. All night long."

I felt Serenity's grip on my arm slacken as her entire body tensed up. She looked over her shoulder at me, and searched my face.

I glanced at her pleadingly, begging her to understand. I reached out to her and pain tore through my chest when she moved away from me. "Serenity, I...." I started, but I couldn't find the words to finish. I shook my head and stared down at my feet. "It was a moment of weakness." I whispered, not daring to look her in the eye. "I—It happened after I told you what happened. After I told you about what happened the night of the storm." I lifted my head, forcing myself to look at her. "I thought you'd never speak to me again. I regretted it even before I set foot in the house, but I couldn't make myself turn away. It's all I've ever known. It's how I get away from my problems. I'm so sorry, precious. It'll never happen again, I swear."