Amidst Crimson Kisses

Chapter Twenty Eight: The Scorpion and The Frog

Margo's POV

Quid me nutrit me destruit; what nourishes me also destroys me. The hour comes when I begin to understand each gentle brushstroke formed by the bristles of Juliet's blue paddle brush. I carefully encapsulate each strand in the brush as Andre boldly crashed his lips against mine. I notice the butterflies fluttering in my stomach with each second his gaze lingered deep into my eyes. I remember capturing Andre's intrusive lips with hesitation even as his toned arms held the small of my back.

I'm responsible for desiring Andre in ways Asher could merely satisfy by running his fingertips through my hair, but in the moment I was completely helpless. I clung to him for a moment because I saw remnants of Asher's spirit in his smile. But Andre's anger only seeks to destroy in Asher's absence, and what if I'm his next target. Sometimes, I think about his taunting laugh, and I realize in Andre's core, he'll always be different from Asher.

My reflection stares at me in the mirror as silence falls over the girl standing on the other side with virtue in her soft cries. I exhale, closing my eyelids for a brief moment until she disappears back into the void. Then I slam the brush on the counter, contemplating my final response. I glare into the mirror with my life flashing before my irises as I open the door to the throne room in my mind. This time I'm one step closer to freedom with each second our emotions drift closer together, becoming one.

I open the bathroom door, watching Hallie protruding at the edge of the living room, decked in swatches of rose gold and Persian blue coating each wall with the pattern of two different minds. Moreover, each perception submerges in personality, plagued by moral differences, but both alike in their pursuits even though their methods are inconsistent. The Persian blue walls adorn in ballerinas of great valor and a portrait of a black girl standing on pointe in pink flats. There's also a painting extinguishing in rose gold as it stands in bold letters above the ivory couch and adorns in a mural of Juliet with black words inscribing over her flowing golden hair.

A storm erupts inside of me, threatening to release the vile that manifests in the darkest parts of me.

I wear the face of innocence, but it's all an illusion that sheds at the drop of a tear.

I'm a monster that immerses in folly and lost dreams that'll never resurrect even with a cure.

The rose gold walls hold a picture of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr wearing a black pantsuit as he glances down from his podium into the crowd.
Another dark-skinned woman erects on her tiptoes spinning in a seemingly perfect arabesque as the other woman sits at a front desk with a plaque that reads: The President Of The United States. I smile at a series of memories when Ajiona voiced her opinion about women transcending in the government. She imagined if we elected our First Lady President, then men and women would finally be treated as equals. Surprisingly, Ajiona has always fought for the injustice of women and minorities in the workforce, but when Juliet left her side her methods differed.

"I'm sorry I have to keep repeating this because I honestly can't fathom the ignorance of you two bozos," Ajiona says, blinking several times before she continues. "You two want me to cook a big breakfast every other morning and somehow find a new creative way to slip Mortem into Margo's drink? Then without her even noticing that she's higher off her ass than normal? Oh, I got the perfect grace. God, I know you don't condone our sins, but father, could you please help me once again roofie Margo without her realizing she's higher than a kite on acid. Thank you so much for allowing my horrible transgressions, and thanks for your mercy."

"What else is there, Ajiona," Hallie hisses. "Unless you'd like to go back to my previous statement? Your practically Margo's guide through Rosewood, so why don't you guide her into a black hole she'll never crawl out of even in her worst nightmare. I mean, she trusts you, so if anyone has the power to dethrone Gwendolyn's protege, then it's you. The only reason Margo's here is because Juliet's not."