“Kendell, your mom will be home any minute and you still don’t have your pajamas on.” Raina says as she picks up some of the toys on the girl’s bed. “Hurry up and get changed.”

Kendell gets up from her princess chair and stands with her arms crossed, “Mommy said I don’t have to listen to you.” She stomps her feet as she walks towards Raina.

“She told me that you have to be in bed by the time she gets back.” The little girl hits Raina’s leg. “Kendell, I’m going to send you to time out if you don’t stop hitting me and get your pajamas on now.” Raina says as she grabs the toddlers hands and turns her around so that she can guide her to the closet.

“I hate you.” Kendell yells as she puts on her tweety bird pajamas. “You are no fun and you smell.”

Raina tries to keep from laughing as she gathers Kendell’s dirty clothes and follows the child to her bed. “Good night,”

“No good night to you.” Kendell yells from behind the closed door.

Raina shakes her head in disbelief when she thinks back on how stubborn Kendell was tonight. The girl wouldn’t do anything she told her to.

Raina walks down to the kitchen and washes up the the counters and the rest of the dirty dishes. Jamie will be home any moment and she has to have the house how it was left. Which isn’t too much to ask, it’s just that when Kendell acts out the tasks all become more difficult.

Jamie comes home 10 minutes later, “Hi, how were the girls?” she asks as she sets her bag down on the table.

“Fine, except Kendell was in an odd mood. She was very stubborn.” I say as I wipe down the last area of the counter. “She got to bed 15 minutes ago.”

“Yeah, she gets in these moods sometimes. Stubborn, just her father.” Jamie says with a knowing smile.

Raina smirks a little at the thought of Justin but quickly pushes him out of her head and focuses on Jaime. “Well, I better get going, I need to get home and do some homework.”

Jamie pays Raina and thanks her. Raina walks out and texts her mom letting her know that she’s done. Her mom doesn’t answer. So she begins to walk.

The walk was going fine until it started to pour. She pulled her hoodie tighter around her small frame and kept her head down as the water drenched her clothes.

I'm standing at your back porch baby
Come answer your door
I'll give you what you want little lady
Can't take any more

“Raina?” a voice said from a distance. She turned around and saw a car parking on the side of the road and the driver’s door opening. She kept walking to keep her distance, but stopped once she saw who it was.

“What are you doing here?” Justin asks as he walks up to her. “You’re going to get sick.”

She looks up from the ground and smiles when she feels him wrap his arm around her. “Going home.”

“Why are you walking in the rain? Didn’t Jamie offer to drive you?” he asks as he wipes a strand of wet hair from her forehead.

“She thought my mom was picking me up, but she isn’t home so I started walking.” she says with a shrug.

“Come on,” he says as they walk towards his car. “I’ll take you home.” He pushes her in front of him and places his hands on her shoulders, “Man, you are soaking wet,” he says as he pats her shoulders through the hoodie and t-shirt.

“Yeah, that’s what happens when it rains.” She says with a smart-ass grin.

He smiles and turns her around, pushing her up against the car door. “Don’t be a jerk.” he says has he leans down and kisses her lips roughly. “It’s not nice.”

He pulls away a little and kisses her chin and neck. “Justin....” she mumbles as her eyes slowly roll back along with her head. “We can’t......” He doesn’t stop. He continues to kiss her neck and his hands push her hood off and run through her hair. “J, please...” she whispers as he pushes his lips on hers again. This time the kiss is gentle and caring. “It’s raining...” she tries, but it’s no use.

“Thanks captain obvious,” Justin says with a laugh. He pulls away and opens the backseat door. Raina looks at him with a disapproving glare. “Get in.” he says as he motions towards the door.

I'm creeping through your hallway darling
Coming to make you sweat
I'll make it to your bedroom, honey
I can make you wet

“I’m not having sex with you.” She says crossing her arms, not caring about the rain anymore.

“Fine, we’ll fucking drive somewhere. Just get in the car.” He stands there and waits for her to answer. She is taking forever so he shuts the door and walks around to the drivers door, gets in, and turns the ignition on.

Raina quickly moves and opens the passenger's door and slips into the seat. She looks over at Justin and sees he’s upset. “I’m sorry.” she mumbles as she pushes the zipper up and down on her hoodie. “I didn’t mean it that wa-”

“Well then what way did you fucking mean?” Justin interrupts, but he doesn’t even look at her.

“I just don’t want to have sex out in the open like that.”

“We fucked in a park bathroom.” he states harshly.

“I....I know.” She hangs her head and tears well up in her eyes. She takes her long hoodie sleeve and wipes them away the best she can.

Justin doesn’t say anything, instead he puts the car in gear and starts to drive. It isn’t until Raina lifts her head that she realizes he isn’t taking her home. She becomes nervous and scared at what he might do to her. “Where are we going?” she asks quietly.

“Somewhere.” Justin replies without emotion.

20 minutes later he pulls into a parking lot that’s connected to a hotel and gets out. He walks to the door and stops when he notices she hasn’t gotten out. “Are you coming?” he asks loudly so she can hear him in the car.

She looks at the hotel and then at Justin and unbuckles her seat belt. She slowly gets out and walks next to him as they make their way into the lobby. Justin checks in and they walk up to the room. He opens the door and they walk into the cold, dark room. Raina wraps her arms around herself and instantly feels like she’s back out in the rain.

Justin walks up behind her and wraps his arms around her waist. “This private enough?” he whispers in her ear.

She nods and gasps when she feels her feet leaves the floor. He sets her on the bed and then crawls on top of her. She looks up at him in fear and he stops all movement.
“What’s wrong?” he asks as he looks her in the eyes.

“Don’t hurt me.” she mumbles as tears run down her face. “Please, I didn’t mean it.”

“I wouldn’t dare hurt you. You mean too much to me.” He says as he unzips her hoodie and lifts her t-shirt over her head. He kisses her stomach and smiles as he unhooks her bra. “You pulled quite the act back there. Pretending like you didn’t want me.” he stops kissing her and looks at her face. “You want me, don’t you?”

She nods slightly and never breaks eye contact. She closes her eyes as he leans down and kisses her lips again. She can feel the apprehension and nerves building up in her stomach. She tries to ignore the uneasy feeling, but it becomes impossible when her stomach turns on her. “Move,” she tells him as she pushes at his shoulders. “Move, now.” she says as she grabs her stomach and covers her mouth with her other hand. She runs towards the bathroom and slams the door.

Justin falls on the bed with a sigh when he hears her throwing up. He slowly gets up and walks to the door knocking on it softly. “You alright?” he asks. He cringes when the sounds of her coughing make it through the door. “Need anything?”

I'm knocking at your back porch baby
Come answer the door
I'm giving you what you want little lady
Can't take any more

The door opens and she stands there, never looking at him. “I’m sorry.” she mumbles into her chest. “I know you wanted to, you know, tonight and I just couldn’t handle it and it wasn’t like it was the f-” she rambles on, but stops when she feels his finger under her chin.

“It’s ok.” he gives her a reassuring smile and kisses her forehead. “I’m sorry for the way I reacted earlier when I picked you up.”

She mumbles something into his shirt as she hugs him close and closes her eyes, relaxing against him.

“You tired?” he asks as he pulls away slightly.

“Yeah, Kendell wore me out today.” She says as she looks down and realizes she doesn’t have a shirt on. “I’m cold.” she whispers as they walk back to the bed. Justin hands her the shirt she had been wearing and they both stand there just staring at each other.

“You want to stay here for the night?” he finally asks. She can tell he isn’t sure what to do, and neither is she.

“I’m not sure that’s the best idea.” she mumbles as she grabs her hoodie and slips it on. “My mom will be wondering...” her train of thought gets lost when Justin pulls her close and starts kissing her lips. The kiss is light, but somehow still very rough. Raina moans when she feels Justin’s hands rub against her back and slip under her waist band. They pull apart and Raina doesn’t look at Justin. “I have to go.” She says as she grabs her bag and make sure she has her phone.

“What?” Justin asks as he follows her to the door. “Why?” He asks as she opens the door and turns to shut it behind her. “Raina, stop.” he grabs her wrist and she finally looks up at him. “What are you doing?”

“Leaving,” she mumbles after blinking away the tears that were on the verge of falling. “I can’t be this person anymore.”

Justin shakes his head in confusion, but never let’s go of her wrist. “What?”

“I’m a horrible person. I get paid to sleep with you. I’m a prostitute.” She says as she realizes what she’s been doing with Justin these past weeks.

“What are you talking about? You are not a prostitute. You’re a beautiful young woman and you are so loving and car-”
“Stop!” she yells at him. It’s the first time he’s heard her yell and it shocks him. “I don’t know who I am anymore. Raina doesn’t do stuff like this. Raina would be at home studying for the test she has tomorrow, not sleeping with the father of the children she babysits.” She let’s the tears fall down that she’d been holding in. “I don’t know who this is, but it isn’t me.” She says as Justin let’s her wrist fall from his grip.

Justin reaches for her, but she backs away and shakes her head. “Raina, please don’t do this.”

“Do what?” She asks wiping away her tears. “The right thing? The logical thing? This isn’t right, and you know that.” She looks around to see if anybody is in the hallway with her. “I’m only 16. We can’t be together.”

“Says who?”

She laughs at his question. “Says the government. You can get in huge trouble for what we’re doing. We need to stop before we...” she trails off and looks away from him.

“Before we what? Have sex?” When he says ‘sex’ Raina cringes and tries to pull her wrists from his grasp. “I can’t believe you haven’t admitted it yet.” he says with a slight laugh.

“Admit what?” she asks looking at him annoyed. She’s surprising herself with how forward she’s being.

“That you care about me. I’ve been showering you with compliments and buying you gifts for the past 4 weeks and you haven’t yet returned any of the favors or compliments. You can’t admit to yourself that you feel something.”

“Neither can you.” she mumbles as tears still fall down her face.

Justin stops and let’s go of her wrists. He kneels down in front of her and looks up at her. “I care about you Raina. If I didn’t I wouldn’t be kneeling on this nasty floor and I wouldn’t have kissed you that night at the park.” He places his hands on her hips and pulls her a little closer. “I love the way you act shy around people and when you’re nervous you tuck your hair behind your ear and look at the floor.” He stops and smiles when she reaches back and tucks a piece of hair behind her ear. “I know it’s not the right time or place to tell you, but I think I’m in too deep. I can’t give up on you because I care way too much.”

“Justin, please don’t.” she whispers as she reaches out for his face. “Don’t say it.”

He stands up and grabs her waist and pulls her against him. He can here her crying into his chest and he can’t help but wonder if she’s changed her mind since she’s still here with him. He leans down and kisses the top of her head. “I love you.” he mumbles into her hair.

And that’s the moment everything changed.