11 >> And Now It’s Raining
In an extremely rare occurrence, rain was falling over the City of Angels, and Rie was basking in the backdrop it provided as she wrapped Christmas presents. Her house was relatively quiet, aside from the music floating through the air, when her doorbell rang.
Much to her surprise, it was Justin. “Hey,” she answered in a fit of worry. The 23rd had just turned into Christmas Eve, and she knew there was no way he would show up at her door unless there was something extremely wrong.
She broke my heart
And now it’s raining, just to rub it in
“Hey,” he answered, standing frozen in front of her. His eyes said so much more than he wanted to let on, but not enough that he didn’t have to speak at all, so he finally told her, “I left Talis.”
I’m at your door
I feel so crazy ‘bout it
Her frown faded into a sympathetic stare, and she opened her arms to him. “You want a hug?”
He actually had to consider it before declining. “That’s all right.”
Pretending not to be disappointed, she opened the door wider for him. “Come on in.”
He entered her warm house, walking into the living room, where she had wrapping paper, scissors, tape, a bottle of wine, and several gifts sitting in the middle of the floor. Donny Hathaway was faintly playing in the background “ not Christmas music, but his self-titled album “ which immediately lightened his mood. “I’m sorry to interrupt,” he told her when she came in behind him.
“It’s fine,” she assured him, breezing past him in her scent of pomegranate and mango. “You can help me wrap some gifts.”
“Unless you seriously hate the people you’re giving gifts to, I don’t think you want me to do that,” he smirked.
“Oh please, stop acting like you’re not good at everything.” She tiptoed into the kitchen, grabbing a champagne flute from a cabinet, and then pulled him into her living room. “Sit.”
He did as directed, taking a cross-legged seat on the floor. “Who are these gifts for?”
“Friends,” she shrugged. “Don’t worry, yours is already wrapped.”
“You didn’t have to get me anything.”
“I know,” she grinned, pouring him a glass of Merlot. “But I wanted to. I think you’ll like it.”
He accepted the glass of red wine and looked around the floor. “Who’s getting the Operation game?”
“Oh, that’s for my old college roommate. She swore up and down that she was gonna be a doctor, and now she works at The Grove and says she’s gonna be an actress, so it’s just a little inside joke.”
“You’re funny,” he told her factually, taking a sip from his glass.
“Well thanks, so are you.”
“Eh.”
“All right, so pass me that box behind you and tell me what happened.”
He slid a large, unmarked white box in her direction, realizing that it was light as a feather. “Is anything even in there?”
“Yeah, two Coldplay tickets for Jac,” she revealed. “I’m gonna tape a couple of bottles of water inside to add some weight.”
“You’re also very odd,” he noted, smiling. “But I like it.”
“Back atcha, baby. Now why did you leave Talis?”
You’ll say, ‘I told you so’
You saw it long ago, you knew she had to go
He sighed heavily and gave her a look. “Do I have to?”
“This is part of your whole letting go thing, right? You can’t be afraid to talk about her.”
“I’m not afraid,” he countered. “I just… I’m feeling a lot of hate right now.”
“Meaning you’re totally not letting her go.”
He gave her a long glance, his bushy brown eyebrows looming over his empty blue eyes. “I don’t wanna talk about it.”
“Boy, this isn’t the ESPYs; you better say something.”
He couldn’t help but crack a quick smile. “It was just a bad day,” he finally disclosed. “You know how, some days, you just wish you’d stayed in bed?” Rie nodded. “Today was one of those days.”
I finally came around, I’m back on solid ground
Can’t let it get me down
“Did you just realize that you’d had enough?”
“I wish,” he shook his head. “No, she… umm “ she told me that she cheated on me.”
A smirk formed over Rie’s features, and she took a sip of her wine before going back to wrapping her gift. “The ultimate bitchassness.”
“Seriously.”
“Did she say what happened?”
He just frowned and shook the thought away. “She might have, but I really stopped listening after she said it. I didn’t need to hear anything else.”
“But dude, what if it was like one time?” she questioned, taping shut her box of Fiji water and concert tickets. “And what if it was like four years ago?”
“Why would that matter?” He picked up the silver and red wrapping paper she was using and began cutting a large piece for Jac’s gift. “She cast me and her conscience aside to have sex with someone else. Why does it matter if it was once or twice or for an entire year?”
“Because if it was once, it was clearly a mistake, Justin.”
“You don’t fuck someone by accident, Rie.”
“Justin, come on,” she tilted her head. “This is your heart we’re talking about. Don’t treat it like your next single, or tour date, or… whatever it is that you do.”
He shook his head, holding the paper in place against the box, while Rie taped it on. “I think it’s very cut and dry. If you love someone, you don’t fucking cheat on them.”
“Yeah well. That’s because you’re a perfectionist,” she shot back. “I’m a realist.”
“Striving for perfection isn’t unrealistic.”
“Anything in life that’s perfect is the result of a series of mistakes,” she prophesized. She slid the box closer to her, folding the ends of it while looking him in the eye. “Nothing is flawless because it’s supposed to be.”
“I didn’t say anything or anyone was perfect--.”
“But you’re expecting Talis to be.”
“No,” he argued. “I’m just saying that wanting to be perfect is not a bad thing; it pushes you past what you may already think your limits are. And I think that’s pretty important if you want a successful relationship.”
Yes, I was burned, but I call it a lesson learned
She stayed silent for a moment, concentrating on his words as she finished wrapping the box. “So if you thought cheating was your limit, why aren’t you pushing yourself past it to forgive her?” She watched him look down to the floor, seemingly searching for an answer. “Listen, I don’t wanna make your day any worse, I swear, but I just wanna make sure you’re seeing clearly. Because I don’t know Talis from Adam and Eve, but I kind of get the feeling that you love her. Now, that love may have faded over the past couple of months, and understandably so, but you didn’t leave because you stopped loving her--.”
“Yeah, I stopped trusting her,” he inserted.
Mistake overturned, so I call it a lesson learned
“No, you stopped trusting her, and pretty much everyone else, it seems, when she left that wedding,” she told him. “You left her because you realized that she was no longer the chasm of perfection that you wanted her to be, that you built her up to be all these years, and now, there’s just no way in hell, right? You finally admit to yourself that, shit, she’s not fucking perfect, and you can’t take it. You can’t find it in yourself to forgive her, or even yourself, for not being what you thought you were. She deviated from the plan, yes?”
“Rie--.”
“I mean fine, Justin, have a plan. But you don’t always have to stick to the choreography. Because I guarantee you, no one in your life is ever gonna be doing the exact same routine that you’re doing.”
My soul has returned so I call it a lesson learned
“You’re very profound,” he mumbled, still gazing down at the box she’d wrapped. “Especially for someone who’s admitted to never being in love. How could you know what it was like? How could you ever attempt to tell me how I feel, what I’m going through? She fucking killed me,” he admitted, peering up to Rie. “I’ve tried to rationalize my way through this bullshit, saying ‘I’m okay,’ and ‘I’m getting there,’ or ‘No, no; I’ll be all right.’ But honest to god, Rie, there were some nights I wanted to go and jump off my balcony.
Because I put all my hopes into this one basket. I put my life in her hands, she supposedly put hers in mine, and that was it,” he explained. “It wasn’t perfect, but it was inexplicably close. And then, when she left the wedding, all she left me with were assumptions. ‘Oh, well maybe it was this? Or maybe, because I said this? Or maybe it’s my career?’ All I had was a handful of maybe, and then, come to find out, it was because she fucked someone else? Really? Am I really supposed to forgive her for that shit?”
Sometimes some lies can take a minute to fully realize
Her tears, your eyes, thirty seconds to apologize
“Yes?” she had to giggle innocently.
“If you’re not gonna take me seriously, I’ll just go,” he retorted, standing up from the floor.
“Justin, come on.”
He didn’t listen, already moving towards the front of the house. “Just forget it.”
You’re racing to the door, can’t take it anymore
“Dude, I’m sorry,” she called after him, shooting up from the floor. “Justin, I’m sorry!” He made it to the door, where Rie grabbed his hand for the second time that night, trying to pull him back in. “Please don’t leave like this.”
“Don’t touch me,” he muttered, wrestling out of her grasp.
“Why?” she pressed, watching him open the door. “Are you still too afraid to feel something?” He continued to step outside into the falling rain, so she yelled, “Well it’s too late, ‘cause you already do!”
“Fuck you, Adrienne.”
Irritated, she followed after him, barefoot, reaching him before he got to his car. “Why are you so afraid to like me?”
“I dunno,” he shrugged, looking out to the houses of her neighbors. “I’m not supposed to.”
I was burned, but I call it a lesson learned
“Because it’s not part of the plan?” She squinted as the rain melted her bangs into her forehead, causing droplets to fall over her eyelids. “I don’t know how you expect me to save you if you’re gonna run every time I get near you.”
Mistake overturned, so I call it a lesson learned
“It’s not you, it’s me.”
“I know it’s you! That’s why it’s pissing me off,” she yelled. “I’m doing everything right, I’m trying really hard, Justin. I’m fucking up my hair for you,” she pointed to her now-soaked black locks, “and you’re running away. What do you want from me!”
My soul has returned, so I call it a lesson learned
Another lesson learned
He turned his head, avoiding her burning stare, and inhaled her words. There was a part of him that hated her for making him like her, but the biggest part was so ready to give in. In one fell swoop, he grabbed her by the back of her soaking wet hair and with everything he had in him, pulled her in for a kiss.
Her tongue immediately snuck over his lips and into his mouth, and she tasted the wine still on his tongue, as if his kiss weren’t intoxicating enough. Her plan white tee was drenched to the core, and now the sheer fabric showcased her supple breasts, which were pressed against him amidst their kiss.
Emboldened by an instantaneous erection, Justin hoisted Rie onto his waist, never letting their lips part, and walked them back towards her front door. As she held onto his neck, he let his hands get lost in her mass of hair, while the rest of his senses got lost in her. Their tongues lashed against each other, Rie managed to catch his tongue between her lips, and sucked it gently, simulating a blow job.
It abruptly caused Justin’s erection to grow, and he groaned into her lips. “You’re a tease,” he smiled once she finally let go.
“You know that’s why you like me.”
She rolled off of his hips as they stumbled into her foyer, and he began grinding his groin into hers, which stimulated her clit even beneath their wet clothing. They both looked down at the sensations they were causing one another, and then they eyed each other, Justin’s eyebrows raised in that sexily ambiguous manner.
Rie smiled and fervently began unbuttoning his plaid Ralph Lauren oxford. She pushed him against the back of her door and dropped to her knees in front of him, slowly unbuckling his belt and unbuttoning his jeans as she teased him further. Looking up at him, she deliberately dragged her nails along the length of his dick through his boxers and she pulled down his William Rasts.
She eventually tore her gaze away from his face, letting it slip past his broad shoulders, his sparsely haired chest, his hard, flat stomach, and landed back on his groin. Rie licked her lips absently at its perfect shape and pleasurable proportions, loving that it was the work of art she dubbed it to be the day they met.
She stood to face him again, and he watched her as he kicked off his shoes and stepped out of his pants. Justin’s eyebrows flared then settled as his gaze dropped to Rie’s chest expectantly. Taking the hint, she grabbed her see-through shirt by the hem, pulling it off in one fluid motion, her C-sized breasts bouncing back into place as her shirt uncovered them.
She turned around, digging her thumbs in the waistband of her Pink sweats. She slowly began to tug the pants lower, but teasingly stopped abruptly, drawing a quick chuckle from Justin. She leaned forward just a little, then resumed, wiggling more provocatively as she slowly pulled her pants and panties down together. Once her deliciously round ass came into view, she paused again, stopping at her upper thigh, and held the pose until she heard an appreciative grunt from behind. Justin then proceeded to slowly slide the sweats the rest of the way down her long legs until they lay on the floor at her feet.
She turned around, wanting to feel his tongue in her mouth again, but Justin’s staying glance halted her approach. She stood naked, her hands falling to her sides, his predatory stare making her self-conscious, but it also aroused her. Her breasts tightened and grew heavier, her nipples hardening like bullets, and her breath quickened with longing.
Justin’s eyes made a slow, steady perusal of her perfectly curvy form, taking their sweet time to inhale it all. He moved in for another kiss, furiously attacking her luscious lips. He picked her up again, turning so that her back was now against the door, and dipped his index and middle fingers into her silky wet opening, causing her to gasp into his mouth. He smiled against her lips and she did her best to wrap her legs around him, which only caused Justin’s fingers to sink in further, much to her delight.
His mouth left hers to wrap around one of her breasts, and her own fingers trailed through his soft, short curls. She sighed in pleasure as his tongue teased her nipple and then began to alternate between flicking and sucking it. She managed to become even more turned on at the sight of his bulging arms, his muscles seeming bigger than life as they held her up.
“Now who’s the tease?” she whispered.
“Still you, baby.”
“Shut up and get a condom,” she grinned, still playing with his hair.
“Shit,” he mumbled into her chest, as he’d completely forgotten about it. He lowered both of them to the floor, where they sat in a variation of the lotus position, and pulled his jeans toward them.
Rie watched in admiration as he found his wallet and retrieved the Trojan they needed. “My hero.”
It was his turn to smile this time. “Shut up and open it.”
She calmly and carefully tore open the plastic wrapping, and pulled the rubber over his dick like a pro, licking her lips as she completed the task. She slowly slid down his hard shaft, ripples of ecstasy already raking her senses, both of them moaning at the sensation. Her entire body vibrated as her tight walls stretched to accommodate him.
They began rocking gently against each other and the wet wood floor, breathing at the same pace as their motions. Rie bent backwards, holding onto his ankles for leverage, while he fondled her breasts and attempted to kiss her neck. He thrust to her rhythm with long, satisfying strides, and she squeezed in demand of pleasure, her moans continuously reiterating her needs. This wasn’t going to take long for either of them.
She pulled herself back up so that her eyes locked with his, and her hips moved more urgently, more determinedly. A chill moved across her back, she squeezed down harder on him, and his hands gripped at her curves. His fingers grazed the arc of her hips, leaving hot marks on her wet skin as he thrust into her. She could tell by the look in his eyes that he was about to come.
Rie felt like her insides were being pulled down to her toes, as tingles ran up her arms and throughout her stomach. She gasped in pleasure, arching her back before her body went rigid with the waves or ridiculous reverie shuddering through her.
Justin held on just a little while longer, his strokes more vehement, and she returned the favor he’d already done by erotically swirling her hips around him. He steadied his hands on the floor beneath him, pumping upward and into her, with breathy grunts relaying his ecstasy. He was on the verge of climax, so Rie continued to gyrate, and he closed his eyes as she pulled him in for a passionately suffocating kiss. Before he knew it, he was slowing to a stop and he ejaculated into the condom just as everything went wobbly and weird.
His blue eyes popped open to the present, and he smiled gently at the woman writhing inside his perfect hands. He leaned in and gave her a sweet kiss on the chin and she grinned in reply. Rie began to sit back, and Justin’s soft, satisfied dick slipped out of her moist haven, both of them still breathing heavily. He sat with his back against the door, and she laid along the floor, just beside his feet, using his damp jeans as a pillow.
She stared at the ceiling with a long, gratified sigh. “Shit.”
He looked over to her with an uncontainable smile on his face, and began to laugh. “Let’s do it again,” he suggested sexily.
Her first reaction was to look at him like he was insane, but she bit her lip in contemplation and eyed him carefully. “Okay,” she agreed excitedly, already moving back towards him. “But I want you on top this time.”
>>>>>>>>>>
The rainy night eventually transcended into a sunny morning and Justin found himself awaking in Rie’s embrace. Opening his eyes to her bedroom was an awkward feeling, but for the first time in a long time, he felt rather safe in his surroundings. He felt closer to Rie than he ever thought possible after what Talis had done to him, and the best part was that he was falling in love with that feeling… And maybe even with Rie.
He exhaled softly, resting his face against Rie’s hand. “Are you awake?” he asked quietly.
“Yeah,” she confirmed, yawning. She continued to breathe softly, trying to shake away the tears that were forming in her eyes. She absolutely could not believe that this man “ this absolutely perfect man “ was in her arms, and better yet, that she wanted to keep him there for as long as possible. Her feelings were running rampant, and she had no idea how to control it, which was driving her crazy. Whether it was a pleasant crazy or a terrible crazy had yet to be seen.
“Is it Christmas yet?” he inquired groggily.
“No,” she chuckled. “It’s still the twenty-fourth.”
“Thank god,” he yawned. “I still haven’t told my mom not to come out here yet.”
“Why are you telling your mom not to come out?” She changed positions so that he could lay more comfortably in her arms. “Are you going home?”
“No, I’m gonna stay here. I’d just… rather be with you.”
She smiled at the earnestness in his voice. “You don’t mind spending it without your family?”
“I’m with them every year,” he shrugged. “We’ll be all right.”
Rie stayed quiet for a moment, running her fingers through his coarse curls, her mind wrestling with thoughts of the day ahead. “Hey, do you want your Christmas gift?” she finally asked excitedly.
His eyes shifted up toward her voice. “Umm. Yeah, sure.”
“You’re gonna like it,” she promised. She slid out of the bed and threw on a sweatshirt and some sweatpants as she swiftly moved out of the door. She returned just a minute later with a large rectangular gift, wrapped in silver and white paper. Smiling, she handed it over to him.
“This feels like clothing,” he grinned, beginning to tear the wrapping. “So, knowing you, it probably isn’t.”
“Just open it,” she encouraged.
He did as told, opening the large white box to find a UCLA hoodie staring back at him. He eyed her, pretending to be annoyed, since she knew he was a Memphis fan, and picked up the jacket. “You think you’re so funny,” he glared. And just when he’d resigned her gift to be a joke, he saw the DVD for the Sex and the City movie staring back at him from the bottom of the box. His wide smile then transformed into a hearty laugh. “Okay, you actually are funny.”
“I just think it’s super cute that you’re a fan. And… for everything you do for your fans, I think you deserve to be a fan of something for a change, you know?”
He nodded, looking down at his new movie. “This is awesome,” he told her, leaning over to plant a kiss on her cheek, “thank you.”
“You’re very welcome.” She leaned back against her headboard and stared at her television across the room. “You wanna watch it now?”
“Not yet,” he yawned again, placing the hoodie back in its box. “Let’s get some coffee, wrap some gifts…”
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m great,” he nodded. He moved back on the bed so that he was sitting next to Rie and leaned his head towards her. “I’m just not sure that I’m ready to see Carrie’s wedding and Steve’s confession and all, you know?”
“Ah.” She hadn’t thought of the similarities the movie had that related back to his own life, but she understood. “I can take it back if you want…”
“No, no, no, it’s not that serious,” he smiled. He saw her hand rested on the bed between them and he began to trace its outline with his index finger. “Just let me eat some breakfast first.”
“You’re so weird,” she giggled.
“I know.”
They stayed silent for a moment, both of them watching Justin’s fingers at work. Eventually, she decided to ask, “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“It’s weird,” he began to confess with a sigh. “I don’t know, I think I am, but… there’s this numbness washing over me to the point where I don’t really have any feelings left. Except for you.”
She immediately intertwined her fingers with his and closed her eyes. “Justin, I don’t mind doing this whole dark and twisty and muted thing with you, but… you better not be bullshitting me.”
“I wouldn’t do that to you, Rie.”
“I know. It’s just really hard to believe “ or, not hard to believe, but I guess I just--.”
“Listen, I’m really sorry for dragging you into this circus that my life is becoming,” he spoke softly, “but I just “ I, literally, like everything about you, and… no matter what happens from here, I just think you should know that.”
With her free hand, she quickly wiped the tear that had rushed down her cheek, and stared down at their interlocked fingers. “This is gonna change everything, you know.”
He smiled at the thought and squeezed her hand a little tighter. “You promise?”
It’s all right, it’s all right, it’s all right
Yes, I was burned, but I call it a lesson learned
Author's Chapter Notes:
All right, hopefully, you guys will enjoy this one. The next few chapters will focus mostly on Justin and Rie, so stick with me; there's drama on the way! And there are semi-spoilers for Sex and the City towards the end of the chapter, so if you haven't seen the movie, well... there's your warning!
Again, thanks so much for reading and for all your feedback! -Ash
Again, thanks so much for reading and for all your feedback! -Ash
Story Tags: interracial unrequited boyfriendj love fiancej vulnerablej
