Dancing With the Devil

decided that you guys deserved an extra quick update. Hope y

an! It makes me

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n't confront me at s

s about leaving my relationship with Jake alone or if he was planning something. Jame

s and heard the news. Well, even if my ears were closed, I would've found out. The corrido

in the h

cally. Who would want to do this to James? He didn't have any public enemies. Some whispered about a

aved a little girl from being raped outside a bar by a drunk man. He was only fourteen against a full-grown man, but he'd done it. Of course, his reputation

ead. A wave of guilt crashed over me whenever I thought about him, but what would I have to be guilty about? It wasn

etting beat up appalled me. After that, we joked about suddenly becoming very interested in nursing and wanting to get a feel of what the job required, such as helping those that couldn't

ew that I had to go see him. I would've gone to see anyone regardless, but this felt more personal. This felt like I owed him a visi

doors. Disoriented, I stared at him st

ing in such a hur

His eyebrows fur

hy

should see him. Maybe I'll

y eyes. Even if I wasn't happy with his extent of PDA, his smooth lips were familiar, always kept perfectly and professionally un-chapped with his chap stick. My body filled with content, feeling worthy to stand next to

urities that had been haunting me all day. James didn't need me to visit. Sure, it woul

impatiently for the warm water to embrace them. I was feeling deprived of my previously simple life, though, so I decided to spoil myself, taking the time to haul out little cinnamon and vanilla scented candles and pick out my favorite bubbles that I set on the counter. I lit each candle individually,

d my neck, tickling lightly. I took off my eyeliner and mascara, splashi

sphere. My breath whooshed out as my eyes feasted on the scene I'd created, not knowing that I wasn't the only one who'd pieced together the elabora

traveling along the blackened wick to the pool of cream. My eyes drooped at the little fixtures of light, my pupils dilating to almost conceal my coffee colored iris. Littered arou

at I was now trapped. The sense that I was caged went ignored by every other part of me except my head, which rang with doubt. My hands, with

was his fi

om, making the air thick wondrously. It nipped bitterly at my clothes, making them heavy and uncomfortable, encouraging me to shed them. The white smoke settled on my bare skin teasingly, pulling me in to the heart of it unconsciously as first my shirt was stripped, then my jeans, socks,

eeling of the liquid slowly engulfing my body like I usually did, I submerg

like my presence was drawing it in. It caressed my skin like a lover's touch before seeping into my pores and dripping into my body, seeming to warm my veins as the blood that was deprived of oxygen raced back to my heart. My mou

could easily breathe, but whatever filled the tub lapped playfully at my nose, enjoying my desperation as I breathed in

ot in the Superman kind of way, but in the way a loved queen knew that she would never be hurt and her every wish would be carried out. It was a dangerously haughty feeling that I wasn't used to and was afrai

oned me to return. It flowed down my body in rivulets of goodbye, kissing my

s sandpaper, even though it was my favorite because of its usual fluffiness. I groaned as I d

mom. That had been a mistake, because now I had to hide it from her. The sleeves were long and baggy, making sails under my arms whenever I lifted them even slightly. It stopped mid-thigh, giving me full access to my l

as still something out of place. After scanni

rted boys trying to catch a glimpse of me when I was most vulnerable. I'd covered it with a thin black curtain, which matched my color scheme of

petals were rounded and begged me to stroke their velvety softness. The thorns had been picked out of the healthy green stem, leaving the beautiful flower defenseless. Its leaves were full with multiple sharp, preci

rldly sensations. Still in my druggy state of mind, I gently tugged one of the hanging ends of ribbon. It fell apart in my hand, slippi

fety comes above all else to me, but my friend, Jace, wanted to make sure the first time we meet will be on good terms. Consider your luxurious bath my

venge on this James character for thinking he could kiss you. I'm sure you've heard he's in the hospital. I won

ing you to break up with your boyfriend. Only one more day, Princess. That's all I'm willing to give you

ete. I can't wait to have you there with

it was clear he was getting impatient. I only had one more day. I would be taken tomorrow. I just kne

n Jake would have to nurse his broken heart tomorrow. I was the reason my mom would lose her only child, her daughter

er searching Hell and high water for me. Who would be around to stop her from punching anyone who stupidly got in her way when she was mad? Who would give her an Advil for her cramps at lunch because she never remembered

s mercy, wh

g me more than once, but I'd been too far gone in my overeager state of the bath to care.

I screamed my confusion, anger, and sadness, the sounds anima

have to

have to make

ealize something

et's offer to talk about w

that leaving her was so difficult, like I

ciphered his notes some more, but the thought of merely touching them,

y my wet cheeks. They... They inclined towards me, reaching out, offering condolence. The steam was rushing from the tub, coming to wrap around me like a blanket, sa

s tall and broad, thick coils of muscle adding bulk. I couldn't accurately judge his height, since I was on the floor, bu