Falling For You
folder
Romance › General
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
23
Views:
9,075
Reviews:
133
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
Romance › General
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
23
Views:
9,075
Reviews:
133
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of characters to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. The Author holds exclusive rights to this work. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited.
Tainted Love
Falling For You
Chapter 20
Tainted Love
oOoOoOoOo
Don\'t touch me please
I cannot stand the way you tease
I love you though you hurt me so…
--Soft Cell “Tainted Love”
oOoOoOoOo
“Because… I know your secret.”
Taking a step back and leaning heavily on the lip of the sink behind her, Breanna drew her breath in sharply and looked down at her feet. “How? How do you know?”
Zoey chuckled. “Not even going to try and deny it? That’s awfully admirable for someone like you, Breanna,” she taunted cruelly.
Gritting her teeth, she asked softly, “How did you find out?”
“Well, geez, it’s not like you guys were all that secretive about it. Making out in empty classrooms, dancing in the hallways, eating at the same restaurant for weeks on end… Did you really think nobody would ever find out?”
“You saw all that?”
“Um, yeah. I work in the office every morning as an aid, I stay after school to be tutored in English, and I work here. I’ve known about you and your lover for quite a while now.”
Lifting her head up to meet the other girl’s contemptuous gaze, Breanna asked softly, “Who else knows? Who else did you tell?”
“Nobody.”
“Don’t lie to me, Zoey.”
“I have no reason to lie to you, Breanna.”
“Ha! Are you kidding? You hate me! If you knew about Devon and me for so long, why wouldn’t you tell anyone? That doesn’t make any sense!”
Closing the distance between them in one long stride, Zoey glared down at Breanna furiously. “You’re the one who doesn’t make any sense. You have everything! Everything! But no, you can’t just be happy with what you have, can you? Your boyfriend loves you. Any fool could tell just by the way he looks at you, and you cheat on him with somebody like Devon Pierce? Why?”
“You know nothing about Devon, and you know nothing about me.” Breanna said softly but firmly. “Furthermore, you have no idea why I’m doing the things that I am, so what gives you the right to judge me?”
“Oh, on the contrary, Breanna, I know exactly why you’re cheating on your boyfriend. You want a little excitement in your life, right? A little danger?”
“You--”
“Devon makes you feel things you’ve never felt and want things you’ve never wanted before. With him you think maybe you’ve found someone who understands and accepts everything about you, someone who maybe even loves you. But he doesn’t. He doesn’t love you, and he never will. He’s using you, just like you’re using him.”
“Stop!” Breanna shouted as she pushed away from the sink and began to pace around the room. “Just stop. You know nothing. Nothing at all.”
“Uh-huh, sure I don’t,” Zoey scoffed disdainfully.
“Why are you doing this to me? What do you want?”
“Oh, boo-hoo. You’re so mistreated and misunderstood, aren’t you, Breanna?” She mocked scornfully. “It’s not what I’m doing to you; it’s what you’re doing to yourself. No matter which way you spin it, or how you sugarcoat it, cheating and lying is never the way to get what you want. The bottom line is that you are just a scared, selfish, spoiled little girl who, instead of facing reality, is looking for the easy way out.”
“It’s complicated, and you don’t know the whole story. You don’t know me.”
Zoey sighed. “But I do. I know your type so well… shallow, petty, self-absorbed, malicious airheads who walk around thinking they’re better than everyone else because they have brand-name clothing and a pretty face.”
Breanna shook her head and folded her arms in front of her. “Like I said, you don’t know me at all. Maybe I’m not handling this situation the way I should, but again, that doesn’t give you the right to judge me. This is none of your business.”
With that, Breanna turned around and walked out the door. There was no way she could handle being in the same room one moment longer with that pompous, condescending bitch. ‘How dare she call me all those awful names! I mean, God, who does that?’
‘What are you more mad about? The verbal abuse? Or was it the part where she--’
‘Shut up. I know where you’re going with this, and I don’t want to hear it.’
‘That’s exactly what I mean... You don’t want to hear it.’
Whipping off her apron, Breanna punched out at the time clock, waved goodbye to the cooks, and escaped from the restaurant out into the cool evening air. Soon Devon would be there to pick her up, and everything would be okay.
‘Uh-huh, and you can go back to living in denial, forgetting all about the mean, nasty lady who knows a little more about you then you’d like to admit.’
‘You’re wrong.’
‘Of course I am…’
oOoOoOoOoOo
“She called you an airhead? Wow. She is mean,” Devon snickered as Breanna plopped onto a stool at his kitchen island and arranged her face into an indignant pout.
“How are you not worried about this, Devon? She knows! She knows everything!”
Draping his jacket carelessly over the back of a chair, Devon closed the distance between them and twirled a lock of her hair around his index finger as he spoke. “Honestly, I don’t think she’s told or is going to tell anyone. It doesn’t seem as if she cares enough to go through the trouble.”
oOoOoOoOo
And I wanna believe you,
When you tell me that it\'ll be okay,
Yeah, I try to believe you,
But I don\'t…
oOoOoOoOo
Breanna just gazed at him dubiously as he continued. “You’re reacting exactly the way she wants you to, Bre. Why do you think she confronted you about this in the first place, huh? I’ll tell you why. Because she knew you’d freak out, that’s why. She’s trying to drive you away, and you’re playing right into her hands.”
Offended, Breanna poked him in the chest and scowled. “I did not freak out. I was exceptionally calm, thank you very much.”
“I’m sure you were.”
“Don’t be condescending, Devon. I can’t stand that.”
oOoOoOoOo
When you say that it\'s gonna be,
It always turns out to be a different way,
I try to believe you,
Not today, today, today, today, today...
oOoOoOoOo
Holding up his hands in an effort to placate her, he took a step back and leaned nonchalantly against the marble counter. “I’m sorry, okay? I don’t mean to make you more upset than you already are.”
Exasperated, Breanna turned her face away and sighed. “It’s alright. It’s just been a long day. I didn’t mean to snap at you.”
Devon smiled. “Don’t worry about it. Let’s just talk about something else, alright?”
Not ready to let go of the topic, Breanna frowned and shook her head. “We still need to discuss this, Devon. I really don’t understand why you’re taking this so lightly, but I for one am very concerned. Zoey has the power to bring everything crashing down on our heads, and you’re not worried at all? Why is that?”
oOoOoOoOo
I don\'t know how to feel,
tomorrow, tomorrow,
I don\'t know what to say,
tomorrow, tomorrow
Is a different day…
oOoOoOoOo
“Look, if she was going to tell someone, she would have already.”
“But--”
“And,” Devon interrupted quickly, “if she has told someone, then… We’ll just have to deal with it, right?”
“You always say that; ‘we’ll deal with it.’ But what does that mean? How will we ‘deal’ with it? What are you going to do if Brent finds out about us, Devon? Are you gonna just walk away? Leave me to pick up the pieces?”
oOoOoOoOo
It\'s always been up to you,
It\'s turning around,
It\'s up to me,
I\'m gonna do what I have to do…
oOoOoOoOo
Turning his back on her, Devon rubbed a hand over his forehead and sighed deeply. “You’re overreacting, Breanna. This is not that big of a deal.”
“I see.”
His words were like knives, and they cut straight through her to the bone. ‘Not that big of a deal…He… doesn’t care about me at all does he?’
‘I don’t know… Why don’t you ask him?’
‘Do I really need to? I think he’s already made his feelings perfectly clear.’
Turning around to face her, Devon gave her a quizzical look. “What do you mean? See what?”
“Could you take me home, please?”
“Wait. Take you home? You just got here. Why do you want to leave?”
oOoOoOoOo
Give me a little time,
Leave me alone a little while,
Maybe it\'s not too late,
not today, today, today, today, today...
oOoOoOoOo
Brushing past him on her way to the front door, Breanna said, “Because there isn’t anything left to say, is there? If you’re not worried, then I guess I won’t be either. Problem solved.”
Grabbing her wrist and forcing her to face him, Devon tilted her chin up and murmured, “Why are you being like this, Breanna? What are you really so mad about?”
Zoey’s words echoed in her head as she stared up into intoxicating golden eyes that had the power to bring her to her knees. ‘He doesn’t love you, and he never will.’
oOoOoOoOo
I don\'t know how to feel,
tomorrow, tomorrow,
I don\'t know what to say,
tomorrow, tomorrow
Is a different day…
oOoOoOoOo
“I’m not mad. I’m just… tired. I’m so tired.” She told him softly.
Smoothing the pad of his thumb over her lower lip, Devon gathered her a little closer and whispered, “Stay. Stay with me tonight.”
Pulling away from him, in more ways than one, Breanna shook her head. “I… can’t. I need to get home.”
‘I need to get away from you before I say something we’ll both regret.’
oOoOoOoOo
And I know I\'m not ready,
Maybe tomorrow…
oOoOoOoOo
Nodding, but not very happy at the idea of her leaving when she was clearly upset about something, Devon scooped up his keys and said, “Alright, I’ll take you home if that’s really what you want.”
Missing the hurt in her eyes as he turned away to grab his jacket, Breanna forced herself to say to his back, “Yes, that’s what I really want.”
Offering her his hand, Devon watched as Breanna took it, and reveled in the familiar feel of her warm, smooth skin against his own as he led her to the door. The car ride to her house was quiet and uncomfortable with Breanna refusing to meet Devon’s curious eyes and Devon gripping the steering wheel tightly enough to turn his knuckles white. Both knew that there were words that needed to be said, but neither wanted to be the one to break the silence and say them.
Parking a couple of houses down from Breanna’s, Devon turned off the engine and waited for her to meet his gaze. ‘What is she thinking? Why won’t she just tell me what’s the matter? What did I say? What did I do?’
‘Questions can’t be answered if you don’t ask them.’
“Breanna?”
Lifting her eyes from her lap, she turned to him and said, “Yes?”
“It will be okay, ya know? This thing with Zoey. It’ll all blow over in time.”
oOoOoOoOo
And I wanna believe you,
When you tell me that it\'ll be okay,
Yeah, I try to believe you,
Not today, today, today, today, today...
oOoOoOoOo
“Devon… Just drop it, alright? I’m fine. Really I am.” Flashing him a bright smile, she leaned over and caught his lips in a kiss that didn’t give him nearly enough time to respond before she pulled away. She knew that allowing herself too much contact with him would cloud her mind and dissuade her from what she knew she needed to do.
And that was to run. Run far, far away until she could rein in the desire to throw herself into his arms and beg for something she had sworn she’d never ask of him-- never feel for him. And the longer she sat there next to him, so close, yet so very far away, the more she realized just how dramatically things between them had changed.
‘And he has no idea, does he?’
‘No idea about what, Breanna?’
Stepping out of the car, Breanna shut the door and watched him drive away with an empty feeling in the pit of her stomach.
‘He has no idea that I’ve fallen in love with him…’
Chapter 20
Tainted Love
oOoOoOoOo
Don\'t touch me please
I cannot stand the way you tease
I love you though you hurt me so…
--Soft Cell “Tainted Love”
oOoOoOoOo
“Because… I know your secret.”
Taking a step back and leaning heavily on the lip of the sink behind her, Breanna drew her breath in sharply and looked down at her feet. “How? How do you know?”
Zoey chuckled. “Not even going to try and deny it? That’s awfully admirable for someone like you, Breanna,” she taunted cruelly.
Gritting her teeth, she asked softly, “How did you find out?”
“Well, geez, it’s not like you guys were all that secretive about it. Making out in empty classrooms, dancing in the hallways, eating at the same restaurant for weeks on end… Did you really think nobody would ever find out?”
“You saw all that?”
“Um, yeah. I work in the office every morning as an aid, I stay after school to be tutored in English, and I work here. I’ve known about you and your lover for quite a while now.”
Lifting her head up to meet the other girl’s contemptuous gaze, Breanna asked softly, “Who else knows? Who else did you tell?”
“Nobody.”
“Don’t lie to me, Zoey.”
“I have no reason to lie to you, Breanna.”
“Ha! Are you kidding? You hate me! If you knew about Devon and me for so long, why wouldn’t you tell anyone? That doesn’t make any sense!”
Closing the distance between them in one long stride, Zoey glared down at Breanna furiously. “You’re the one who doesn’t make any sense. You have everything! Everything! But no, you can’t just be happy with what you have, can you? Your boyfriend loves you. Any fool could tell just by the way he looks at you, and you cheat on him with somebody like Devon Pierce? Why?”
“You know nothing about Devon, and you know nothing about me.” Breanna said softly but firmly. “Furthermore, you have no idea why I’m doing the things that I am, so what gives you the right to judge me?”
“Oh, on the contrary, Breanna, I know exactly why you’re cheating on your boyfriend. You want a little excitement in your life, right? A little danger?”
“You--”
“Devon makes you feel things you’ve never felt and want things you’ve never wanted before. With him you think maybe you’ve found someone who understands and accepts everything about you, someone who maybe even loves you. But he doesn’t. He doesn’t love you, and he never will. He’s using you, just like you’re using him.”
“Stop!” Breanna shouted as she pushed away from the sink and began to pace around the room. “Just stop. You know nothing. Nothing at all.”
“Uh-huh, sure I don’t,” Zoey scoffed disdainfully.
“Why are you doing this to me? What do you want?”
“Oh, boo-hoo. You’re so mistreated and misunderstood, aren’t you, Breanna?” She mocked scornfully. “It’s not what I’m doing to you; it’s what you’re doing to yourself. No matter which way you spin it, or how you sugarcoat it, cheating and lying is never the way to get what you want. The bottom line is that you are just a scared, selfish, spoiled little girl who, instead of facing reality, is looking for the easy way out.”
“It’s complicated, and you don’t know the whole story. You don’t know me.”
Zoey sighed. “But I do. I know your type so well… shallow, petty, self-absorbed, malicious airheads who walk around thinking they’re better than everyone else because they have brand-name clothing and a pretty face.”
Breanna shook her head and folded her arms in front of her. “Like I said, you don’t know me at all. Maybe I’m not handling this situation the way I should, but again, that doesn’t give you the right to judge me. This is none of your business.”
With that, Breanna turned around and walked out the door. There was no way she could handle being in the same room one moment longer with that pompous, condescending bitch. ‘How dare she call me all those awful names! I mean, God, who does that?’
‘What are you more mad about? The verbal abuse? Or was it the part where she--’
‘Shut up. I know where you’re going with this, and I don’t want to hear it.’
‘That’s exactly what I mean... You don’t want to hear it.’
Whipping off her apron, Breanna punched out at the time clock, waved goodbye to the cooks, and escaped from the restaurant out into the cool evening air. Soon Devon would be there to pick her up, and everything would be okay.
‘Uh-huh, and you can go back to living in denial, forgetting all about the mean, nasty lady who knows a little more about you then you’d like to admit.’
‘You’re wrong.’
‘Of course I am…’
oOoOoOoOoOo
“She called you an airhead? Wow. She is mean,” Devon snickered as Breanna plopped onto a stool at his kitchen island and arranged her face into an indignant pout.
“How are you not worried about this, Devon? She knows! She knows everything!”
Draping his jacket carelessly over the back of a chair, Devon closed the distance between them and twirled a lock of her hair around his index finger as he spoke. “Honestly, I don’t think she’s told or is going to tell anyone. It doesn’t seem as if she cares enough to go through the trouble.”
oOoOoOoOo
And I wanna believe you,
When you tell me that it\'ll be okay,
Yeah, I try to believe you,
But I don\'t…
oOoOoOoOo
Breanna just gazed at him dubiously as he continued. “You’re reacting exactly the way she wants you to, Bre. Why do you think she confronted you about this in the first place, huh? I’ll tell you why. Because she knew you’d freak out, that’s why. She’s trying to drive you away, and you’re playing right into her hands.”
Offended, Breanna poked him in the chest and scowled. “I did not freak out. I was exceptionally calm, thank you very much.”
“I’m sure you were.”
“Don’t be condescending, Devon. I can’t stand that.”
oOoOoOoOo
When you say that it\'s gonna be,
It always turns out to be a different way,
I try to believe you,
Not today, today, today, today, today...
oOoOoOoOo
Holding up his hands in an effort to placate her, he took a step back and leaned nonchalantly against the marble counter. “I’m sorry, okay? I don’t mean to make you more upset than you already are.”
Exasperated, Breanna turned her face away and sighed. “It’s alright. It’s just been a long day. I didn’t mean to snap at you.”
Devon smiled. “Don’t worry about it. Let’s just talk about something else, alright?”
Not ready to let go of the topic, Breanna frowned and shook her head. “We still need to discuss this, Devon. I really don’t understand why you’re taking this so lightly, but I for one am very concerned. Zoey has the power to bring everything crashing down on our heads, and you’re not worried at all? Why is that?”
oOoOoOoOo
I don\'t know how to feel,
tomorrow, tomorrow,
I don\'t know what to say,
tomorrow, tomorrow
Is a different day…
oOoOoOoOo
“Look, if she was going to tell someone, she would have already.”
“But--”
“And,” Devon interrupted quickly, “if she has told someone, then… We’ll just have to deal with it, right?”
“You always say that; ‘we’ll deal with it.’ But what does that mean? How will we ‘deal’ with it? What are you going to do if Brent finds out about us, Devon? Are you gonna just walk away? Leave me to pick up the pieces?”
oOoOoOoOo
It\'s always been up to you,
It\'s turning around,
It\'s up to me,
I\'m gonna do what I have to do…
oOoOoOoOo
Turning his back on her, Devon rubbed a hand over his forehead and sighed deeply. “You’re overreacting, Breanna. This is not that big of a deal.”
“I see.”
His words were like knives, and they cut straight through her to the bone. ‘Not that big of a deal…He… doesn’t care about me at all does he?’
‘I don’t know… Why don’t you ask him?’
‘Do I really need to? I think he’s already made his feelings perfectly clear.’
Turning around to face her, Devon gave her a quizzical look. “What do you mean? See what?”
“Could you take me home, please?”
“Wait. Take you home? You just got here. Why do you want to leave?”
oOoOoOoOo
Give me a little time,
Leave me alone a little while,
Maybe it\'s not too late,
not today, today, today, today, today...
oOoOoOoOo
Brushing past him on her way to the front door, Breanna said, “Because there isn’t anything left to say, is there? If you’re not worried, then I guess I won’t be either. Problem solved.”
Grabbing her wrist and forcing her to face him, Devon tilted her chin up and murmured, “Why are you being like this, Breanna? What are you really so mad about?”
Zoey’s words echoed in her head as she stared up into intoxicating golden eyes that had the power to bring her to her knees. ‘He doesn’t love you, and he never will.’
oOoOoOoOo
I don\'t know how to feel,
tomorrow, tomorrow,
I don\'t know what to say,
tomorrow, tomorrow
Is a different day…
oOoOoOoOo
“I’m not mad. I’m just… tired. I’m so tired.” She told him softly.
Smoothing the pad of his thumb over her lower lip, Devon gathered her a little closer and whispered, “Stay. Stay with me tonight.”
Pulling away from him, in more ways than one, Breanna shook her head. “I… can’t. I need to get home.”
‘I need to get away from you before I say something we’ll both regret.’
oOoOoOoOo
And I know I\'m not ready,
Maybe tomorrow…
oOoOoOoOo
Nodding, but not very happy at the idea of her leaving when she was clearly upset about something, Devon scooped up his keys and said, “Alright, I’ll take you home if that’s really what you want.”
Missing the hurt in her eyes as he turned away to grab his jacket, Breanna forced herself to say to his back, “Yes, that’s what I really want.”
Offering her his hand, Devon watched as Breanna took it, and reveled in the familiar feel of her warm, smooth skin against his own as he led her to the door. The car ride to her house was quiet and uncomfortable with Breanna refusing to meet Devon’s curious eyes and Devon gripping the steering wheel tightly enough to turn his knuckles white. Both knew that there were words that needed to be said, but neither wanted to be the one to break the silence and say them.
Parking a couple of houses down from Breanna’s, Devon turned off the engine and waited for her to meet his gaze. ‘What is she thinking? Why won’t she just tell me what’s the matter? What did I say? What did I do?’
‘Questions can’t be answered if you don’t ask them.’
“Breanna?”
Lifting her eyes from her lap, she turned to him and said, “Yes?”
“It will be okay, ya know? This thing with Zoey. It’ll all blow over in time.”
oOoOoOoOo
And I wanna believe you,
When you tell me that it\'ll be okay,
Yeah, I try to believe you,
Not today, today, today, today, today...
oOoOoOoOo
“Devon… Just drop it, alright? I’m fine. Really I am.” Flashing him a bright smile, she leaned over and caught his lips in a kiss that didn’t give him nearly enough time to respond before she pulled away. She knew that allowing herself too much contact with him would cloud her mind and dissuade her from what she knew she needed to do.
And that was to run. Run far, far away until she could rein in the desire to throw herself into his arms and beg for something she had sworn she’d never ask of him-- never feel for him. And the longer she sat there next to him, so close, yet so very far away, the more she realized just how dramatically things between them had changed.
‘And he has no idea, does he?’
‘No idea about what, Breanna?’
Stepping out of the car, Breanna shut the door and watched him drive away with an empty feeling in the pit of her stomach.
‘He has no idea that I’ve fallen in love with him…’