Luci

♫: daddy issues- the neighbourhood

*chapter contains MA themes

I shouldn't have enjoyed this.

Khalil's hand rested in between my thigh and I bit my lip to stop myself from moaning. Saint kept his focus on my neck, and I knew he was leaving marks.

I watched as Saint took off his black tie. He brought it around my head and my vision disappeared. All my senses heightened and the two of them removed themselves from my body.

I heard someone snicker, but I wasn't sure who. I was pretty sure they switched positions. My stomach filled with an unpleasant feeling. My ears perked up when I felt the soft cushion of the couch dip.

My hands were frozen on my lap and I became aware of my breathing. This was not a good idea in the slightest, but it scared me how much I wanted this. I trusted both of them in the sense that I knew they wouldn't go too far.

Goosebumps spread on the surface of my cheek when I felt cold metal press against it. My chin was lifted, and the hand snaked down from my cheek and rested firmly on my neck. The touch was familiar. I bit the bottom of my lip and waited in anticipation.

"Take off the rings," Khalil demanded. "She can tell it's you."

A shaky breath left my mouth when Saint's hand removed itself off my throat. Metal clattered sequently on the glass coffee table. I secretly wished the rings stayed on so that I would have the territorial indents Saint left whenever he pressed on my skin too harshly.

The cold air of Celia's apartment tickled my skin. I sat patiently blindfolded while Saint and Khalil whispered amongst each other.

Even though this was not an ideal circumstance, my heart warmed at the fact that they were holding a conversation without trying to kill each other. It was certainly a step in the right direction.

My thighs pressed together tightly. It was as if my body was now hyperaware of every one of my senses.

I couldn't see, but I could hear. I couldn't touch, but God did I desperately want to taste. All of this mixed with Khalil and Saint's aromatic scent didn't make it any better.

It had been a minute. The most agonizing minute of my life, and they still hadn't done anything.

Suddenly, both sides of the couch dipped.

"You're going to be good for us, right?" Khalil whispered in my right ear.

When I was about to reply, I gasped when a hand pushed my closed thighs apart.

"Keep these open for me, darling," Saint whispered.

Heat surged throughout my body, and like clockwork, my entire body was getting warm. My ears perked up when I heard them both get off the couch. I wasn't sure if they switched positions again, but my mind was muddled when someone's tongue swiped over my bottom lip.

My mouth parted open instinctively and his lips pressed eagerly against mine. It was soft at first. Soft enough for me to feel everything. My stomach fluttered with butterflies. I attempted to put my arms around his neck, but both my wrists were immediately restrained by another pair of hands. The hold on my wrists was not too tight but it was enough to leave a message: I was not allowed to move them.

My eyes rolled back when the kiss became rougher. I was trying to distinguish if Saint or Khalil was kissing me. Both had plump lips, and both had the same sinful technique. Khalil was always rough, but Saint was only rough when he needed to be.

He pulled away and latched himself onto my neck.

This has to be Khalil.

Saint would never be so harsh, not unless he was angry.

His teeth scraped against the nape of my neck, and I tilted my head to give better access. If this was Khalil, I felt so guilty. I wasn't supposed to be enjoying this, especially in front of Saint.

But it felt so good.

Was it such a crime? I felt good and it had been so long since I had felt this rush.

Although I was sitting down I felt my knees start to buckle. The pair of hands that held down my wrist, which I assumed was Saint, let go and touched the inside of my parted thighs.

I shook at the intruder down below. I prayed it was Saint. I couldn't even pretend like I knew who was doing what. All I knew was I didn't want them to stop.

While the hands explored my inner thigh, the lips kissed their way up to my ear. My breathing became heavier and heavier as the kisses became sloppier. When he bit a certain spot below my ear, my head fell back and I whimpered, trying to conceal my moan.

The mouth was off my neck and I whined at the lost contact. The two switched positions and a rough pair of lips peppered kisses along my collarbone. I bit my lip so I wouldn't make too much noise.

I felt the hands that had kissed my collarbone cup my breasts over my strapless dress. When my mouth fell open to let out a breathy moan, he took the opportunity to slide his tongue into my mouth. I gasped when my neck was pulled forward to deepen the kiss. A fistful of my braids was stuck to his palm as our kiss intensified. I wasn't even breathing anymore. Instead, I was breathing his air as he was selfishly stealing mine.

"You're so beautiful, Luci," the voice whispered in between kisses.

Saint...

Saint was now the one kissing me. I would recognize his voice anywhere. Now that I knew it was him, it was if my body melted at the fact. My body flushed with heat again, but Saint's hands were cool against my skin.

Wetness pooled underneath as he kissed me with undeniable passion. I tried to close my legs but I felt hands that I knew now were Khalil's, bunching the hem of my dress up my thighs. He forced my legs apart and his fingers lightly grazed the outside of my panties.

"How about," he kissed me softly on the inside of my thigh. "18 orgasms for the birthday girl?"

My eyes widened as I felt myself getting wetter with each kiss Saint gave me. I didn't like Khalil's proposal and I was terrified that Saint would want to go through with it.

Saint didn't say anything but I felt him pause against my lips. All of a sudden my body jolted when Khalil's thumb pressed against the fabric of panties. I whimpered as he rubbed slow circles against my center.

Saint wasn't doing anything anymore, so I assumed he was watching. Khalil sped up his movements and I grabbed onto his wrist to make him go slower.

"Khalil wait," I moaned.

He stopped, and I gasped when I felt him scoop me up and place me between his legs. My back was against his chest and my legs laid sideways on the couch. He hiked my dress back up and his fingers teasingly played with the waistband of my panties.

"Are you sure you just want to stand there?" Khalil asked. "You should feel how wet-"

In a flash, my body was hauled off Khalil's lap. Saint defensively wrapped his arms around my lower back and pulled my dress back down.

"That's enough," Saint grunted.

"But we were just getting started," Khalil said. "And I think the birthday girl was enjoying it too."

"I said," he whispered. "That's enough."

I felt my body being walked away from the living room. As we walked into the short hallway, I heard the front door being open. I knew Celia had to have been back. I wanted to talk to her but I was suddenly pushed into a room.

"Kate?" Saint said. I was blindfolded still so I couldn't see anything.

"What are you doing in here?" he asked.

"Sorry," Kate rambled. "I got lost when I tried to find the bathroom... I'm just gonna go now."

I felt her walk past me, out the door. There was no way she got "lost". The apartment only had two bedrooms and one bathroom.

So why was she in here for so long?

My thoughts were discarded when Saint removed the blindfold from my eyes. I blinked to adjust to the lighting and realized we were in the guest bedroom. There was a small bed in the corner, as well as a bedside table and drawer. A wooden chair was also in the room. The entire bedroom was almost always empty since Celia didn't have a use for it.

I watched as Saint led me over to the bed. He sat me down and took my face into the palm of his hand. His thumb rubbed circles against my cheek as he stared at me with an unreadable expression.

I felt like I was in trouble.

I didn't do anything wrong, right?

"Did you like that?" he asked me. "What we just did back there, did you like it?"

When I didn't answer he slowly took off his black suit jacket. He threw it onto the chair behind him and pulled up his sleeves. I looked up and down his body and my breathing became uneven.

He was art.

Sinful, lustful, art.

He noticed my face and smirked.  "What do you want, angel?"

I tugged on his belt and pulled him closer to me. He rested his hands on my shoulders and moved my hair away from my face.

"Nope. I need words, Luci."

I had been teased all day, there was no way I could handle it again.

"Please," I whined. "It's my birthday, you can't be mean to me."

He tilted his head to the side and examined my face. I watched as he hummed and traced the bottom of my lip with his thumb.

"So now I'm mean?" he asked. "Do you want me to be mean because it seems like you're asking for it?"

I knew now that Saint was angry.

He was so angry that he was calm. His hands were cold against my skin, but in contrast with my body heating up, it felt warm.

"No- no, I don't want you to be mean," I rambled. "I just want... I want you to- fuck I don't know."

I knew exactly what I wanted but it was hard to verbalize it without feeling embarrassed about it. I kept my head down and stared at the floor. Saint didn't seem to like this however because his hand was around my throat instantly.

"Look at me."

I wasted no time and my brown eyes met his. Air disappeared from my lungs as he stared into my soul. His face was so perfectly sculpted. His pupils were big and he shamelessly kept eye contact with me.

"What do you want?" he asked slowly.

My heart was skipping beats.

"You," I replied. "I want you."

He gently pushed me back onto the soft sheets of the bed. He bunched up my dress, and slowly drew his hand up my thigh. His left hand was placed flat on my stomach to keep me still, while his right hand felt against my center.

"You're wet," he stated.

The way he acknowledged it was as though it was a spoken fact. He said it so bluntly and I could not tell if it was a good or bad thing.

"Interesting," he said quietly.

He pulled away and just stared at my body. Heat rushed to my cheeks and as I looked up at him.

"What?" I asked.

"I never touched you here."

He pressed his thumb against the cotton lining of my panties. He fingered circles against my clit ever so lightly. The pressure was enough to keep me stimulated but not enough to make me finish.

"I never touched you here," he repeated. "And yet you're wet. I just think that's very interesting."

I whimpered and bucked my hips to increase the pressure. He tsked and removed his thumb completely.

"Don't be selfish," he warned.

He slipped his tie from his neck and brought it up to my wrist.

"I was going to be so nice to you today," he hummed. "Was gonna buy you some more nice things, give you your present, take you home."

He tightened the knot on my wrist and made sure my wrists were bound tightly together.

"But then," he said lowly. "You kiss another guy and get wet for him."

My body went cold.

I'm in such deep shit.

The way he was acting, reminded me of the day in the library. When Saint got like this, he didn't listen to any reasoning. He just did whatever his anger was blinding him to do.

"No, no I didn't- not for him, I swear," I said.

He shook his head and dragged a finger along my clothed slit. I shuddered at the contact and chewed the bottom of my lip.

"This says otherwise, darling," he whispered.

"And you know I hate being mean," he sighed. He tightened the tie and my wrist began to hurt. He was making it extremely clear that I was not allowed to move.

"But it seems like I have to constantly remind you that you're an angel," he sighed. "Of course not in the literal sense but,"

"You're my angel," he grunted. "And one thing you should know, Luci: I don't like to share."

He moved the braids away from my neck and he glared at the markings on the side. He went over them with his tongue and gripped my breast in the process. Saint wasted no time and pulled my dress down from the top. The zipper was still zipped and would not go past my thighs.

Instead of unzipping the dress like a normal human being, Saint decided to force it down my body which ripped the dress in the process.

"Saint," I gasped.

The dress was discarded down to the floor and I frowned when I saw the back was completely ripped in half.

It was such a pretty dress.

"I hate getting like this," he explained. "I try so hard to control myself around you so that you won't see me like this but it seems like you keep pushing my buttons on purpose."

He hooked his finger into the waistband of my panties. He started to pull them down very slowly until they pooled down to my ankles.

"You don't get praise today," he grunted.

Before I could react, he shoved two fingers down my throat and quickly pulled them out. He parted my thighs, and slowly ran his finger along my slit.

"Such a slut," he whispered. "Kissing two guys at the same time. Letting both of us touch all over your body while you moaned. You liked being watched didn't you?"

I writhed against the bedsheet when his middle finger slowly slid inside me. He went in deeper until I could feel the top of the gold ring at my entrance.

My eyes were fluttering shut but quickly snapped wide open when another finger came deep inside of me. He wasn't even trying to be kind. He moved his fingers back and forth in a fluid motion. I kept my breathing steady to get used to the feeling until Saint decided to torture me by rubbing circles against my clit with his thumb. I cursed under my breath as I began to whimper.

"Not very angel of you," he said. "Teasing me all day as if you're begging me to throw you over my lap. But you'd like that too much, wouldn't you?"

I felt like I was floating.

He flexed his fingers without giving me a second to pause or breathe. I tried to move back when I felt my orgasm soon approaching but Saint was not having it.

"Where do you think you're going?" Saint said. His voice dripped with malice and I felt his wrist flex as his fingers slid into me harder.

The fucking rings.

The rings would be the death of me, and I was not complaining.

"You're not going anywhere, are you? You are gonna stay right here and keep being good for me while you fuck my fingers, yes?"

I could even reply. My mind was overtaken by pleasure. My hips bucked and his finger went in further. Saint 'tsked' and pulled his fingers out of me. I was all over him and he held his fingers up and narrowed his eyes.

"You're making such a mess, love."

He looked down at my bare center and licked the bottom of his lip. "Fuck, why are you so fucking wet," he grunted.

As if you didn't just-

"I've been so patient today," he whispered. "Don't you think I've been good, Luci?"

He made eye contact with me before placing both of his fingers inside his mouth. He hummed in content and awaited my response.

"Yes, you've been good," I nodded.

"So then you agree?"

He slowly spread my legs apart and lowered himself between my knees. He drew circles around my thigh and I gasped when he pulled my legs towards his body.

"That I deserve a little treat?" he asked.

He removed the tie from my wrists and threw it onto the floor. I latched on immediately to his bicep, and I felt the ridges and hard flesh underneath my fingertips.

"If you moan I stop. You remove eye contact with me and I stop. If you try to push me away, I stop. Do you understand?"

"Yes," I said breathlessly.

He came up for a second and pecked my right cheek before whispering, "and if you want me to stop, I will stop angel."

My cheeks flushed with heat. He could switch personas so easily. He slid his hands back down to keep me spread open for his tongue. The first lick sent my eyes rolling back to the end of my skull. Saint used the flat of his tongue to lick from my opening all the way to my clit, and looked up to catch my reaction.

I bit my lip so harshly that I tasted blood. I had felt it everywhere. I clenched the bedsheet in one of my fists but obediently kept my legs open wide enough to earn some praise,

"Good girl," he mumbled right against my clit.

"Saint," I whined, reaching out blindly to get a grip on his hair, and twisted the longest bits of his loose curls between my fingers.

He grunted, and before I realized my mistake, the light suck he gave my clit sent my hips bucking up hard enough that he pulled back.

I frowned when he pulled away, and I immediately tried to close my legs. I shouldn't have felt insecure since we had done this before, but I couldn't help it. He glared at me and forced my legs back open.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" he asked.

"I just- I mean if it doesn't feel or taste good for you, you don't have to-"

I didn't even finish my sentence before Saint pulled my legs towards him and gave my clit a soft kiss instead. He slid one hand up to rest low on my belly and stroked my skin with his thumb while I panted. He grinned at the easy access I had given him and licked a smooth line between my two most sensitive spots. He hummed softly against my skin when he heard my whimpers and felt me tug at his hair.

"You taste like every bad drug known to man, Lucille. I'll never get tired of your taste. It's fucking addicting. You're so fucking addicting."

His mouth was glistening as he smirked devilishly. He came up for a mere second to place a sloppy kiss against my neck before going back down.

"And so fucking sweet."

My heartbeat thumped against my ribcage dangerously fast. I expected Saint to pull away eventually, but after a long moment of my soft, moaned breaths, I let go of the bedsheet and propped my upper body up with my elbows.

Gripping the back of Saint's head, pulling him in deeper and my head fell back when a rush of pleasure jolted through my body.

"Please don't stop," I begged.

I was surprised at how long he was letting me grip his hair. I knew I would pay for it, but I didn't care about the consequences.

Hardly half a minute went by before my body started to tremble. I was getting close, and Saint knew it too.

My brows furrowed when Saint clamped his hand down tightly against my mouth. My confusion disappeared immediately when he dipped his tongue into me as deep as he could manage.

I moaned- almost yelled into the palm of his hand, and thankfully the sound was muffled. He ignored my helpless whimpers and chased the taste of me with his tongue.

"Oh my god," was the first thing I said when he removed his hand from my mouth. Saint chuckled and stood up to look down at my breathless body.

"You never follow directions."

He clicked his tongue and laughed quietly to himself.

I'm so fucked.

He sat down next to me on the bed and it was then I noticed something pressing tightly against the fabric of his pants.

"Get on your knees."

"What?" I asked. He was terrifying at this moment. His eyes darkened and his lips formed a tight line.

"Did I stutter?" He asked. "Get. On. Your. Knees."

He enunciated every syllable. I slowly descended onto my knees. I knew if I didn't do it myself, then he would surely do it for me.

I could feel my nerves building up. Although I had done this two times before, I was still nervous. I situated my body directly between his knees. My hand reached against the fabric of his pants hesitantly. I lightly grazed a finger over his clothed erection and his hips twitched.

"Don't fucking tease me," he demanded. "You've been doing it all day."

I nodded and observed how his hands clenched the bedsheets in restraint. I hid my smirk and slowly undid his belt. Saint's thighs were subtly shaking but I pretended not to notice. I undid the button and made eye contact with him before I took the zipper between my teeth and pulled it down.

I took a deep breath and pulled his underwear and pants down to his ankles. He kicked them off with his feet, along with his shoes. I looked up and gulped when I'm met with the sight of his hard length.

I didn't think I had been teasing him all day but based on the precum leaking from his tip, I was completely oblivious.

My brown eyes met his as I dragged my tongue from his base to the tip. When I reached the tip I made sure to relax my jaw and hollow my mouth before taking him in deeper.

His hand immediately fisted the back of my braids. I decided to give him this privilege now, but once this was over, he would not be allowed to do this again.

"Fuck," he moaned. He was smart enough not to push my head down, but he kept his grip on my hair tight. I wanted to hear him moan again. He always wanted to act pretentious and not be as vocal as I knew he could be.

I got more confident and moved my hand simultaneously with my mouth. I opened my cheeks more and relaxed my throat to swallow his length.

"Luci," he sputtered. "H-how? Fuck you look so pretty, love."

I moaned when I could taste a bit of him on my tongue, and it only encouraged me further. When I looked up, a bead of sweat formed against Saint's forehead. His eyes were struggling to stay open and his head fell back when I swirled around his tip. My eyes were getting watery but I ignored the feeling and pushed my mouth down further.

Saint's hips started to shake and his moans came out more as pleas and whines.

"God- fuck! Just like that," he rasped.

He bucked his hips, ever so slightly, and oddly enough I didn't mind it. I drew my mouth back and a trail of precome followed from my lips to his tip. Both of us were breathing heavy and Saint gaped at me with his lips parted. 

"Fuck. Where did you learn to..."

Suddenly his eyes went white. He gripped the back of my head and pushed me back down. I choked when I felt him in the back of my throat and tears filled the brim of my eyes.

"Did Khalil teach you? Is that how you got so good? Such a fucking slut. Opening your legs and mouth for anyone. You're mine. Not his, mine."

In an instant, I was scooped off the floor and carefully thrown onto the bed.

"I need you, now," he grunted.

I forgot how strong Saint was sometimes. I wasn't "small" and I definitely could not have been easy to carry.

His body loomed over me as he hooked his finger through my bra strap. He pulled it down my shoulder but stopped when he saw me frown.

"What's wrong?"

I bit my lip and looked up and down his body.
"It's just that," I sighed. "I'm almost completely naked, and yet your shirt is still on."

"Then take it off, darling."

He stood over me and brought my hand up to his black dress shirt. I felt his hard abs underneath my fingertips and I wasted no time unbuttoning his shirt. Once I was done, I threw it down onto the floor.

Saint pulled away from me for a second and grabbed something from his suit jacket that hung on the chair. He came back, and in his hand was a familiar red package.

He tore the package open with his teeth and slipped the condom down his hardened length.

I'm not even going to ask, why he had that with him.

The bed dipped as Saint grabbed my ankles and pushed them towards my shoulder.

Not him thinking I'm a gymnast...

My legs hurt a bit from the tension, but it wasn't too unbearable. We had never done this position before, so a part of me was loving the suspense.

"You have to be quiet, angel," he whispered. "Can you do that for me?"

He teased himself at my entrance and I felt his length slide back and forth between my folds.

"Yes," I whined. "Please stop teasing."

He granted my request and I almost screamed when he slammed into me. I bit my lip as he held my ankles up. The position made his thrusts deeper and my eyes rolled back.

"How are you still so fucking tight?" he panted.

He pulled out completely, before slowly re-entering. I lost my breath and he began to rock his hips back and forth, each movement going deeper than the previous one. My back arched as he increased his pace faster. I knew we both weren't going to last long since we'd be teasing each other all day.

With each thrust, I felt myself getting closer and closer to becoming undone. My legs were starting to hurt from being up in the air for so long, and I think Saint noticed since he dropped my legs down and flipped my body over.

My ass was up in the air and my breasts pressed firmly against the bed. I buried my face into the pillow as screamed into it when Saint slapped the right side of my ass three times.

"That's for not following directions," he stated.

It stung in the best way possible. He thrusted back into me and gripped my hips. I pushed myself back onto him and he cursed underneath his breath.

There's no way we're going to last long.

Saint's thrust became sloppier and my walls tightened around him. He grunted and pinned both my hands behind my back.

"Be quiet," he warned. "I don't want to hear a sound when you come."

I whined in response and his hand immediately snaked around my throat.

"I said shut up, Luci."

If anyone else would have told me to shut up, I would've gone ballistic. But Saint seemed to be the only person I liked being submissive to.

"You like when I fuck you like this, huh," he thrusted. "Such a filthy girl. Used to be so innocent, didn't you? Now you're begging for me."

You fucking corrupted me.

The pillow muffled my euphoric, desperate cries. I shuddered as my orgasm rips through my body. I practically sobbed into the pillow as I tried to keep myself quiet.

Saint grabbed my neck from behind and lifted my head from the pillow.

"Breathe, angel," he kissed the back of my neck as I struggled to find air. "You're okay. I've got you. You're doing so well."

He pushed my head back into the pillow and pulled both my hands back towards him. He thrusted deeper inside of me and I almost screamed.

"You're doing so well- fuck," my body was writhing. "You feel like Heaven. Fuck don't tighten around me like that- I can't... shit. Fuck it."

Even though he was wearing a condom, he pulled out quickly when he came. I silently appreciated the gesture, even though I trusted him completely.

I felt the bed dip as Saint got up. I couldn't even get up. My entire body felt like I had run a marathon. I stayed still on the bed for a few minutes until I felt a hand touch my neck lightly.

"Are you okay?" Saint asked.

I glared at him and groaned.

"What do you think, Saint?" I replied.

I noticed his clothes were back on. His black shirt was unbuttoned a bit but he still looked as handsome as ever.

Why is that I feel like I'm dying, and yet he looks perfectly fine.

"Can you go in the closet and grab me some clothes?" I asked.

He nodded and I heard the small closet door open. Throughout the years, I had left small articles of clothing in this bedroom when Celia and I would have sleepovers. Saint came back to the bed and handed me a black long sleeve shirt and leggings.

I winced at how sore my body was. He watched as I slipped on the clothes and put my hair over my shoulder.

That reminds me...

I hit Saint's chest harshly and folded my arms together.

"What was that for?" he asked.

"Don't pull my hair next time," I glared. "Not unless you want to pay to have it redone for me."

He studied my face for a moment as he registered my words. "So you're saying I can pull your hair, as long as I pay for it?" he clarified. "Sounds like a good deal to me."

"What? No, that's not what I meant."

I stared at him blankly and shook my head.

What did I expect when getting with a white boy? Jesus Christ.

"I was just kidding," he chuckled.

He moved my hair away from my shoulder and his eyes widened when he glanced at my neck. I knew there had to be marks but I wasn't sure how much.

"Let's get out of here," he said.

He grabbed my hand and I winced as my legs began to shake. He slowly led us out of the room and back into the living room.

Kate was passed out on the couch while Khalil and Celia were nowhere to be found. Her crystal and a large empty bottle of wine were sitting on top of the coffee table while Kate's purse was on the floor.

Saint and I looked at each other before erupting into laughter. The so-called "angel" was not setting a good example.

He went into the kitchen while my focus shifted to Kate's purse. There was a small black wooden box that didn't seem to fit inside of it. A part of me thought it was a present, but I knew Kate would never willingly buy me a gift.

"What do you want to eat?" Saint called out.

He stood in the kitchen amongst the food and waited for my response.

"Whatever's fine," I smiled.

He nodded and grabbed a plate. I watched as he started getting me food. While he was distracted I crept over to where Kate had slept and sneakily grabbed her purse.

"Hey Saint," I called out. "When Kate was in the room, what was she doing?"

I kept the purse behind my back but thankfully Saint didn't turn around to see what I was doing.

"I don't know," he replied. "She was like crouched around looking underneath the bed. She had something in her hand, and rushed out when we came in."

Did she take what I think she did... there's no way she would know about it right?

"Oh okay," I said. I grabbed her purse and headed back towards the hallway. "I'll be back, I need to use the bathroom."

Before he could reply I rushed into the bathroom, and groaned when the door would not twist open. I knocked against it three times and waited patiently.

The door slowly turned open and out came Celia. Her hair was a mess. Each strand sticking out haphazardly. Her pale neck was adorned with fresh hickies and she was wearing a long-sleeve black button-up that was way too big on her body.

I gasped when I put two and two together.

I opened my mouth to say something but quickly closed it when I saw she was giving me the same look. I kept Kate's purse behind my back and stared at Celia with wide eyes.

"I won't ask questions if you won't," she whispered. A deep blush rose to her cheeks as her eyes darted away from me.

"Deal," I said. She moved out of the way and went back into her bedroom. I knew Khalil was in there with her, and I definitely did not want to know the details.

I closed the bathroom door and stood in front of the mirror. My makeup had been smeared and my hair could've looked better. Sighing, I removed my makeup with the facial wipes on the counter. Once I was done, I placed Kate's purse in front of me and pulled out the black wooden box. There was other stuff in her purse as well: the bag of crystals, chapstick, gum, and a few dollar bills. It seemed oddly normal. For her anyway.

The box was too large to fit in her purse. I slowly slid the lid off and my heart stopped beating when I saw what was inside.

It was the twin scythes.

The wooden box had red lining on the inside. The daggers sat perfectly still and I marveled at how accurate Khalil's drawing was. It was practically identical to what he had shown me. The tips were sharp and the hilts differed greatly. One had a beautiful angel, while the other displayed a daunting demon.

There was something dangerous emitting from the scythes. I felt drawn to them. As my hand loomed over the daggers, my hands felt inclined to grab one and put it to use.

"Just kill her now," a voice told me. "It'd be so easy while she's passed out."

I quickly covered the box and walked out of the bathroom. I placed the box back inside the guest bedroom underneath Saint's suit jacket. When it was time to leave, I would be sure to retrieve the box.

I walked back into the living room and placed Kate's bag back down. I snuck into the kitchen to find Saint rummaging through the drawers for something.

"Is everything okay?" I asked.

"Yes, I'm just trying to find..." he pulled out a lighter and shut the drawer.

"This," he smiled. Saint grabbed my hand and led me to the countertop table. A plate of food and a small cake adorned with a singular candle were placed on the table. He clicked the lighter three times until it sparked and lit the candle.

"I know this wasn't a conventional birthday but,"

He placed three kisses on the left side of my neck and another three on my right. He trailed the kiss upwards and kissed both my eyelids while my eyes fluttered shut. I thought he was finished until he placed three kisses on both sides of my cheek. He kissed my forehead twice and then my nose once.

He was mumbling something, ever so quietly as he kissed me. It was then I realized he was counting. When he got to the number 17, he tilted up my chin and placed a slow kiss onto my lips.

"...18," he whispered.

He reached into his pocket and took my finger into his hands. He slowly slid a ring onto my middle finger and I gasped in awe. It was the beautiful red ring I had wanted earlier at the mall. I didn't expect him to buy it for me, and my eyes began to tear up at the gesture.

"Saint," I sighed. "You didn't have to get me anything. Thank you, it's so beautiful."

His green eyes glimmered and he smiled at me. He motioned towards the cake with the singular lit candle. It was an all-white round cake with red flowers around the circumference. It was simple yet elegant.

"Happy Birthday Luci," he whispered.

He gave me a tight side hug and I leaned my head against his shoulder.

"Make a wish."

I thought about what I truly wanted. There were so many things that I couldn't just choose one. I looked at Saint, and at Kate passed out on the couch. I glanced at the chair that Marcus had kicked when he stormed out. I looked at the hallway that held the room where Celia and Khalil were in. I looked down at the floor and realized that millions of miles underneath my body, was a place far away from Earth where my father was. Lastly I looked up to the ceiling at a place millions of miles above the sky, that I would never be able to reach. There was only one thing I truly wanted.

"I just want a happy ending," I thought. "That's all I truly wish for."

I blew out the candle and the smoke rose to the ceiling. Saint silently cheered and went to grab a knife and two plates.

I looked to the hallway, and gulped when I realized the scythes were only a few feet away from me. I didn't want to think about my wings, or Khalil's plan. I just wanted to enjoy my birthday while I could.

As Saint cut me a slice of cake I looked at the candle I had just extinguished.

"I just want a happy ending," my mind repeated.

Please let me have a happy ending...

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this chapter is so bittersweet. Shoutout to my besties who don't always have good birthdays. You are seen, you are heard, and you are appreciated.

The plot is thickening ;)