Devious (5 page)

“I hope you have a DVR,” I said as he drove a few homes down.

“Yes, I do. Why?”

“Oh nothing.”

Christian pulled me to stay in the car. “Before you get out, I should clean up...it's really messy. You know it's just me and my dad that live here so it's a man cave.”

“I don't care, but you should tell your dad I’m coming over.”

“He's not coming home. He mostly stays with his girlfriend in Lancaster.”

I grabbed all my things and jumped out the truck. “Don't be silly, Christian. My house is really messy too and you've been over.”

“But, your home is
girl
messy, mine isn't...”

I walked up to the front door and accidentally hit it open while Christian was getting the rest of my stuff. He was just a statistic waiting to be killed. I just did not understand why people did not lock their doors.

I peeked inside and my eyes grew large as the couches were covered in guns. I stepped back and closed the door to wait for him to let me inside.

Christian hurried to the steps as the rain began to pour down heavier. “You can go inside. It's open.”

“Um, are you sure I can come inside?”

“Uh, yes.”

I bumped the door with my hip and walked inside with curious eyes. I searched the home and it was like a man's paradise—guns, booze, and a big flat screen television. I put my stuff on a chair and looked at Christian.

“Our family collects guns,” he said. “I'll move them. Don't touch them, Leanna. Some are loaded.”

I walked over to the wall where he had family photos. “If you don't mind me asking, but what happened to your mom?”

“I don't know.”

“Huh?”

“She disappeared ten years ago. Well, she did not disappear, but she left our family for a new family. It's just drama I would rather not talk about.”

I sat on a wooden chair as Christian took his guns to the back room. I could not stop myself from thinking about the Riverbed gang and how they said both murders were a result from a gun. However, that could have been anyone in town. Everyone had a gun in this town, even if it was not a legal one. On my thirteenth birthday, Mama gave me a gun. Guns were like keys, everyone owned a few.

“You know I heard that Mrs. Carol died from a gun wound,” I said as he walked back into the living room. “What do you think?”

“And?” he snapped.

“I'm just wondering if you heard anything new.”

“People are saying they heard the gun shot at noon. Some are even saying they saw a person with a ball shape under their arm walking down the street.”

“So?”

“A round shape...a head. Duh,” he teased.

“That doesn't really prove much,” I smirked.

“Some think she was decapitated and others think someone slit her throat and sold her blood to the black market.”

“People will always gossip though.”

As soon as the couch was cleared, I yanked my shoes off and stretched across the couch. I covered myself in my zebra print blanket and waited for Christian to come back so he could turn the television on.

He was gone for a good ten minutes and it made me wonder what he was doing. I got up from the cozy leather couch, and tip-toed into the kitchen where pounds and pounds of raw meat were on the counter. I poked the meat with a pen and blood squirted onto the tile floor.

I peaked out the sliding door that led to the backyard and all I could see was a chair about to blow away in the storm. I thought about saving the chair, but I might have blown away in the wind.

Next, I turned around to the halls and mesmerized the wooden floor. It was a long hall and I was afraid because I did not hear Christian. I continued to walk and passed by a room that was slightly open. I peaked inside and the room was covered in plastic. I stared harder, squinting my eyes to get a clearer picture.

“Leanna?”

“Ah!” I screamed and clawed Christian’s right cheek with my nails. “OH MY GOSH!”

“Ouch!” he screamed as he ran to the bathroom sink to clean his face. “Why did you do that?”

“I'm so sorry! You scared me,” I cried. “I thought...I thought...”

“What the hell? You made my face bleed with those killer nails. It's official, all women are crazy!”

I tried grabbing him to comfort him, but he shoved me away as he rinsed his cheek. “Honey, I was just caught off guard. I would never hurt you.”

He rolled his eyes as he sprayed water on his face. “I'm fine.” He handed me some ointment to open up. I put a few drops on my fingers and gently rubbed it on his rosy cheek.

“Why do you have so much meat in the kitchen?” I asked, trying to ease the tension.

“Oh, um, my dad must have put it there.”

“It smells fresh, you said he was with his girlfriend in a different city,” I smirked.

“He must have been here earlier. And how can you smell the meat's freshness? What is with you today? First you scratch me, now you are asking me ninety-nine questions.”

“I just want to get to know you better.”

I went back over to the television and handed him the remote so he could find the station my mom would be on. It took him ten minutes to figure out how to work his own television. As he did that, I switched into my pajamas and then got comfortable on the couch again.

“It's eight o'clock!” My eyes grew large as Mama appeared on screen. She looked beautiful as usual in all black with her hair pulled back like a professional lady. Her pink lips shivered as her name was about to be announced. I screamed in joy and nervousness as they introduced her;

“
My name is Rachel Cruz and I live in a small town called Riverbed, California. I’m here to show my talent and I need to win so I can support my two daughters and pay for their college education.”

“And my car!” I yelled through the television. “She has to buy me a car.”

“You're spoiled,” Christian said from the kitchen.

“Excuse me?”

“I honestly did not mean to say that aloud, but it's true. You're spoiled. I did not have anyone to pay for my college or a car. I had to do everything for myself. With your intelligence, you could have gotten a scholarship but instead you go to bars with older men and use them.”

“How do I use men? If anything they use me!” I shouted. “And why are you so bitter all of a sudden?”

“You're using me, right now—for my TV. You use Tyler because he's someone you can chase. You use Derek so he can cook for you. You are just a user!”

“Oh my gosh, I cannot believe you are talking to me like this. I thought you liked me.”

“I do like you. You just need a reality check.”

“I'm as real as they come.”

“Sometimes I think otherwise, Leanna.”

I ignored Christian and went back to watching Mama on television. I got sidetracked as I could not believe Christian said all those hurtful things to me—even though they were true. It made sense in a way, since I grew up with no male figure and Mama had a new man in my life every two weeks.

I was only seventeen, but with my experience with life, I was at least forty. I had at least twenty boyfriends in the past, and some were even married. Maybe that was why women did not like a girl like me—a child like me. I was way past my age and at least I knew it.

Christian pulled out a cigarette in his home and handed me one. Instead, I pulled him to sit next to me, and he collapsed onto my lap. It was the first time I held him and it felt almost like heaven. He leaned in with his smokey breath and kissed my lips. I held his warm body close to mine for a long second and he ran his fingers through my loose wet hair.

We began to breathe heavy, thinking about every moment. His kisses got more intense and wilder as the seconds went on. I leaned back, gazing into his beautiful green eyes.

Then, I gasped as I thought I saw him—I saw God in his gorgeous eyes and I pushed him away from me.

I gathered my thoughts in confusion and covered my already nude body. I looked at the clock and it was already ten o'clock—but, that was impossible—a girl like me, would remember every moment.

“What happened?” I snapped, but no one was there. “Christian?” I called for him again as I put my clothes on in the dark room. “Christian? Where are you? I’m so confused.”

For once, I did not want God watching me.

Chapter 5

Kill, Kill

The only sound in the store were my heels tapping against the tile floor. I felt like an outcast, yet everyone was congratulating me about Mama's reality show. I was back to my old ways, in a tight sun dress and high heels, with my hair big and full of curls.

“I'm sorry if last night was awkward,” Christian said, as he appeared from nowhere.

I jumped in fear but this time my claws were not out, “You scared me again!”

“Why are you shaking so much?” he asked as he followed me throughout the gift shop. “Do you think I took advantage of you or something? I thought you were okay.”

I pulled Christian to the corner of the store and searched to see if anyone was around, “Honey, I don't even remember anything,” I whispered. “I just...this is going to sound crazy, but I blanked out.”

“For two hours? Was I that bad? We even had a conversation for thirty minutes.”

“I'm so confused. I’m also a little scared...” I shoved Christian aside as I saw Tyler walking inside. “Are you following me, Tyler?” I said as he approached me, showing off his new suit.

“Me?” Tyler said confused. “Why would I follow you? You're pretty but not that pretty, doll.” Tyler stared at Christian as if he would attack him. So, to make Christian jealous, Tyler wrapped his arm around me and walked me out the store. “Baby, I miss you so much. Please go out with me tonight. That man is nothing but tattoos and trash. I'll admit he could model but he's nothing but Barbie's douche boyfriend.”

I laughed, thinking how Christian called him Ken. “Tyler, I’m sick of the games. One minute you love me the next you cannot stand me.”

“Ha, Leanna I never loved you. So, let's take love out of this. I like you and I think you're smart, but I can never love such...trash,” he winked. “You understand, right?”

Out of anger, I clawed Tyler on his cheek. “Fuck you!”

He screamed and rubbed his bleeding scratches. “What the hell is your problem? You have no right to do that,” he paused and began to whisper, “I think you're going to regret doing that to me!”

He walked away in anger, and he brought back all my memories. Tyler and I had an unusual relationship. He always cared for me as if I were his first child, he told me he loved me multiple times, and he even told me he would marry me. Believe it or not, we did not fight much but when we did, it was hell.

Christian came walking to me outside the gift shop. He stayed silent as we watched Tyler drive off in his new pickup truck.

I leaned my head on his chest, “Can we talk later? I’m so upset right now, Christian.”

He nodded and pointed to his car, “I fixed it. I can give you a ride home.”

I frowned and walked in the opposite direction. “No, I need some alone time.”

I could feel my sadness drowning Christian as I walked away. I knew he was probably worried about me walking home as the sun went down. But, I just could not be bothered with such drama. Times like those, I had to be alone to gather all my thoughts. I had to think about all the wasted times with a boy like Tyler.

But, I loved him.

***

Mama said she would call me when she had time, so I waited for my phone to ring. I did not think I would need her as if I were a child again. I was proud of her, accomplishing her dream, but I wanted to be selfish and have her in Riverbed with me.

The sound of glass crashing to the floor made me jump out of bed. I was sitting in my dark room, so I searched for my tiny flash light that Derek had given me for my seventeenth birthday. The sound of glass falling again made me screech.

I tiptoed into my bathroom that was attached to my bedroom and searched for Mama's hidden gun, but it was gone. I could not imagine Mama taking a gun with her to New York, that would have been impossible to do on an airplane.

“Are you kidding me?” I said to myself.

I listened as I heard some footsteps and I wanted to cry in fear. I just knew I was going to be the next victim—I was about to die.

I shut the bathroom door as I heard the footsteps getting closer to my bedroom. I grabbed a crystal vase from the sink and held it over my head, ready to attack.

“Lee?” it was Tyler. “Leanna?”

I put the vase back on the sink and walked out the bathroom in relief. Tyler sat on my bed and the smell of alcohol drowned my room. He began to take off his suit and I stood back.

“I've...I...I was fired!” he cried as he pulled out a bottle of Vodka from his coat pocket. “And it's your fault.”

I began to laugh. “Why is it my fault?”

“Because all day I think about you. I couldn't even think straight! You're a bitch!”