The Mortician's Daughter

I looked up, shocked, and quickly covered myself when Andy's angry blue eyes peered down at me with a scowl on his face.

He scoffed. "You act like I haven't seen your tits before. Don't you remember?" By the way he was slurring and the glazed over look in his eyes, I knew he had been drinking heavily.

"What the fuck Andy!?" I yelled, ignoring his comment and my partial nudity and jumping off the bed. I moved to Ashley's side as he was sitting up. "Are you okay?" I asked.

He nodded and sighed. "Yes, Dahlia. I'm fine." We stood up simultaneously and Ash shoved me behind him protectively. "What are you doing here Andy?" He demanded.

Andy interjected, "What are you doing, taking advantage of Dahlia?" He pointed an accusing finger at Ashley. My eyebrows furrowed together in half confusion, half anger.

"What are you talking about?" Ashley asked, his voice matching my expression. "We both wanted this - I'm not taking advantage of anyone." I gripped Ashley's arm tightly and pressed my body up against his, seeking the warmth that his body radiated onto mine.

I grabbed my bra, which was conveniently right by my feet, and slipped it on as Andy scoffed loudly.

"Right," He said, "Of course she'd want you to fuck her. I bet she was begging for your cock." I gasped in stood up straight, watching sway from side to side, and marched my way over to the drunken man.

My anger took control of my extremities and before I knew it, my hand was connecting with Andy's cheek. A sickening slap echoed throughout the otherwise silent room.

I pounded onto Andy's chest with my fists, not knowing what else to do but wanting to show Andy how angry he was making me. He grabbed my already bruised wrists roughly and pulled my body flush against his. I looked up at him with fearful eyes, wincing at the tightening grip around the sensitive skin.

"Andy! Let go!" I yelled, struggling against him.

Ashley approached him, ready to attack and bring me to safety. Andy shoved me behind him with his grip still around my wrists and stepped up to Ash.

"You stay away from her!" He ordered. "I have spent far too long keeping her safe from your 'fuck em, then forget em' attitude to just give up and let you have your way with her! She thinks you like her-"

"I do, Andy! Dahlia is different!" Ashley argued.

Andy rolled his eyes. "That's not the first time you've said that about a girl." His gripped loosened, which allowed me to slip from his grasp.

I frowned and approached Ashley, ignoring the seering pain in my wrists. He opened and closed his mouth numerous times when his eyes fell on me and my saddened expression, but he was at a loss for words.

My voice was quiet and weak when I asked, "Is it true? Have you said that about other girls?" I was trembling slightly and my heart was pounding in my chest.

Ashley sighed and looked down at the floor then mumbled an incoherent answer.

"What?"

"I said.. Yes." He looked up just seconds later and watched as tears silently poured down my face.

I felt so stupid so.. naive. I felt like an idiot for not believing Andy - I should have known he was right and only trying to protect me. I never hated myself more than I did in that moment.

"Dahlia, please-" Ashley begged.

"No!" I yelled, "I trusted you! I ignored all the things Andy was saying about you cause I thought.. I stupidly thought that you were different, that, that, he was wrong! Fuck!" I cursed, tugging on my hair angrily. "I almost had sex with you Ashley! If Andy never showed up, it would have happened! And then what?" My voice quieted with fear of what the answer may be.

"I...I.." He mumbled. "I don't know."

I shook my head angrily and wiped my eyes to no avail - the tears just kept coming. When I tried to turn around, Ashley gripped my wrist. I hissed in pain but he didn't let go. "Ashley!"

He begged, "Just hear me out."

"Ashley!" I yelled again. "Let go, you're hurting me!"

Ashley immediately let go of my wrist and slumped down onto the bed, staring off into the distance as I gathered my clothes. "Where are you going?"

I slipped my shirt over my head. "Home." I spat, pulling my jeans on and buttoning them as fast as possible. I wanted to get out of there, to go home and to go to bed. My head was pounding with guilt and anger.

"So you're just gonna leave?" I nodded. "Go back home so he can hurt you some more? Physically and emotionally? I never hurt you, nor would I ever. Please sit down so we can talk it out." Ash grabbed my face in his hands, but I fought the nagging voice in my head telling me that he was being honest and pulled away from him.

I grabbed Andy's hand and said, "Let's go Andy." He followed me out of Ashley's room and down the hallway to where my shoes were left, waiting patiently up against the wall as I slipped them on. I glanced down the hallway - half expecting, half hoping Ashley would come running down the hall, that he wouldn't let me go that easily. But when I heard his bedroom door slam shut, a piece of my heart broke. I sighed and fought back the second round of tears as Andy and I exited Ashley's apartment.

We hopped in the car and began our drive home, but the entire way I was unaware of the shit eating grin plastered on Andy's face from the darkness of the night and my blurry vision.

Notes

enjoy! xo