Chapter 5

Casey calling is what woke me up. I answered groggily and was immediately cut off by him launching into how he'd told me not to be stupid, and going to the top of one of the tallest buildings in the city for pizza was the opposite of being safe. I clutched the phone to my ear, and my blood boiled. That little snitch! I hung up on him, threw the covers off and slipped into the jeans on my floor and the closest sweater within reach before slapping my feet into my shoes and heading for the lair. With every step closer I felt the betrayal, and my anger flared.I wondered if Raph had told him he was the one to carry me to the top. That we'd been friendly with each other before he'd decided to remind me whose side he was really on. I slammed the door open to the lair and yelled for Raph. "Hey Miya." Donnie said through a bite of toast. "Where's Raph?" I demanded. Leo and Donnie exchanged a look before he pointed to the bathroom on the second level of the lair. I stomped up the stairs and threw the door open."Jesus Christ!" Raph yelled, turning away from me mid-leak. "You called Casey?" He tucked himself away into the base of his shell and I tried to ignore the flash of very dark green I'd seen upon bursting in. "What the hell is wrong with you?" He growled, his face turning purple with embarrassment."Me? What's wrong with you? You dirty snitch." All eyes were on us now. "He called to ask how you were." He shrugged trying to walk past me. I slammed my palm into his chest to stop him, it was only because he allowed it that I did. "My business is none of his. I was with you guys last night, maybe he doesn't have as much faith in you guys as you think!" I threw at him. "That's not it, trust me." He said looking down at me."Trust you? Fat chance." "Okay, everyone cool it." Leo called from the kitchen."Do me a favor and find someone else to satisfy your redemption arc. I don't need you or Casey acting like I'm going to go off and throw myself off the Chrysler building the second I get the chance. Got it?" I didn't wait for him to respond; I just stomped back down the way I'd come."Bye Miya.." Donnie called before I slammed the door closed.

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I needed a drink. Or a fuck. Both. I needed both. I lined my eyes with eyeliner and applied mascara before pulling my jacket on and checking myself in the mirror. I was dressed up slightly more than my usual winter hoodie and jeans and with a nod of approval, I slung my purse onto my shoulder and headed to the one place I could forget about how shitty my life was at the moment. The apartment already smelled like pot and bodies when I got there, and I felt myself relax as Jackson pulled me into a side hug."We missed you last night." He said handing me a cold beer. I took a long drink before replying."Some family friends surprised me, I couldn't ditch them."He leaned down to kiss me but his phone rang, stopping him just before he could. He fished it out of his pocket and gave me a roll of his eyes. Rachel. "Hey babe.." He said holding up a finger, telling me to hold on as he walked away from all the noise. I should have felt bad and maybe somewhere I did.. He was much older than me and drank like it was going out of style, but he was good-looking and distracted me from the pit of loneliness that threatened to swallow me some days. I told myself that since I wasn't trying to actually take her man for myself, I didn't have to feel bad about sleeping with him. If it wasn't me, it'd be some other girl anyway. I wasn't so sure there weren't others, but again, I didn't care as long as he fucked me till I was numb. I went and sat down with the others, who greeted me and passed me the pipe. I inhaled the smoke and relished the way it immediately clouded my head. "Rachel's called him like four times already." Jess snickered. "If she didn't want him messing around, she should be here." I said shrugging and taking a drink of my beer. It was an ugly thing to say, but it was how I kept the guilt away. Mark, one of Jackson's closer friends, slung an arm around Jess and groped her shirt making her laugh and swat him away. "I think she knows." Jess shrugged finishing off her drink but eyeing me. I wasn't sure if she was warning me, we weren't close but she was here as often as I was. "Miya doesn't care. She'd probably fuck me if I asked." Mark said, giving me a wink. "Is that you asking?" I asked leaning forward."Only if you wanna join Jess here." He grinned. Jess rolled her eyes."Don't be a pig." She said only half meaning it. Jackson sank down into the couch next to me and put his arm over my shoulder pulling me back into him.

::;

I'd lost the second round of kings cup and tossed my empty beer onto the makeshift table. "Someone's cheating." I said giving them all accusing glances before throwing back the shot Jess handed me. "Maybe you're just not good at winning." Jackson said as his fingers played with the hem of my jeans.I snorted, he didn't know how close to the truth that was. His finger slid into the inside of my jeans, running his finger along my skin and I felt the hum of lust go up my legs. He grinned when I turned to him with heavy eyes."You wanna take a break from loosing?" He asked already pulling me up. We ignored the encouraging shouts from our friends as we went to his room and locked the door. I shrugged out of my jacket as he pulled a joint from his dresser and lit it. He held it to my lips for me to take a hit, the cherry burned brightly with the force I pulled from it. I took his face in my hands and held his lips close to mine as I blew the hit back into his lungs. He kissed me and helped me yank the sweater over my head, leaving me in my jeans and black bra. He sat on the edge of the bed and took a long hit, eyeing me hungrily. It made me feel powerful seeing the lust on his face. I sat on his lap, my knees in the mattress and kissed up his neck as his hands ran up my back. He leaned his head down into my chest and murmured something into my breasts before kissing them trying to shove aside the bra with his face. His facial hair scratched me uncomfortably but I ignored it, grinding into his lap. He handed me the joint so he could help himself move the fabric aside. His body went rigid and he slumped back onto the bed out cold just as I inhaled."Jackson!" I gasped, my heart leaping into my throat as I coughed out his name.I slapped him on the cheek gently and noticed a small dart sticking out of his neck. Before I had time to consider its origin, Raphael slid in the window like some type of shadow from the night. How someone his size could move around so silently was astounding. "Raphael?" I asked horrified. I slid off Jackson's unconscious body and hid the joint behind my back like he wouldn't have already seen it. God knew how much he'd seen at this point."What are you doing here?" I hissed. "This is where you've been disappearing to? To hang out with these losers?" He growled stalking over to me and grabbing my wrist, wrenching it from behind my back. "Casey said you've been sneaking off somewhere, but this?" He plucked the now extinguished joint from my fingers and threw it in disgust. "I'm over eighteen, I can go where I want." I said staring up at him defiantly. "You're not old enough to drink Miya. This creep knows it to. How old is that guy?" He asked glaring down at the snoring man. "Did you..follow me here?" I asked as it dawned on me."Did Casey tell you to follow me?" When he didn't answer, it was the only admittance I needed. I reeled my hand back sloppily to hit him, he caught it easily yanking me close and sniffing around my mouth. The act should have fueled my anger, but it sent a delicious tingle down my spine. "Liquor? Really?" I growled and tried to kick away from him, but my legs were suddenly jello between Raph's heated gaze and the shots I'd taken earlier."You're drunk." "No. I'm pissed. You can't follow me around Raphael!" I said trying to yank away from him. "Casey thought you were putting yourself in danger, clearly he was right." "How am I in danger? I'm just hanging out with friends." He snorted and kicked Jackson's foot."These aren't friends. They don't give a shit about you." "They don't boss me around or stalk me either." I snapped."Get some clothes on." He said glancing down at my exposed cleavage before quickly looking away. "We're leaving." He let me go, and my cheeks burned when I remembered I'd been arguing with him in just a bra and unbuttoned jeans. He'd done a remarkable job at keeping his eyes up for the most part, it was annoyingly admirable. "Turn around." He gave a bitter laugh. "Don't worry, I'm not looking anyway." I yanked my sweater on and redid the button on my pants."Hurry up, that dart only lasts for like twenty minutes." He said over his shoulder as I pulled my sweater down the rest of the way. I darted for the door while his back was turned. I knew he wouldn't follow me out into the living room where everyone would see him. It would cause a complete panic. I unlocked it and twisted the knob, but his hand slammed into the wood of the door holding it closed. His eyes burned with anger."Let go!" I grunted with effort trying to pull it open."You either get your ass out that window or I'm picking you up and carrying you out." He warned."You wouldn't." He moved fast, faster than I could dodge and grabbed me around the hips with both his hands and flung me over his shoulder. I kicked my legs trying to catch him in the gut but he ignored it, climbing back out the window and shutting it behind him.