Chapter 6

"Put me down!" I seethed as he climbed the fire escape. The movement and being upside down threatened to make me hurl and I clutched onto his shell, trying to shove myself upright."Stop squirming unless you want me to drop you." "I'd rather be a pancake than be manhandled by you!" He flung me off his shoulder and yanked me so close to his face that I could see the brown flecks in his green eyes."You're letting that fucker in your pants but you have a problem with me?" He snarled as if the idea of it enraged him. "It's none of your business." I snapped, my eyes challenging his."He's twice your age Miya. What are you thinking? He's a creep." "It's just sex. It's not a big deal." He shoved me away and ran his hand down his face."Do you seriously not have more respect for yourself than that?" His words stung. It sounded like something Casey would say. "No. I don't. So just go home and leave me alone."My voice was deceptively honeyed but my body was holding back shakes of anger "Don't make me pick you up again." He threatened following me as I started for the ladder. I snarled and shoved him back from me as hard as I could. "Just go away! I don't need you or anyone to look out for me, I'm fine!" Tears pricked my eyes and I blinked at them quickly trying to hold them back. His anger was replaced with horror as I wiped furiously at the few tears that had escaped."Don't. Don't cry." "I'm not!" But they had started and now they wouldn't stop. The alcohol was fueling my emotions and it was driving the tears out like my life depended on it."Miya.." He said looking uncomfortable. "Just go!" I yelled, wiping at the tears as fast as they were rolling down my cheeks. Humiliation burned in my stomach and I cast my eyes down, waiting for Raphael to leave so I could melt into a blubbering mess on the roof in solitude. He groaned and yanked me by the front of my sweater into his arms. They wrapped around me protectively and held me there as I tried to shove him away. "Stop." He growled into my hair, holding me steady."What are you doing?" I asked, my face flaming with embarrassment. When he didn't release me, I gave up and let my arms fall to my sides, my forehead pressed into his plastron. His hand rubbed my back softly and if I hadn't been so upset, I would have been amazed he had it in him to touch anything or anyone so gently. After my tears had slowed and my breathing evened out, he loosened his grip and picked me up, heading back to the apartment without a word.

::;

I groaned at the ache in my head as I cracked my eyes open. The sun was streaming in through my window and I buried my face in my pillow against it. Raphael. He'd brought me home. He'd held me while I cried. I wanted to scream. Rage at being followed at the order of Casey. Humiliation at crying in front of Raph. I'd left my jacket at Jackson's, it was an odd thing to be upset about in the moment, but I'd really liked that jacket. Raph had probably seen everything. Heard everything. He'd tell Casey I'd been drinking and smoking all night. He might even tell him about Jackson. I was so dead. I got up and wiped at the leftover makeup under my eyes while hunger pains assaulted my stomach. At least I wasn't so hungover that breakfast was out of the question. To my horror, Raph leaned against the counter, a coffee mug in his hands. "What are you still doing here?" I asked more sharply than I'd intended. I averted my eyes in embarrassment when he looked at me. He'd practically seen me half naked, in more ways than one. "Good morning to you too." "What did Casey say?" I asked, crossing my arms over my chest and looking down at my feet."Don't know. I didn't call him." My head snapped up as he sipped his coffee. "Why not?""Does it matter?" He asked, setting his cup down and crossing his arms.I supposed it didn't, but I didn't trust that he still wouldn't. "If you tell anyone about me crying last night. I'll deny it." He snorted."What?" "You care more about me telling them you cried a little than about you sleeping with a washed-up loser." My cheeks flushed, but I held my head up, refusing to be the first to look away."He's hot. That's pretty much all my requirements right now." I said with a shrug.A disgusted look crossed his face."How much of that did you see anyway?" I asked.He tried to hide it by picking his cup back up, but I saw the flash of guilt on his face. "Putting those ninja skills to good use then?" I half-heartedly accused him when he didn't answer. "I guess it's a good thing you got him when you did, or you'd have my tits forever burned into your brain." He choked on his coffee and smacked himself on the chest."I know, how awful right?" I teased. "I wasn't even paying attention to you. I was too busy trying to get a good shot at your boyfriend." He said with an edge to his voice. I rolled my eyes and waved away his words."He's not my boyfriend. I don't have boyfriends." Raph raised his eyebrows. "Jackson is just fun, that's all." I said, raking my hand through my tangled hair. "Your idea of fun is seriously warped." I hopped off the barstool and got a mug down from the cupboard. This had to be a record for the longest civil conversation we'd ever had. Something in the air was different between us, and I wasn't sure if I liked it. "Sex is fun. You should try it." I muttered, getting myself a cup of coffee. "I have." I heard him say. I paused about to pour the steaming liquid into my mug. When would he have been able to? Who? And why was the thought oddly...irritating? "Don't act so stunned." He grumbled obviously offended, misreading my expression. I filled my cup and dumped in powdered creamer and sugar. "I didn't realize those kinds of opportunities came up for you guys." "You'd be surprised."I eyed him completely unbiased for a second. I tried to recall my first impression when Casey introduced me to him. Right from the get-go his sheer size had been intimidating, the red mask made his green eyes appear striking and dangerous. Muscles he'd worked his whole life to tone wrapped like thick cords over his whole body. Scars scattered his arms, legs, and shoulders. A few thin ones even found homes on his face. His lips were a slightly darker shade of olive than the rest of him and his continuous scowl gave the impression of a seriously lethal man when he wanted to be. Yeah, he was good-looking. For a turtle.He raised his eyebrow at me."What?" I felt a blush surface to my cheeks and my mug burned my fingers as I tightened my hold on it. "Nothing, just trying to remember my first impression of you." "And?" He asked, sounding intrigued."You look like Raphael." I shrugged. The answer was lackluster and he rolled his eyes."Come on, clean yourself up. We're going to the lair.""Why?" I asked nervously."Because I've decided I'm going to let you train with me."I didn't know what he was going to say, but that definitely hadn't been it.