"Matthew, do I look alright?" I asked as I smoothed down my skater skirt with my leather black jacket. He licked his lips dangerously. He's gotten a little sweet on me. He's still not budging on his dating rule, but I can wait.

"Perfect as always babe, are you sure you want to do this though?" He asked as I grabbed my phone.

"Yes, why wouldn't I?" He looked unsteady at my reply. "These things get out of hand really quick." I grabbed his hand.

"I can handle myself." I said a little uncertain, but I want to be daring for once. Climb out this little shell. We were headed to a house party full of liquor, drugs, and hormones.

Of course being pretty well known I've gone to a lot of parties, but there was always a little drinking and nothing more. House parties for my class were literally insane. I'd heard so many stories. Anything could happen and I was ready.

"You ready?" He asked. "Hell yeah!" I spoke as we walked up the stairs. Red cups were pretty much the whole front lawn. People were screaming as a beer pong tournament was going on. The dance floor was lit with green & blue lights and I was inching to move.

I grabbed Matthew's collar and dragged him out on the dance floor with me. We swayed and rocked in a rhythm so enchanting I got lost. His body against mine felt so good. It began to get hot, so we calmly stepped off.

"I didn't now you could move." I said with a chuckle. "My middle names Jagger. No, I'm kidding. I hate to dance." He said as I wrapped my arm through his. He handed me a drink.

"You could've fooled me and I'm good." I said as he smiled. "It's water, I'm not going to get you wasted." He said as I chuckled. I remembered he told me he didn't drink either.

In the room next door there was a truth or dare game going on. I stood along with several others to watch them play.

"Hey, I'm Mitch." I turned my head slightly to see a blonde headed former senior who had just recently graduated, holding out his hand. "I'm Sky-Blu...nice to meet you." He chuckled. "Even nicer to meet you, we used to go to the same school. You're about to be a senior, right?" He asked. I shook my head. I could tell he was high. His bloodshot eyes were a signal.

"I'm sorry, are you not a big talker?" He said as I opened my mouth to speak.

"Actually, I speak a lot just not to strangers." I said calmly. He rested his hand on the small of my back and I looked up to see Matthew had walked out the room. "I have a boyfriend." I replied stammering knowing it was a lie as he stared down at me with no response like he hadn't heard me.

You're a big girl. I slowly moved his hand away from me as he replaced it but lower and right on my ass. My breath hitched as I moved it again and started to walk out. He grabbed my arm firmly as I tugged away fierce.

"Let me go you creep!" I yelled as the whole game stopped to look at me.

"Oh look, the goody two shoes making a scene!" I heard someone yell over the chaos, everybody started laughing at me.

Out of nowhere Matthew had him pinned up against the wall. I'd never seen him so angry. It scared me a little.

Matthew backed up after the fact he'd bruised up Mitch's face. He walked out the house as cheers erupted. Mitch must have a been a real douche. Matthew ignored all the cheering. I ran after him, jumping in the car just as he took off. He drove silently for a few moments before speaking.

"I'm sorry you had to see that." He said as I shook my head. "It's all my fault. I should've stayed home. Or just listened instead of being a stubborn bitch all the time!" I said as he rubbed my thigh gently.

"Hey, you aren't allowed to call yourself that. Weren't you having fun before all the chaos?" Matthew asked. "Yes of course, I got to see you dance." I said with a little laugh.

"Well then that's all that matters, you went to your first house party and you didn't get totally wasted. You dance like a goddess by the way." He said without realizing he was being nice as I laughed.

"I've never been called a goddess. I feel inpowered ." I said as he leaned over and kissed my cheek. Who is this guy?

"Well that's all that matters." He said as I smiled slightly. Things felt different his outburst made me uncomfortable. I know he'd never hurt me. He's had a rough childhood and violence is all he'd been taught. He pulled up outside my house and I got confused I had been staying at his place ever since that awful night. My mom trusted me when I told her nothing was going on. I just didn't want to come home.

"What are you doing?" I asked as he turned towards me. "This is the part where you get out and tell me you'll see me later, but what I did earlier is probably working at your nerves. So you'll never call me and if I see you around you'll wave at me, until eventually you don't care. Not that I care. I mean we aren't dating. I'm not sorry, violence is just a second nature. It's just how I help people. No one invites me places for these reasons also. My temper is like an atomic bomb. I get it, this little thing between us is done. It's not the first time I've let something go easily." He said as a tear fell down my cheek. I pulled him close and hugged him. He didn't react at all.

He'd been abandon so many times that he already knew the drill. I honestly knew he'd never hurt me, but at the same time I was nervous that this could eventually land him in jail and that would hurt me more than anything, especially if it was because of my stupidity.

"Have you ever thought about getting help?" I asked as he shook his head. "I don't need help Blu, I need someone like you. You're the only thing keeping me sane. Had you not been there he would've gotten hurt way worse than a few bruises. I know you want more from me like a real relationship, but I'm not sure when I can or if I ever will be able to give that too. I just know I've never needed anyone, but your presence tonight kept me calm." He said calmly as he pushed my door open from his seat. I turned to face him.

"I'm not leaving, you're not just going to give up on me that easily. I know you Matthew. In just the last two months we've spent together you've impacted my life so much. You're so smart, you deserve more than you think. I'm inviting you to have lunch with my family tomorrow. As Drake would say, Be true to yourself, love yourself first, don't assume you're being attacked, and be mindful of your words." I said as he shook his head.

"Who knew the white girl loved Drake? That's nice of you to invite me, but I can't interfere on your family things." I sighed. "My mom said you could come." I shot back as I internally kicked myself. He'll probably hate me for lying, but a girl's gotta do what a girls gotta do.

"I know you are lying, now get out the car, Blu. You deserve better. Someone you aren't scared of. Someone like Drake." He replied as I closed the door and looked him in the eye.

"I'm not scared of you. I'm scared of the consequences you could face from fighting." I said as I stroked his cheek. He pulled my hand away.

"Blu, I like you, but you need to get inside." I cried softly. "Matthew, please?" I said as we waited in silence. I knew I shouldn't push it. I kissed him ever so gently. He kissed me back hungrily like it would be the last and I hopped out the front seat.

"You are still invited, be there at 12." I said softly as he smiled and I smiled back wearily. He watched me safely reach my stairs and enter my hell hole of a gigantic house.
*****************

The dreaded sound of my alarm awoke me, but the thought of Rickey coming to town made me happy. My mom had made my dad move out for a little while after she got news about our altercations. Tonight will be the first time I've seen him since then.

My mom had laid a nice, above the knee, strapless light pink sun dress with gold, sparkling sandals out for me to wear to the lunch. I'm still not sure if Matthew is coming. I hope my mom won't care, I mean after all Rickey gets to bring someone.

I took a quick, warm shower and put my makeup on lightly. I straightened my hair and put it in a bun for a different look and I put on the whole outfit.

"Darling, you look wonderful." My mom exclaimed as I smiled. She might be my second dad sometimes, but she definitely knew how to brighten my day.

"Thanks mom." I spoke as I kissed her cheek and started helping set out the fruit trays. "What are you buttering me up for?" She said questionably as I laughed.

"You know me so well! Promise you won't get mad and you'll try to understand?" I replied as she froze and looked at me with that glare, telling me I better speak now.

"So I may have invited my friend who I like, Matthew." I said quietly as she smiled. "I knew you'd been spending time with someone or you'd been bruising your own neck. Who's this guy?" She said as I gasped. I hadn't realized I had hickies. She got back to working on making everything look perfect.

"Matthew Summers." She grasped what I had said and there went the fruit tray scattered across the floor. "Way to be understanding, mom." I said sarcastically as we both knelt down to clean up the mess before anyone arrived.

"Sky-Blu Waters, what were you thinking!" She exclaimed as I sighed. "That I could invite my friend to have lunch with my family and we could a get along for once." I said as she sighed.

"I'm sorry baby, but does he know about you?" She asked. Here's the tricky thing. I could lie or tell the truth, I choose number one, lie.

"No mom, and even if he did. He'd be understanding. He doesn't want me for my money." I said as she snarled. "He's a broke, young man. That comes from an awful family. He'd chase your money, like a chicken with his head cut off." She said as I groaned.

"You don't even know him. He's not broke. He takes me out all the time, when I want to go. He gets stereotyped and he's never invited places and it's just all ugh." I said as she laughed a little.

"He can come, I'll keep your father under control. I'm so sorry about that. He loves you. I just know it and he was very drunk. He has bad days." She said as I walked to the trash can with the bad fruit.

"Stop trying to make his wrongs, rights. If he loved me, he wouldn't have even came in my dressing room to talk to me until he calmed his crazy ass down." I spoke as the door bell rang. I ran like a lightning bolt and swung the door open to see Matthew with chocolates and two bouquets of flowers. Rickey stood next to him with a little brunette on his arm. She looked uninterested in whatever the hell this was going to turn into.

And of course the devil himself stood behind them. He looked at me with soft eyes, but I felt nothing except hate. I let everybody inside as my mom came to greet Rickey.

"Hey babe." I said as I sprung into Matthew's arms and kissed his cheek lightly. I whispered in his ear. "I'm glad you came." He pecked my lips and handed me a bouquet of flowers and chocolate.

"This is for your mom." He said as she scrambled over and gave him a hug. "Nice to meet you sweetheart!" She said as he smiled at her. I nudged him and gave him a thumbs up. He laughed softly.

Everyone ignored my father, except for Rickey. They talked about how his big job was going. I watched my brother lie through his teeth to please my father.

"So, Matthew what do you plan to do with your future?" My father asked. I cleared my throat to begin scolding him, but Matthew softly rubbed my thigh.

"Well, Blu wants me to go to college, but I mean I don't think I'm really in a place to go. I have my mom who still needs to be taken care of." He said as I smiled. He's handling my dad pretty well.

"Sounds great, you'll be just like your father." He said with a sly grin. My mother cleared her throat at that statement.

"We are total opposites. I'm never going to lay a hand on your daughter. At least not to hurt her like you, but I think I can find use of them to do other things." I blushed as my dad sipped his wine patiently liked he'd just been roasted in his own home. Wait...he had been.

****

Notes-

He literally was defending her and thought he'd scared her off...if that doesn't make you want to cry just the slightest bit...i just....idk.

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-L xo