Unraveling Selena by Marisa Maichel (black female authors TXT) 📕

"Don't hurt yourself," she said.

"I need you," I rumbled. "My whole self needs you. It's been too long." I noticed Father quietly slip out the door. "Mine."

"And you're mine," she replied. I growled.

"Get on top of me," I ordered. She sat on the bed. I pulled her hips onto me. I growled again at feeling them. It had been too long since I'd seen, let alone touched, my favorite girl. I put one hand on her belly and another on her thigh. I flattened her against me. She squeaked at the sudden change in position. She rolled over, her legs around mine.

"You're frisky," she said.

"I haven't seen you in days. Seeing you now is like the first bite into good, warm blood. Or a drink of cold water."

She leaned forward and kissed me. "I won't have sex with you while you're hurt, but I will kiss you."

"Then kiss me."

We kissed some more.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I kept my arm in a sling during school hours. Several people asked me what happened, and I told them that I broke it after a fight. The most important people knew the truth. I told Duke Taylor and Noah Johnson, who were friends, the truth. I told Amara Ruick the truth. I still hated Mason Godfrey for saying that he'd fallen in love with Sarah.

"Reese, let's talk," he said as I slammed my locker shut.

"What's there to talk about?"

"Sarah. I mean, she's beautiful, and sweet, and smart, but she's not mine. She's yours. I know that. I know I have no claim to her."

"As long as you know that."

"I had no idea that Noah was crushing on Amara. If I had, I would have never said that I liked her."

"Did you not consider that lying about it could possibly hurt Amara, too?"

"I never did. I know I messed up. Honestly, I'd much rather be your friend than your rival. If that means letting go of Sarah, then I can do that."

"All right, I forgive you," I told him, smiling tersely. I was still on edge. He could have been lying, for all I knew.

Stop it. He's one of your best friends.

He said he loved Sarah. She's mine, and he knows that!

He said he's willing to let her go.

He's a male. A straight male. Sarah is a beautiful girl. He's going to steal her from me!

Mason said he'd rather be my friend than my rival.

I told the voice in my head to shut up and head to class.

I got a glimpse of Sarah. She looked amazing in a pair of skinny jeans and a light blue shirt tied at the side, revealing a strip of skin. On her feet, she were checkered Converse sneakers. Her makeup, always skillfully done, had a bit of shimmer in it today. Her hair was tied into its usual bun with a few strands hanging loose.

She was beautiful, sweet, intelligent. Her voice was like sweet music. Her singing voice was downright overwhelming.

"The Homecoming dance is coming up," she said. "Are you ready?"

"Always," I said. She smiled and continued to walk to her next class. Truthfully, I hadn't thought about it since she last mentioned it. Remembering our last dance, my stomach lurched. At the last Holiday Ball, Alexander had kidnapped her to get to me.

At the last school dance, Scarlett had been stripped of some of her magical knowledge by Mason. I smiled as I remembered that. The bitch looked so lost when she found that she couldn't remember how to perform a simple beauty spell.

Throughout the rest of the day, I was continually reminded of the dance during every break and lunch hour.

She was not the only excited girl. All the girls were talking about the dance, whether to insult it, talk about the dresses they would wear, or to talk about dates. Since Sarah was a cheerleader, she'd cheer at the game first, then quickly change into her dress and make herself smell nice.

Scarlett was the only girl who didn't talk about it. I knew she was thinking about the last dance she went to. And Jordan wasn't here. Now that she was friendless and sisterless, she had no potential dates.

She continued to glare at Sarah at every available opportunity. I knew she blamed her for everything.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Finally, the first football game of the season. Sarah appeared wearing her red and white cheerleader uniform, and the judges let her through for free. She'd complained to Sabine about having to wax her legs.

The players ran through the field, shouting the school Fight Song. I went through them by name. There was Caden Cartwright, Ethan Fitz, and so on. Michael Nales would be with them if he wasn't dead. Well, maybe not. He'd still be in jail for raping Sarah last November. At least, if I had anything to do with it, and if I hadn't asked Father to kill him. My father, the master of murder.

As the cheerleaders were named, they did a move. A herkie, a flip, a dance, a move. Sarah bounced and landed on her toes perfectly. She was the most beautiful. And then the band did a short number, and then the game started.

I looked around for Other Reese. He might have been there somewhere. Watching. Waiting. Waiting to make his move. He looked exactly like me, except for a scar on his chin that I had given him.

I noticed Mason at the gate, talking to Amara. I wondered what he was saying. I left my seat, much to the dismay of my neighbor, and made my way to the gate.

"I'm just saying, maybe he's not who you thought he was," Mason was saying.

"Shut up, you don't know anything. Besides, you had your chance," Amara said. Mason looked shocked. "I heard you and Reese the other day. You're only interested because you can't have Sarah. Speaking of Reese." She had noticed me, and Mason looked at me, terrified.

"Reese, I-"

"Shut it, Mason. I don't want to hear it."

Angry, I went back to my seat and watched Sarah perform a perfect routine.

We won, fifty six to forty two. I went down to the school building and waited for her with a bunch of other people. Mason, Amara, Noah, and Duke joined me shortly after.

"No Jody?" I joked.

"You know that bitch doesn't hang out with us anymore," Amara snapped. She winced. "Sorry."

Finally, the doors were unlocked, and we were able to get in. My sweet Sarah joined us shortly after, smelling of roses and amber and looking divine in a dark blue dress.

"Hello, everyone," she said, smiling. She was greeted with a vague acceptance. I growled, and Mason quickly said he was glad to see her. I growled again, and he looked at his feet.

We were let in, and I paid for everyone's entrance. Sarah took my arm, much to the dismay of several classmates, and she let me onto the dance floor, her flats clacking on the linoleum. The first song started playing, and I took her onto the dance floor and twirled her around.

"Ew, they're together?"

"That's so gross."

"He's the Lone Goth for a reason!"

"Not so alone anymore."

I smiled, a rare sight, and gripped her shoulders. She grasped me around the waist, and we danced, lost in each other's eyes. More and more people filled the floor, and more gossip started. I ignored it as I led her around, twirling her and swinging her from side to side.

I saw only her, felt only her. My love, already at peak proportions, increased.

"I love you," I told her.

"I love you, too," she said, standing on her toes and pecking my chin. She lost her shoe in the process, and while she fixed it, I looked around for any males who thought about taking her from me. I saw Elliot; Sarah had pointed him out to me earlier. He looked strangely heartbroken as he watched us. But Sarah had said that he had a girlfriend. Why should he be jealous?

His girlfriend was a bit smaller than him, but still heavyset, like him. Her name was Britt. She tilted his head to face her, and asked him something. He responded, and she looked angry for a second, then kissed him.

I held Sarah again, who was looking at me worriedly. I danced with her for a few more songs, and then she went to get some water. I found a chair and sat down. I looked around. My usual group was towards the back, close to where Sarah and I were.

I saw Evan Byrd with a guy I'd never seen before. He looked like he was having fun. He saw me and came over to me.

"How are you?" he asked.

"I'm all right. How are you?" I asked.

"I'm good. Oh, this is Alex. Alex, this is my ex, Reese."

Alex shook my hand, looking suspicious. He had dark blond hair, blue eyes, and had a muscular form.

"So you're the guy who took Evan from me?" he said.

"I'm sorry?" I replied as Even nudged him.

"Alex, that was a long time ago. Get over it. Oh, Sarah's back."

"Hi, Evan," she said cheerfully.

"Hello, Sarah," he said. He looked at Alex. "Sarah is Reese's girlfriend."

"Oh, so you left me for a straight guy?"

"Bisexual," I corrected. Alex blushed.

"Well, we should go. It was nice seeing you," Evan said. "See you later, Sarah."

"That was weird," Sarah said when they were out of earshot.

"Very," I said.

Elton John started singing, so I led her back to the dance floor. She'd added more shimmer to her shoulders, which made them more beautiful. More people gawked at us. It was odd. Before she'd been raped, I never thought I'd have a chance. Now were were almost a year into our relationship, and I loved her unconditionally, and she loved me, even though I wasn't her typical guy.

She was pop music, I was goth rock. She was a human, I was a vampire. She knew I'd never purposely hurt her.

"Why is Soren here?" she asked.

"Huh?" I turned around. My uncle was at the entrance, talking to Principal Turner. "I'd better see what this is about."

I walked over to the adults. Uncle Soren saw me.

"Reese! Thank Odin you're okay!" He hugged me.

"Okay, what's going on?" I asked.

"Another you has been spotted. I thought it was you at first, but his scent wasn't right."

I felt cold. He was here? Here, as in, close to Sarah?

I turned, looked around.

"What was he doing?" I asked.

"Talking with Mason. He asked him if he knew you, and Mason asked him if he was your twin. He said he was."

"I don't have a twin, do I?"

"No, you don't. If I'm being honest, Louis and I think he's a doppelganger. He's from another dimension, another universe."

I knew he was from another dimension. He was actually me, from another universe.

"Mr. Emerson, I assure you, he will not get close to Reese," Principal Turner said. "The safety of our students is our most important mission."

I looked at Uncle Soren. He mouthed that he'd explain later. Then his eyes widened, and I heard Sarah make a noise. I turned, saw her on the ground, and flitted over to her. Amara was already helping her up.

"What happened?" I demanded, holding Sarah close.

"A guy in a hood asked her if she'd be willing to go with him. When she refused, he pushed her," Amara explained. "When he noticed you coming, he took off.

I tipped Sarah's chin up. Her eyes were shining. I kissed her eyes, then looked around for him. I noticed a hooded figure standing in the corner. I looked at Uncle Soren, and he and Principal Turner made their way through the crowd to confront him.

"Are you hurt?" I asked, sniffing her hair.

"My butt hurts now," Sarah said.

"This isn't funny," I growled. "If he approached you again, and I'm not there, whistle. Although, I won't leave your side again. When you want to go home, give me the word and I'll walk you to your car."

I took her to a chair, where she doubled over and leaned against me. I held her,