Chapter 2: Persephone

“‘Live like you were dying.” -Tim McGraw

"W-O-W," Sabrina exclaims as she helps me carry boxes through the mansion and my room, "Looks like Momma Bear caught herself a big fish." She whistles while tossing the box to the ground and then flopping herself onto my bed.

"Yeah, it looks like it," I grumbled back.

Sure, the house is impressive, and Mom seems to be head over heels in love with Teddy; they can't seem to take their hands off each other, but it still doesn't explain how. How could Mom move past Dad's death so quickly? How could she choose to go after his boss? How could his boss reciprocate feelings for my mom? Yes, my mom is a beautiful woman, and she doesn't look like she's nearing fifty, but she'd only met Teddy a time or two, which was during Dad's work functions. When did they have time to fall for each other? Unless... No, I won't believe it. Mom would never betray Dad that way. Their love was pure; it was true, like the type of love you read about in romance novels; like Josh and Milo from My Best Friend's Brother, their love was written in the stars. I could not. I would not tarnish my parents' love story by believing mom had an affair.

I glance toward my bookshelf, finding myself once again wishing that MonroeThirty would publish the Forbidden Lust Series in paperback. I would give anything to get lost in the world of Westbrook right now, but that would have to wait until my replacement iPad comes.

"PERSEPHONE!" My best friend yells loudly, pulling me from my thoughts and making me wonder how long she's been trying to get my attention.

"Yes?" I asked, turning my full attention toward her, trying my hardest to pretend I hadn't been lost in my thoughts once again.

"Girl, I can tell by the blush creeping up on your face that you're fantasizing about the hotness that is J-Lo, but please, for the love of all things holy, leave those thoughts to Harley and Charlie, or I swear to God, girl, I will jump on Monroe's P*****N right now and beg her to block you from all her platforms." Sabrina threatens me while pulling her phone from her back pocket and opening up the P*****N app.

She can't do that? Can she? No way would Monroe block me. I was part of the beaut army. Fan Numero Uno. I can hear the click-clacking of Sabrina's acrylics tapping against her phone, and I decide I can't risk being kicked out of Westbrook. So, I am doing what any sane person would do.

I leap across the room and tackle Sabrina, flattening her on my bed. My arms were pinning hers down. Sabrina's chest is heaving as she has that look in her eye that she usually reserves for her conquest of the night. As I lean down close, my lips just a breath away from hers, a thought comes to mind. Sabrina's eyes bat at me, and she inhales sharply; that's when I know that I've got her.

"I'll take that!" I shout as I rip the phone from her grasp and scramble away from her.

"No fair!" She whines, "You cheated. You can't use your feminine wiles against me. That's against the friend code."

"Didn't stop us last time." I wink at my best friend as I tuck her phone into my back pocket.

"That was a one-time deal!" She yells, her face flushed pink as the memories of that night swirl in the air.

Since kindergarten, Sabrina's been my best friend, and during our high school graduation party, I spilled my guts to Sabrina. I admitted that I wanted to sleep with another woman. I want to experience all of life, and I've always found the female body sexually appealing. A few shots of tequila and some dirty dancing later, Sabrina offered her services. We both agreed it would be a one-time deal and that we wouldn't let it get in the way of our friendship, and let's say that one night we let ourselves have, I rocked Sabrina's world multiple times.

"I know," I teasingly say to her.

"And I'm still ashamed. I wasn't able to bring you over to the best side." Sabrina laughs.

"While I enjoyed our time immensely." I begin.

"Trust me, I know." Sabrina interrupts cockily.

"While I enjoyed our time," I begin again, "I'm still strictly dickly."

Sabrina fakes gags, "I'll take my cookies and cream any day." She replies, causing us to fall back onto the bed in a fit of laughter.

"Hey, girls." My mom calls up the stairs, "Teddy and I are going out tonight." I left some money on the table for pizza. "

And just like that, my peaceful bubble is once again popped.

"Are you okay?" Sabrina asks, pulling me into her side and offering me whatever solace she can.

"I will be." I reply, "Give me a month at Chester's, and I'll have enough money to leave this Godforsaken house."

"You're still planning on going through with that?" Sabrina asked, pulling away from me and sitting up, her nose wrinkled in discontentment.

"It's the only way to get out of this hell," I reply, looking down at my phone, unable to stand the scrutiny of my best friend's gaze.

"Babe, you're better than Chesters." Sabrina replies, grabbing my hand and pulling me into a sitting position, "You don't want those sleazeballs all over you."

"Well, my OnlyFans account hasn't taken off yet, and you and I both know that if you want to make cash quickly, Chesters is the way to go. Besides, I'm a dancer, Brin. I know how to put on a show and keep my distance from people. "

"This is different from a dance recital or a high school dance competition," Brin said.

I drop my gaze back to my phone again. It was almost 7:30; if I wanted to be on time for auditions, I needed to get ready now.

"Brin, you know I love you; you're my best friend. And normally, I'd heed all the warnings and words of wisdom you chose to bestow on me, but I can't this time. Mom's already moved on. I haven't. I need this. "

Brin smiles, but it doesn't quite reach her eyes. She's worried about me, and I can't blame her. Since the night before graduation, I've been doing reckless things; it was also the same night the incident occurred. But I needed to feel alive. I needed to live. Life is so frail; your string could be cut at any moment. I don't want to meet my maker with any regrets. The day I take my last breath, I want to know that I have lived my life.

"Alright, babe. If I can't change your mind, I'm going with you. "Brin replies.

I can't help but snicker at the video playing in my mind of beautiful Brin, with her ash-blond fohawk and her permanent resting bitch face, which practically yells, "Don't fuck with me." Stripping her clothes off and gyrating to electronic music is fun.

"What!?" Brin asked haughtily, "I can dance. I took your mom's dance class the same as you." She replies, pouting and crossing her arms over her chest, bound down with tape and a sports bra.

"Trust me; I know you can dance. I remember the way those hips work," I reply, wiggling my eyebrows at her, pure joy radiating through me as her pale skin again flushes red, "but I don't think you're what Chesters is looking for. And I can't see you taking your clothes off for men. "

Sabrina visually shudders at the thought of, "I might not be what Chesters or the men want, but the ladies will adore me." She winks, smugly sticking her tongue out.

Ain't that the truth, though? Women of all ages, races, sizes, and even sexuality, flock to Sabrina like she's a goddess. There's something about a masculine lesbian that's just so taboo. Hell, even I fell for it.

"Well, if you're coming, we'd better get dressed," I reply, rolling my eyes at her stubbornness as I start stripping off my clothes.

"Hmm, I've never heard those words strung together quite like that," Sabrina smirks.

I roll my eyes, ignoring her sexual innuendo as I riffle through my drawers, looking for something sexy to wear. I grab my favorite red lingerie set and head to my bathroom, needing to shower the dirt and grime from today away.

From the outside, people might think that we are in love with each other, but both Sabrina and I know we aren't compatible with one another outside of our friendship. Yes, we had mind-blowing sex, but it didn't alter us. We've always been this way. We've always flirted and joked with each other; we've always teased each other. It's who we are. Sabrina is my soulmate, but she isn't the person I'm meant to fall in love with. She isn't my Josh, or my Jace, or even my Steven; although she can fuck like a Steven, she's the Brie to my Aleah. Fuck, I need to stop referencing those books. She's my person. She's the one who held me all night after the incident; she's the one who went ax throwing with me when I found out my mother was engaged. She's the one who ordered me a new iPad when I threw mine against the wall when my mom posted her wedding photos on I*******m. She's the one who has supported me every step of the way, encouraging me to keep on living. She's my everything. I wouldn't change anything about us. She's mine, and I am hers, and any future lovers of ours will have to understand that.

"So?" I ask, twirling around in a pirouette. I have a deep red corset top and a pair of tiny lacey red panties. I added a lacy red garter strap that hooks into a pair of silky black thigh highs, and I've paired them with a pair of six-inch red stilettos. My hair is pushed back with my signature headband holding it in place, and I've gone for a smoky-eyed look with thick false lashes and heavy kohl liner. My lips were coated in a smudge-proof red lipstick that matched the lingerie set perfectly.

"Fuck me," Sabrina replied, licking her lips.

"That's good, huh?" I reply by arching an eyebrow cockily.

"Irresistible, babe." If I hadn't sworn myself off of you, I'd be diving in for a feast right now. "

Now it was my turn to blush red. I just couldn't be with Brin sometimes, who looked like a fine glass of wine herself. She'd rummaged through my drawers while I got ready, squeezed her beautiful plump ass into a pair of my spanks, and unwrapped her full D-cup breasts, leaving the zipper of her sports bra mid-zip, exposing a delicious amount of cleavage.

"You aren't looking too bad yourself." I purr back.

"Alright, I think we've hyped ourselves up enough." Sabrina states, tossing a pair of sweats and a sweatshirt at me while she puts one on herself, "I think it's time to show the people who haunt Chester's the action they didn't know they needed."

I latch my arm into Brin's, both of us dressed in our sweatsuits as we merrily make our way out of the manor, heading toward the future.