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Crushed. That was how I was feeling when I left Marnie's house.

I went over to her house to tell Mariah that her daughter was missing. I'm physically shaking, I'm struggling to breathe and sweat was trickling down to my brow.

How was I supposed to tell her? I brought Marnie to that club, she was my responsibility. This was my fault.

Her mother opens the front door wearing another silk dressing gown, her gaze scrutinizing. "What do you want?" her tone is wearied.

She taps her crimson-painted fingernails against the wooden doorframe with a raised eyebrow and I gulp nervously. "It's Marnie, she's--"

She huffs, clearly bored with the conversation already. "You honestly think Marnie cares about you? Let me give you some free advice, the whole reason she attended high school was to become a social butterfly. Her parents are rich and famous. She wanted to climb up the social ladder, make friends and date the bad boy. When you leave high school, you'll be nothing and she will have gained enough popularity by then to move on. Do yourself a favour and leave her if you know what's good for you."

I was stunned. I didn't want to believe that what her mother was saying is true and I didn't. Marnie isn't like that. Instead, I try again to get her to listen to me. "Marnie is--" and yet again I'm cut off.

This fucking woman.

"I don't care what you have to say to me. Especially when it concerns my daughter." she closes the door in my face and I jump back, startled.

What the fuck?

What the hell is wrong with that woman?

I pace outside the door for a good minute before heading down to the driveway and straddling my bike. Turning on the engine, my breathing turns ragged. I feel so sick to my stomach. What was I supposed to do?

We searched for hours looking for Marnie in JJ's van. She could be anywhere. Scared, confused, hurt...

Fuck.

With limited options, I decided to wait down the street and see if she comes home.

I've texted and rang her several times but no answer. It's been four hours and each minute that goes by only worries me further. I searched the streets for her, and when I couldn't see any sight of her, I raced straight to her house.

I knew if she didn't show up soon, my next stop would be the police station. Although I have a bad feeling they might not do shit unless she's been missing for twenty-four hours.

My phone rings inside my jacket pocket and I quickly pull it out -- praying to see her name. I kick myself when I see Roxy's name appear. I was hoping it was Marnie telling me she was okay. Maybe Roxy heard something?

"Have you heard anything?" her voice blares through the phone. I close my eyes, my fingers pinch the bridge of my nose in frustration.

"No, nothing. I'm waiting outside her house." I blink my eyes open.

"Sky is here with me, she's slightly better now. You're right, I think they might have been drugged. Sky says she hasn't heard anything either. We'll let you know if we do. I hope you find her."

"Okay, thanks." That's when I hear a car approaching from a distance. I squint my eyes and see an old Ford truck pull up to Marnie's house. My pulse quickens, and I can't see the driver or passenger so I decide to investigate further.

I slowly approach behind the driveway, near an overgrown brush. I curse under my breath when I see they have already gone inside. I stay for a little longer, waiting to catch a glimpse of someone soon.

An hour goes by when I finally see movement in front of the house. A guy steps out, he is tall -- with messy brown hair and broad shoulders. I thought my mind was playing tricks on me when I see the small blonde who steps out behind him.

Oh thank God, she's here. She's okay.

I smile but my face immediately drops when she embraces the guy standing next to her. My heart sank, staring at the pair wrapped up in one another.

Marnie grins at the boy as they pulled apart. He opens his phone, looking at her with so much adoration. What the fuck?

By the looks of it, he was giving her his mobile number and then he walks calmly over to his car, smiling like he scored a winning goal.

I stood there dumbfounded and when the guy's truck left, I snapped out of my trance.

Fuck this.

I need to get out of here.

I get on my bike and leave before I got caught. I don't want to talk to her right now.

My head is spinning with thoughts of Marnie and this guy. What the fuck was that?

Who was that guy with Marnie?

This whole night she's been hanging out with another guy while I've practically been pulling my hair out, worrying sick about her.

I thought something bad happened to her. Christ, I thought she was dead somewhere. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad she's okay, but was it so hard to at least send a quick text message? Anything to let me know she was fine?

I'm livid. Maybe Mariah was right. Maybe Marnie is a manipulative bitch. A liar. Everything the media painted her out to be was true. How fucking stupid was I to fall under her spell. She played me.

She fucking played me.

By the time I get off my bike, my blood is boiling. I need an escape tonight, to forget this shitty evening ever happened.

I'm at another house party -- the same party we were supposed to attend after the club. People stop to talk to me and I push past them, heading straight towards the alcohol.

I grab some whiskey off the kitchen table, pouring a double shot. I neck it down my throat, the strong liquid burning. It feels so good so I repeat the same process.

I close my eyes, rubbing a hand down my face. I can't believe she would do this. The first girl I wanted to be mine, the first person I've let my guard down for. Why the fuck would she do that?

My heart sliced into pieces watching her. I grab the table to support myself, my chest constricting. It's the same pain I felt when my mother left. I need another drink.

"Hey Reese," my jaw instantly hardens as frustration poured out of me. I didn’t even have to turn around to know it was Kira. Kira was the last thing on my mind, and I hoped she’d take the hint and back off.

But then I remembered that she was good for one thing.

I look to my right and I see Kira staring at me. She leans up against the wall with a small smile on her pink glossed lips.

"Hey," I mumble. Another shot burns my throat, it feels good.

"Where are your bandmates? I thought you guys were playing tonight?" Kira is a nice girl. She's not jealous or petty like the other girls I've been with. We've hooked up a few times and she's never been territorial over me.

She isn't Marnie, my mind reminds me.

"We did." I exhale, pouring myself another shot.

"Is everything okay?" I drink my shot and look over at her curious eyes. "Fucking fantastic." my voice poured with sarcasm.

Her turquoise eyes show a hint of concern and I cringe. My head is dizzy from the sudden intake of alcohol.

Maybe it's time I stop acting like a kicked puppy. I'm Reese Black. I break girl's hearts -- not the other way around.

I move closer to Kira, breathing in her lavender fragrance. "You look good." I twirl a piece of her shiny strawberry blonde hair with my index finger and move closer to her face.

She draws her face in nearer and smiles. "So do you." and our lips connect. Easy.

We kiss for a good minute, her tongue lapping mine as she moans into my mouth. I don't get the same fire I get when I kiss Marnie.

Fuck Marnie, she doesn't care about you!

I pull away from Kira, looking into her glazed-over eyes.

"Want to go somewhere?" I ask her, looking down at her raw cherry red lips.

"Yes." she whispers huskily in my ear. I grab her hand in mine, escorting her into an empty bedroom. I see a few people watch us in confusion, shock and disbelief. I don't care.

I lock the door when we find an empty bedroom. I hastily take my clothes off, helping Kira with hers.

I don’t care who the girl is or where I am. I don't care that anyone could walk in on us. I need to lose control. I rip off Kira's little dress and attack her mouth. It didn’t feel good. It wasn’t meant to feel good. I dived in as she moaned my name.

I pull Kira harder against me and inhale her skin that smelled faintly of lavender, wanting her to be someone else. A girl who smelled as sweet as strawberries.

Blonde hair and blue eyes. Marnie.

I felt numb and I needed a release. We kiss hungrily and she lay down on the bed in only her lacy violet underwear. I kiss down the length of her body. I couldn't wait any longer -- I had to be inside her.

This wasn’t about me getting off. It was about me getting even.

I roll on a condom I got from my jean pocket while she clipped her bra undone and removed her panties. I lean over her, keeping my weight off her with my arms.

I hesitate for just a moment. What would Marnie think if she knew about this? Would it hurt her? I'm not the cheat in this situation. She's been unfaithful to me. Well, now she's going to get a taste of what it feels like.

Then I push inside of Kira with a grunt, feeling nothing.

I worked up all my built-up frustration in each thrust. I can hear Kira calling my name from a distance, her nails scratching down my back. I tried to get Marnie off my brain but she was still there. She haunts me.

I change our position so Kira was laying on her front while I took her from behind. Her strawberry blonde locks splayed down her back. She screamed my name when I finally came undone, picturing another girl in my mind. "Reese, oh God yes!"

I roll back on the bed, catching my breath -- thinking of the one girl I can't get out of my head.

"Reese," I turn my head, looking at the poor girl I just manipulated to sleep with me. "I missed this." she says timidly.

I smile sheepishly, thinking how fucked up I am for using this girl to forget about another girl. Unfortunately, I'm not a good guy. I'm the bad guy. I've become this black-hearted monster ever since my brother died and my mother left me.

Marnie lied to me and now I feel nothing at all.

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