You Keep Me Coming Back For More

OOC: This thread is closed to TheGrind and I. Feedback is always welcome, please PM either him or myself!

Abbey knew she should have ignored David, he had caught her getting into her car and stopped her for a chat. She had confessed her one night stand to him, him! Of all people! She berated herself on the drive home for having told her ex’s best friend about her fling. It had been disappointing and at one point the man had actually been so much of a klutz as to bang heads with her.

It had been months since the break up and this was the first time she’d slept with another man in all that time. Abbey was truly soured on being single by this time. Her phone buzzed to life and she hit the hands free button on it, placing her hand back on the steering wheel delicately.

“Hello?” Abbey asked.

“Hey girl, it’s Natasha, you driving? You sound distant.” Her best friend Natasha Schroder asked.

“Yeah I am, by the way that one night stand sucked and I ran into David.”

“David? David who?”

“David Phillips…his best fucking friend!” Abbey exclaimed.

“Oh no, please don’t tell me you told him?” Natasha asked desperately.

“Alright I won’t tell you I told him but I can’t tell you anything else either.”

“Oh Abbey for Christ’s sake, what were you thinking?”

“I don’t know Nat! I’m a fucking idiot alright?!” Abbey retorted angrily, “It was a total bust of a night in every way you can think of!”

“Okay, okay just calm down. I just called to ask if you wanna come out to this new club tomorrow night?” Natasha asked.

“What new club?” Abbey replied distractedly.

“Just some place called Infraction. It’s supposed to be a cop style club, opening tomorrow night and I got us on the VIP list, you wanna go?” Natasha asked excitedly.

“Sure, sounds fun. No special dress right?” Abbey questioned reproachfully.

“Nah, nothing like that. Just wear that tiny black dress you’ve got and we’re cool. Tell me you’re not working tomorrow?”

“Nope! Got that new work package which gives me the entire weekend off instead of just Saturday now.” Abbey said gleefully.

“Oh awesome, how is the new job anyway? Settling in alright?” Natasha asked, she knew Abbey hadn’t worked while she’d been living with her ex.

“It’s going great, my whole team adores me. I never knew how much fun working in advertising could be. I wish I’d bothered using my degree sooner.”

“Sweet babe, I gotta run. What’s his face is calling me to bed. Call me tomorrow. Love you, bye!” Natasha said hurriedly, the phone beeping as she hung up.

Abbey hung up and pulled in the parking lot of her apartment building, manually locking the old piece of crap car she had bought with the last of her little savings. She made her way up to the top floor and walked inside, tossing her bag and key on the bed as she removed her shoes. The little one bedroom place was cramped and shitty, barely fit for human living but Abbey was by no means rich and besides, she was used to sparse living. Even when her wealthy ex boyfriend was paying for her lifestyle, he never let her get carried away and she had to ask for just about everything.

Still, Abbey wasn’t sure she liked independent living all that much and she still loved him, still missed him a great deal. Abbey collapsed onto her double bed in tears, pulling the ties from her hair and tossing it across the room angrily. She hated herself for having meaningless sex with some stranger as though she hoped it would cure her of her love for him. Somewhere through the curtain of tears, her eyes closed and she drifted off to sleep.

Stephen was oblivious to his best friend’s news for twenty four hours. During that time he was still working on trying to forget Abbey and everything she meant to him. It was heart-wrenching but with every passing day the pain became easier to deal with. Until he received the call from David telling him what a whore Abbey had been.

The news washed over him, sticking into his memory like an indelible wave of anger and resentment. He couldn’t remember what else he had said to end the conversation, all he could see were images of Abbey’s naked body bouncing up and down over a stranger. It was the curse of still being in love with your ex and being unable to do anything about it.

“Shit! Fuck!” his mind was filled with expletives as his veins coursed with rage. Throwing his cell across the room he dented the wall as the phone fell to the floor. Stephen didn’t care. The moment had blinded him to any rational thought he may have had. The whole thing was unbelievable. Even after these few months he still thought of her as his. Something that was owned. Something that no one but he was allowed to have.

The temptation to call Abbey and demand that she tell him what happened was overwhelming but he was able to suppress the urge. He’d have to go out, spend the next week burning off steam. Leaving his phone on the floor he walked toward his endtable, putting his wallet in his back pocket. He’d be going out alone tonight but he didn’t plan on ending the night the same way. If she was going to go around using people to forget about him, he’d be damned if he wouldn’t do the same thing. Word would get back to her. He knew some of the people she worked with, he knew her friends. Even if he wanted to start a rumor he was sure it’d get back to her as true.

Stephen wasn’t about to pick up his phone. He’d let someone else do that. For him to pick it up meant something and he wasn’t about to stoop down to retrieve it. With one last look at his place he closed the door, leaving it behind. All that lied ahead of him was a night full of meaningless girls and endless drinks. But he was in no mood for anyone to get in his way. The frustration he felt was beyond boiling and he was only too eager to let loose.

Abbey slept for most of the Saturday and woke up to a text message from Nat telling her she’d swing by at 8 with her boyfriend who would be their designated driver for the evening. She checked the time and scurried to the bathroom, stepping beneath the torrent of water and scrubbing herself vigorously. She was upset over the previous night’s less than satisfying outcome and was determined to clean it from her body. Her mind kept turning to Stephen and how David would tell him how much of a slut his ex girlfriend had become. Her face flushed crimson at the idea of this, how Stephen would laugh and say he knew it all along.

Abbey stepped from the shower and wrapped herself in a towel, less than pleased with herself and ashamed at the idea. She checked her phone messages and breathed easier to find that Stephen hadn’t contacted her, he rarely did but it usually ended with her in tears. Abbey opened her closet and withdrew a short floral print dress, it was skin tight and if she bent over; she’d be baring all. She took a black G string out and decided to go braless, topping it off with a black jacket. Abbey stepped in front of her floor length mirror as she pulled her spaghetti strapped black heels on and started running a brush through her long black hair which tickled at the top of her bum. Her hair was her pride and joy, the shimmering waves of ebony had taken over a decade to grow out and while she wasn’t overly vain, she did adore her hair.

Her ocean blue eyes sparkled over her reflection as she critiqued her appearance, twisting this way and that while she started to throw her ID, cash and cell phone into her bag. Her intercom buzzed and she brushed her hair one last time before flicking the inky tresses back and scurrying out the door, barely remembering to lock it and toss her keys into her bag. She made her way down and got into the waiting car, slamming the door as John hit the accelerator. Natasha grinned as she turned and looked Abbey over.

“Damn girl! I forgot how good you scrub up!” Nat winked at her.

“Thanks babe, you look good yourself. How’s it going John?” She asked as she tilted her head to put her dangling silver earrings on.

“It’s going pretty well Abb, yourself?” He said pleasantly, turning the car left.

“Not too bad, bad night last night but you know, what are you gonna do?” She shrugged and slipped her thick black chain linked necklace on which tickled at her abdomen.

“True, true. Glad to have you coming out with us though. Nat would’ve driven me nuts without ya.” John chuckled, making Nat belt him in the arm as they pulled up, Abbey smiled at them both before she slid from the vehicle.

The three walked up and flashed their ID’s at the bouncer, paying the cover charge before they made their way into the club. Abbey and Natasha went to grab a seat while John got the drinks for them, Abbey looked around at the array of police designed decorations; the club was surprisingly crowded and dark with blue lighting. A drink was well needed, Abbey was feeling incredibly anxious about the evening ahead and the males were already looking towards the raven and the blonde seated alone together.

A day had passed but it wasn’t enough to settle him down. It was as though he were a bull with red on its mind. But tonight was a new night. It was time to blow off more steam and try to forget about that fucking girl. Stephen wanted to make her pay for the pain he was feeling. Tonight he planned to take out his frustrations on some hapless girl at the club. Abuse would’ve been a kind word to use for the plans he had.

There were so many images that he wanted burned from his mind. Abbey was his, damn it. What was she doing with a complete stranger? Everything about it was infuriating, and sickening. After getting out of the shower he jumped into his jeans and dress shirt. Still in a fuck it kind of mood he didn’t even bother looking in the mirror.

The girl was still in his mind. He didn’t want to admit it but he still cared about her. It was why he always got so jealous. It was why he watched over her every move like a hawk ready to swoop on its prey. But tonight he was going to try to target something else. Not that it would work but he’d definitely try.

Driving downtown in near silence except for the hum of the car’s engine gave him plenty of time to reflect on what he’d been told. Out of frustration he turned on the radio but even that didn’t provide any solace. He knew then just as he had known before that time never healed all wounds; time left visible scars. Stephen felt that ugliness and hated it as though Dorian Gray’s portrait had found a permanent home inside his battered, beaten heart.

Before he knew it, Stephen was inside the club. It looked different than most places maybe that’s why it was so crowded. If he couldn’t find a girl to take home in this place then he deserved to go home alone. To the bar was the first place he went. Ordering up a few shots and a beer, the latter was just to keep the bartenders away, he downed the shots, chasing them with the beer. Liquored up, horny as hell and wanting revenge; a molotov cocktail was less explosive.

Barely able to tear himself away from the temptations of the bar he turned to the crowd. Some time passed between that look and seeing Abby find her seat down the line. She was here. She actually came out. At least she wasn’t with a guy, that fucker. Getting a few more shots into his stomach he stood from his stool and pressed by the people crowding the bar like lemmings on the edge of a cliff.

Pushing forward, Stephen didn’t let the crowd stop him. He’d been trying to get her out of his mind and she had the audacity to show up at the same place he was. And at the same time. It was a reaction. He had to confront her.

When he was near enough to be heard he didn’t bother greeting either Abbey or her friend. All he did was speak, “Abbey.”

“So bumped heads with you huh?” Nat grinned at her while John fetched their cocktails.

Abbey rolled her eyes at her best friend, “Yeah, it was really pitiful. I mean I felt sorry for the guy but worse for my nearly broken nose and bumped forehead.” She pointed firmly with her thumb at her head and Natasha broke into peels of laughter, making Abbey shove her in the ribs hard.

“Ow! Ow! I-.” Nat never did get to finish that sentence.

“Abbey.” A voice from within the crowd called, causing both girls to look over.

Abbey swallowed as the crowd parted enough and she knew instantly who it was, “Stephen…” She breathed out and clutched her purse.

Nat didn’t think twice about it, she grabbed Abbey by the arm with a scowl and moved off to their right; onto the dance floor. Abbey wrapped her long strung purse over one shoulder and under the other arm to be certain she wouldn’t lose it as Natasha spun her around the floor. Abbey’s eyes looked around wildly as though she hadn’t been sure it was really him.

“Don’t even think about it Abbey!” Nat yelled at her over the din of the music, “He’s not ruining your night like this!”

Abbey nodded mutely and still her eyes tore the club apart wildly, Nat released her hand as John waved at her from the bar, “I’ll be just a minute Abb, just gonna see what John wants! You gonna be okay?!” Nat shouted.

Abbey nodded again, the dark lights making it difficult for Nat to discern her expression so she shouted in return, “I’ll be fine! Go see John!”

Natasha paused uncertainly and Abbey groaned, yelling at her, “You’re not my keeper or my babysitter Nat! I’m good! Go see to your man!”

Finally Nat seemed to get it and walked off towards John, leaving Abbey to twirl on the dance floor alone. Her eyes scanned the room over and over, she turned circles until she thought she’d be sick but still nothing, he never showed. Abbey soon found the lyrics of the song both hot and comforting, she swayed to the music in a less than scrupulous manner while she sung the song to herself.

“Now you’ve gone somewhere else far away. I don’t know if I will find you…find you…gotta find you…” She spun again, still searching for him, “But you feel my breath on your neck…” She slammed back into a hard body and gasped as it winded her, her face flushed red in embarrassment as she turned around quickly to apologize.

“…can’t believe I’m right behind you…” She murmured as she found herself face to face with Stephen, “…I….Stephen…what are you?….here…” Abbey stumbled over her words uncertainly, looking up at his face as she was still a little shorter than him even in her four inch heels which gave her an admirable height of about 5’11”.

Stephen thought he lost her somewhere in the distance. Between the beat and the rhythmic hum that kept the party bouncing. But she reappeared suddenly and quickly when he least expected it. At his back, all alone... if only she had a knife it would’ve mirrored reality. By now he was more than bitter. He was pissed off.

Stephen had no friends for moral support. At least none that he could borrow a shoulder to cry on, not that he ever would. The only thing he saw, other than Abbey when she turned in a flash, was RageLustDesireLove. It was a whirlwind, a Shakespearian tempest of feelings between the emotions of love and hate. It was like a line in the sand; difficult to know exactly where to begin. But there he was, face to face with her listening to that shitty Maroon 5 tune she liked listening to. He excused her for being tone deaf but that was about it.

“Hey, Abbey,” he spoke softly but loud enough for her to hear, “You miss me? Or have you found somebody else to shack up with?” There was a glint in his eye, a telling something that let her know that he knew her little secret. Everything down to the bumping heads. She wouldn’t be able to escape it. He was only setting her up for failure. So he’d have an excuse to punish her later when he’d undoubtedly bring her back to the apartment. He was so confident of it now that he was face to face with the girl.

And then to make his point he added, “Or have you been a slut? Bumping heads with somebody else?” There was a shift in his eyes or was it the lights? Either way they were still centered on her. He wasn’t about to give her up yet even if it had been months since they’d been officially together. But Officialy’s lines had been blurred for a long while.

His right eye squinted just a little then. A casualty of the usual as he reached a hand around her back, pulling her close. Before he knew it, his feet were moving, dancing with the girl he’d long thought gone. But she cheated on him. In a way. In a way he thought was cheating. And that was enough. That was enough for him to pull her closer and whisper in her ear, “You want to come back with me, don’t you?”

Then he laughed a little, noticeably as he looked down on her in the center of the dance floor, “Now that your friends are away, you can finally think with a clear mind. And when you think back on it, you know it’ll be a regret you’ll have for the rest of your life if you don't come back to me. And no matter what your friends say, you’ll know this to be the truth. Because, let’s face it, your friends don’t know what you really need. And what you need is a real man.”

Then he pulled her close, his hips meeting hers, grinding into hers into her Maroon 5 song. The one she had allegedly gotten lost into. His palm against the small of her back, gently pressing her against him. She'd be able to rebel if she wanted but he had a feeling... Stephen didn’t care. About the dance. About the other guy. About how she felt about anything. All he knew was that he had to have her back. At any cost.

“Hey, Abbey. You miss me? Or have you found somebody else to shack up with?”

She opened her mouth to answer but just couldn’t find the words to respond to him, she couldn’t find her voice, David had told him about her one night stand and her face flushed with a bright crimson colour at the realization.

“Or have you been a slut? Bumping heads with somebody else?”

Abbey dropped her head in embarrassment, disbelieving he’d not only called her a slut but that David had been so detailed in his account to Stephen. His hand was the reason she lifted her eyes again as he pulled her closer, pressing her up against him while her eyes searched his. She felt that familiarity, that insistent pull of his presence that made her want to simply melt in his arms, she still loved him after everything. He’d been the one to throw her away and break her heart, he’d been the one to drop the gavel on their whole relationship so why couldn’t she just break his hold and walk away?

“You want to come back with me, don’t you?”

His whisper sent a shiver up her spine but his little laugh chilled her to the bone, she wanted him, she wanted to go home with him but she had this dreaded feeling that she couldn’t trust him not to hurt her, not to break her heart all over again. He looked down at her and she almost held her breath as he start to speak again.

“Now that your friends are away, you can finally think with a clear mind. And when you think back on it, you know it’ll be a regret you’ll have for the rest of your life if you don't come back to me. And no matter what your friends say, you’ll know this to be the truth. Because, let’s face it, your friends don’t know what you really need. And what you need is a real man.”

He pulled her close again and his hips grinded against hers, she struggled to suppress a soft moan of need. She could pull away, he wasn’t holding her there with any real strength but Abbey couldn’t find her own strength to pull from his arms. She didn’t want to pull from him, she’d longed to be close to him for the past few months but she’d had no idea how much power she’d need to be the one to walk away. Now when it came right down to it, it was will power she lacked, the will to move from his arms; she wanted to stay there.

“Do you want me Stephen? You threw me out…you said…” Abbey choked on her words, unable to continue as tears began to well up in her eyes, she cleared her throat, “Don’t do this if you’re only going to…I can’t take it again…”

Stephen just didn’t care what the other people thought. Around the dancefloor or Abby’s little friends who never thought to approve of him. Who the fuck were they anyway? All that mattered was the way Abbey seemed to fall into his arms. It was just like old times. The girl felt as though she belonged where she was

He ignored the tears, ignored the cries she seemed to want to start. This wasn’t the place for them and he definitely wasn’t in the mood for them. Not with this music, with his going out attitude or with the feeling of retribution brewing within him. The world didn’t have enough within it to erupt him but Abbey somehow found just enough. No matter their past, he needed her.

Instead of answering her, Stephen ignored what she had to say, opting to lean into her close, fulfilling that loss they both must’ve felt for so long. “If I didn’t want you would I have my arms around you right now? If I didn’t want you would I have spent the last few nights looking for you?”

At that he let her loose and he let his eyes roam over her body, “You have to make your decision now because I don’t want you see you without me again. You can either follow me or you can stand in the middle of this dancefloor completely alone except for your friends who are who-knows-where. If they even decided to tell you where they were. Or have they run from you? Leaving you alone? I’ll be outside. I’ll give you ten minutes.”

With that Stephen left her there in the middle of dancefloor without his arms around her, without his body close to her, without his heat warming her body. It was that easy for him, or so he made it seem. It was a rough thing to do but he wasn’t going to allow her to see an ounce of his weakness. For her, he didn’t have any. He’d take it out on the girl instead; fuck feelings. And with his hand in his pocket he was ready to go.

“If I didn’t want you would I have my arms around you right now? If I didn’t want you would I have spent the last few nights looking for you?”

He leaned in so close to say it to her that she could almost feel his breath against her cheek when he spoke. She couldn’t argue, what he said made sense in her somewhat fuzzy mind in that moment and he released her, his eyes wandering over her lithe form just like he was some stranger checking her out. Abbey felt a swell of pride in that, her cheeks flushed red but she was proud that he still found her so attractive.

“You have to make your decision now because I don’t want you see you without me again. You can either follow me or you can stand in the middle of this dance floor completely alone except for your friends who are who-knows-where. If they even decided to tell you where they were. Or have they run from you? Leaving you alone? I’ll be outside. I’ll give you ten minutes.”

He didn’t even wait for her to reply and Abbey was more than taken aback by his demand of her. She felt utterly hopeless and lost, standing alone on the dance floor while she watched Stephen’s back until he disappeared in the crowd and presumably headed outside. Couldn’t he see how she yearned for him and his arms? Couldn’t he understand how much she loved him and so desperately wanted him by her side?

She thought of walking over to Natasha at the bar but she knew her friend would only try and talk her out of what she was about to do so she took her cell phone out and punched in a fast text message as she walked towards the door - hey girl, going home, not feeling like clubbing since I saw him. Don’t worry about me, have a good time xx.

She snapped her phone shut and exited the club, knowing Nat would be calling her any minute to try and find her and quite possibly convince her to stay. Abbey found Stephen fast and tugged his sleeve to get his attention.

“I don’t wanna be without you either…so…take me with you?” She swallowed down tears she felt and looked at his face, trying to gauge his thoughts as she waited and hoped he’d meant everything he’d said to her.

Feeling the tug on his sleeve Stephen turned his head, looking at the girl. He heard her, the wanting tone in her voice and he knew it was going to be hard to let her go. There was still something in the air between them but he knew he’d have to take out his pain on her ass, that he’d have to make her pay for betraying him even if they weren’t really together. But it was going to be fun for him even if he already knew his anger would resurface.

“Come on,” he spoke down to her as he led her toward the parking garage just around the corner. There were no flights of stairs nor long walks as he came early and was able to find a free spot near the entrance. As he approached he slipped his hand into his pocket, shuffling with his keys until he was able to remotely unlock it.

“Get in,” he spoke, half turning to her while still heading toward the car. “I’ll take you home.” Those words seemed to bounce around the concrete walls of the hollowed car garage. Their meeting tonight, his taking her home would equal nothing short of worlds in collision. Stephen would finally be able to take out all his frustrations on the girl who caused him to go down the road of self-destruction. But now that he had her, he’d right himself and he’d use her for leverage.

Slamming the car door shut he waited for her to get inside before he’d turn the engine on as the rock music inside the speakers came alive. With one last look at the face he’d only seen in memories and nightmarish flashes, he pulled out, turned on the car’s headlights, driving them out of the garage and to his place.

To say Stephen was short with her was an understatement, he almost seemed harassed to have to say anything at all to her and it flooded Abbey with all kinds of doubts but still; she followed him as she had before and would again. She almost hated herself for being so weak willed but living without Stephen was like having someone continuously smothering her with a pillow, she cried all the time for him, she missed him and all they’d had before. He’d become someone else overnight and Abbey wasn’t what he wanted all of a sudden. He’d thrown her away and now it was like he was pulling her back from the garbage can, dusting her off and replacing her on the shelf with regrets.

Abbey smiled at the thought.

They reached his car and she slid into the cab as he spoke, the music blasted as they drove out and Abbey had no choice but to be silent. He was taking her home, did that mean their home together? Or perhaps, her new little apartment? Did she care? Yes, she thought for awhile, she cared because while the destination didn’t seem to matter; if Stephen wasn’t there, if he left her again…she thought she’d crack into a million pieces.

When they finally pulled up, Abbey breathed newfound relief at the sight of her old home, his home, their home. She slipped out of the car and walked around to Stephen, she knew the house like the back of her hand but she didn’t want to be parted from him. When he finally got out of the car himself, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her lips to his in a surprising and sudden kiss.