Sapphire

I was playing Betty Homemaker to Blaze and he was relishing every minute of it.

It was a few weeks after the fight at the stadium and he had me home every night right after work. If we went to Atlas, we went together. If we went to Avery, we went together. If we went to a party, we obviously went together.

I needed a new phone so he got me one. If I was running late from work or class, he was texting me to see where I was at. I found it annoying at first, but then I started doing it because I kept picturing him going to Atlas and murdering Tyler just because he couldn't find me for half a second.

We seemed to be the perfect couple, albeit a little too possessive and obsessed with the other. Lauren and some people I knew thought it was just "new, young love." I would just laugh and nod in agreement.

Even Star thought everything was great. She enjoyed having me around more, or at least that's what she'd said. I died a little when she told it was like having a real sister around.

Carla was the same way. We'd head over to her place for dinner or games and she would come over to ours for the same thing. Hell, we even started going to the mall together without Blaze. It was nice having a loving, mother figure around, though.

My sisters would joke and ask when the wedding was or if he'd asked me to prom. My girlfriends couldn't find out any real reason he'd be with me except for the fact that he "liked" me. Melissa tried to hone in Greg with her female prowess, but her words rang in my ears:

"Bros before hoes," Was all she could think of. If he was truly filling a quota, there was no evidence of it, but then some people believed he'd never be with a girl from Atlas unless he was up to something.

Me? Well, they thought I was just love struck.

I'd cook dinner for him, he'd bring me breakfast in bed. If we had an argument, it was usually something trivial and if it was a blowout, we'd have makeup sex. Epic makeup sex. Like, by the time the end of December was upon us, we'd gone through mostly everything in that bag.

He bought the kids Christmas presents and was tickled when I bought him a bunch of paints and art supplies, setting up the vacant guest room as an art studio. I thought he was going to be mad at first because he showed no emotion, but his eyes twinkled when he kissed me, thanking me profusely for not only spending the money that he says I didn't have, but taking the time to set it up.

With that, he'd bought me an antique typewriter to go with the desk and a brand new camera. I don't know what the hell was happening, but this was exactly what I'd set out to accomplish.

He was getting closer to the kids and that kind of alarmed me. My father was even civil with him during a dinner Opal had. He'd been sober for it which shocked the hell out of me.

I didn't want the kids disappointed again when "Mr. Blaze" was out of the picture. The way he was with them told me that his future kids were going to have a great dad. Even Star was impressed.

"He's so afraid to become our dad,"she'd told me, which I already knew.

I was afraid to lose Star after this, too. What would she think of me? It didn't matter. I'd be long gone forever anyway.

At this point, Blaze wasn't just taking me to his friend's houses or Avery parties every other night, but he was going over to my friend's houses and Atlas parties with me. I know he was looking for Tyler on many of those occasions and it was possible to run into him, but we never did.

Anything he wanted to do, I did it. I wasn't going to lose this game or myself in the process.

We were even having game night and brunches with Evelyn and Peter. They were tickled to have a nice, young couple living in the complex. Blaze and Peter talked cars and Evelyn showed me how to make pies.

I felt too good around him, though, and that made me uncomfortable after a while. I didn't want to be away from him for more than a few hours and that wasn't like me.

My friends lectured me, though. They said I was getting too caught up in whatever it was we had and not focusing on my mission. I told them they worried too much about it. It was a slow process. I couldn't make him fall hard for me over night. I had to build that up while playing the damsel in distress. It wasn't easy.

Blaze

She was driving me crazy.

Not crazy in the bad way, either. No, sir. Everything she did was turning me on. It wasn't even just the sex, which was amazing, but the little things that she'd do or things she would say to me. She catered to me like I meant something to her, like I was the only man in the world.

We went to a party on New Year's Eve and someone mentioned that whoever you kiss at midnight is who you'll be with for the rest of the year. I didn't even hesitate to smash my lips into hers the minute the countdown was over. She looked at me curiously and I just shrugged. I didn't believe in that shit or other superstitions and I wasn't about to let my girl go without a kiss on New Year's.

We went everywhere together now and I was proud to show her off to my friends and coworkers. Hanging out with her family was nice. I was going to miss those kids, though. I was going to get into so much trouble with Star and my mom. They loved Sapphire so much.

My father was still rejecting us, but he'd ask about her which floored the shit out of me. I'd tell him we were OK and he'd leave it at that.

Hell, she'd be long gone by fall anyway. I was starting to realize that I cared a lot more about her than I thought I did.

The little things that she'd do to make me feel good or the stuff she'd say made me feel special. With any of my other girlfriends, we either had to be talking about stupid shit, fucking or partying and I could sit with Sapphire in silence feeling nothing but bliss.

I'd started remembering so many things we did together as kids and how she was, at one time, my best friend. Being uprooted from Atlas was a godsend because that place is dangerous, but it also meant leaving her behind.

I remember the day we left and she hugged me for the longest time, but I told her I'd see her soon. This was before I realized it was going to be a few years before we saw each other again and I was assimilated into Avery quite well. I ignored her when she transferred to Avery High and that's when she started hating me. The first day she found me with the guys, I laughed in her face telling her I didn't hangout with people from Atlas. She was devastated, but I didn't care. Greg and the boys teased me relentlessly after they realized that Sapphire Soper was an old friend of mine.

She held her head high, though. After that, she remained cordial with me, but didn't talk unless we had class together and did something in a group, we ignored each other at parties and during pep rallies or assemblies, but I kept on wanting to look at her.

I'd never tell the guys that the last four years all I did was watch her grow into this beautiful woman. They'd joke about how she was really hot underneath all the layers, but I was already seeing it. My pride wouldn't allow me to be friends with her. I just couldn't.

Now, here I was. Her fake boyfriend, leading her on for the last few months.

The guys thought I was losing. Greg thought I was losing more than the bet. He thought I was falling for her. At one point, he took me off to the side at one of his parties and talked to me.

"Hey, what's going on with you and Spooks, man?"

I chugged my beer, "What do you mean?"

"You know damn well what I mean,"he laughed that sly laugh he had when he thought he knew everything, "She's got you whipped in more ways than one, bro."

I shook my head, "I'm winning and you can't handle it."

Greg sighed, "Is that what your heart's telling you?"

"What the fuck? Are you my therapist?"I crushed the can, "I'm not falling for anyone, Greg. You're just mad about losing all that money."

"I'm just making sure my boy ain't letting himself fall in love,"he told me, "You got plenty of time for that shit, man."

"Is this about Melissa?" I countered him. I could tell he was clawing at the chance to get with her, but that wouldn't go well if she ever found out what I was doing with her best friend.

Greg let it go after that. It wasn't like him to talk to me about filling my quotas for the year. He'd just watch from the sidelines and enjoy the entertainment. Never had there been a bet though. This had one-upped everything.

My previous challenges had taken less time, though. I always gave myself a good amount of time to break them in just in case I needed it. To be honest, I'd had far less drama with the others and it was quite boring. Noelle didn't even know I was seeing another girl on the side before I broke up with both of them. I simply didn't care.

However, now I did. I'd made an actual promise to Spooks that there weren't going to be others and I might be a dick, but I kept my promises.

It irked the hell out of me when she was filling out college applications. I had to go for a walk down to the river while she did it. I don't know why. Maybe it was because I'd had a rough day and she wasn't up my ass the way the other girls were. Or maybe it was because she was way too excited to tell me that she'd submitted to so many to colleges a million miles away. I just thought she'd want something closer to her family, that's all.

That was all....

Sapphire

I think I'd made a breakthrough when Blaze left the townhouse that afternoon.

He wasn't too happy that I was filling out applications for college. I told him that when we got involved I was going to school, but he didn't want to talk to me anymore so he left. I tried to get him to stay, but I didn't try too hard. If he needed a break, he needed a break.

When he came back, I was writing and he went straight to his "studio." I was glad he loved it and was getting excellent use out of it, but it was one of our arguments that I hated. He'd play his music loud and then I couldn't concentrate. I told him to use headphones and then he'd tell me to get sound blocking headphones so I left. I left without telling him.

I didn't get too far before he was calling me, but I couldn't answer. Then I didn't get very far when my fucking car broke down.

So there I sat on the side of the road, being the damsel in distress knowing damn well that I could handle it, but I called him and he came right away.

"I called a tow truck and they're going to take it to Eddie's,"he told me as we sat in the Impala waiting for the tow truck to arrive.

"Why did you leave?"he asked, glaring at me.

"I don't want to fight,"I told him, "So I was going to the library to work."

"You couldn't tell me?"I'd pissed him off, but him being pissed off wouldn't last long, especially when we showed up at Eddie's.

Oh, Kenny...

"Miss Soper!"Kenny smiled at me when I walked in to the lobby, "I saw your car go 'round to the garage, yeah?"

"Yeah, it's on it's last leg, I think,"I told him, as Blaze talked to the mechanics.

"How are you doing these days? Getting ready for graduation?"His smile could melt ice, but it wasn't like Blaze's smile. His smile warmed me in more ways than one.

"Yeah, it's coming up soon,"I leaned up against the counter as Kenny leaned forward. Our faces were close now and I didn't even realize how that could have looked to anyone walking in. I didn't have long to find out.

"Blaze!"Kenny lurched back, "How goes it, my man?!"

Blaze wrapped his arm around my waist so tightly, I thought he was trying to squeeze the life out of me. I glared at him and he reciprocated, pulling me away from the desk.

"It goes, bro,"he continued to talk with Kenny while holding me. I didn't know whether or not I was offended or oddly turned on by his aggression. I must have been out of my mind. However, I played it like a professional.

"Baby, what's going on with the car?"I batted my eyelashes at him and I knew that biting my bottom lip (which I never did knowingly before) turned him on so I did it.

He melted right into my hands.

His hands still held me close, but he'd loosened his grip and softened his gaze, "I think it's going to cost a pretty penny to get it fix, sweetheart."

"How long do we wait here?" I asked, like I didn't know we could just leave.

"Wanna go to lunch?"He winked at me and I knew where we were going.

Luigi's.

Blaze

Of course we sat in the same booth.

I watched her blush as the waiter escorted us to the table. It was cute to see her like that since we'd done much MUCH more than what we'd ever thought we'd do since that day in the booth. I mean, I'd had her tied up the other day....

It was so different now. We got some grub and talked. I apologized for my behavior at the townhouse. She apologized for not telling me she was leaving.

"I know I promised you that I would let you know when I was going out and where I was going and I didn't,"she spoke softly to me.

I shrugged, "I was being a jackass."

I don't know why I kept watching her eat. She just wasn't like all the other girls. I don't think she looked at her phone once and when I talked she looked me in the eyes. She was interested in me.

We had to have sat there for quite some time because our server kept ogling me.

"Why did you get upset about me applying for college?"she asked me, suddenly.

I wasn't prepared. Because I'll miss you. Because you make me feel. Because I like the way your body wraps around me when we're fucking and I won't get that once you're gone. Because you make me laugh. Because you believe in me. Because how am I supposed to protect you from the Tylers of the world when you're a world away?

"I think those kids will miss you a lot," It's what I said.

She lowered her gaze, "I will miss them, too." She looked at me as if waiting for me to say something else, but I didn't. I didn't say a word. So she let it go and continued eating.

I had her. I knew I had her.

Sapphire

Returning to Eddie's, we found out that the car wasn't even worth saving. I knew my face fell and I couldn't even contain the heavy sigh that escaped me.

"Guess we're getting a new car?"He looked down at me, smiling.

"You won't let me drive anywhere as it is,"I half-joked.

"You need a car,"he stated, "Call Opal and tell her what's going on. She's already got the van and Emerald has her own car. You need this, Sapphire."

"I can't pay you for all of this, Blaze,"I told him, stepping out of ear shot of all of the workers and Kenny, "You know that."

"You know how to repay me,"he winked.

I knew what that meant and I was OK with it, of course, but how much money did he really have to throw around?

"I don't ever want you to worry about any of this, Sapphire." he held my shoulders and looked at me, sternly like I was a little girl being reprimanded, "I have the money. This doesn't bother me. When you get the car you like, it's yours, signed over to you forever. Take it to college with you when you leave."

His voice choked at the last sentence and he turned away quickly, walking back to the mechanics and chatting a bit longer. He paid them for the services and, because they also ran a junkyard, bought my car from me for parts.

"Make the check out to her,"I heard him tell Kenny.

"Blaze...."

"Do you need anything out of it?"He asked me.

I got the text from Opal with a thumbs up. She was falling all over herself that I was with Blaze Baxter so anything he did was pure gold.

I checked the car and found nothing of value in it, not even loose change.

"It's only worth a couple grand, but the transmission is shot and it's an old car,"he said to me, "It's actually not even worth that, but I got you." Which told me his connections got me paid.

I smiled. Another perk.

"What type of cars do you like?"He asked me as we said our goodbyes to Eddie and the gang. Kenny lingered close to me for a couple of minutes as if he wanted to say something, but Blaze was already ushering me away to the Impala.

"I like your car,"I said, slyly when he opened the door for me.

"Baby, I'd do anything for you, but you ain't getting this ole gal,"he leaned in and kissed me. I noticed he did it in front of Kenny who then turned and walked away, shaking his head. I knew Blaze had talked to him about me because I overheard him say my name when they were in the backroom.

I knew I had him and I was going to savor every moment I had left with Blaze Baxter.