LACY

With Uncle B, Aunt Coral and Macy
gone to work it left me alone in this small house. Being alone made the house seem so much bigger. I was undeniably bored.

Uncle B phoned during the course of the day to check up on me. Actually, I wasn't sure if he phoned to check up on me or if he phoned to check if his house hadn't been burnt down yet due to my pathetic cooking skills.

He wasn't too far from home anyway. He worked in a nearby precinct as a homicide detective. He had seen some pretty wicked stuff over the years of working as an officer of the law. The things people did never ceased to amaze me and for what? Petty things like money?

Okay! So money isn't so petty but I wouldn't kill for it. I had seen first hand what money could do to a person. My father's inflated ego was a good example of what money could do to a person. My father thought that there was no one in this world like him.

But there's always going to be someone in this world that is richer and wealthier than you and that doesn't matter. What matters is that you don't compromise your respect and dignity for a material thing like money.

As long as you are happy in the world then everything else shouldn't matter. Money doesn't guarantee happiness. It never did. So I couldn't, for the life of me, understand why so many people did stupid things just for money.

Through all this, uncle B still loved his job. He loved being able to make the streets a little bit safer for everyone and he might have developed a little obsession with firearms over the years because of this.

I was almost certain uncle B's basement was an arsenal and I wouldn't be surprised if he managed to even hide an entire tank under there.

Aunt Coral was a pediatrician on weekdays and a full-time gardener on weekends. Even though aunt Coral only had one child, which was Macy, she loved children and she loved working with them. She had the patience and love to work with them.

She could have easily become a teacher. Children would have looked up to her and learned so much from her. I know I have over the years. But no, she decided to become someone who told children that they couldn't eat sweets and prescribed them a diet of bland food. It explained why I couldn't find any chocolate in this house!

I'm already beginning to feel sorry for the little one before he or she even arrives. Poor guy will be stuck with next to tasteless food for a long time.

Macy worked as an intern in a publishing company. My father may have had a hand in organizing the job for her but she proved to herself and to everyone else that she deserved the job.

I decided to pass the time by jotting down some ideas for a book I had in mind. Around my own house, I didn't feel safe enough to do that. You see, my father wanted people to believe that he was a top-notch writer but in reality, he couldn't make it to even write one chapter of a book.

The two books my father supposedly wrote were actually written by me. He took full credit for my hard work but I stayed quiet because it was what made my father happy and all I wanted was his approval back then. When I finally stopped seeking his approval, I stopped doing things to suit him and started doing things to make me happy.

"Honey, I'm home," Macy's voice carried through the house.

"I'm in the guest room," I yelled.

I heard the sound of heavy footsteps coming up the staircase and then Macy appeared at the entrance of the room dressed in a white button-down shirt and a striking blue pencil skirt. Her hair in luscious curls that molded the shape of her face. She had the bare minimum of makeup on and she finished the look with the pair of Louboutin Red Bottoms that I had gifted her for her birthday.

"Classic," I said, nodding my head in approval.

She rolled her eyes as if I pointed out the most obvious thing ever, "I'm going to take a shower and freshen up. Give me half an hour!"

I nodded, shooing her off so that I could be in a state of peace and quiet once more.

After meeting Lucifer an idea for a book started to play in my head. A book between two individuals who had pure and selfish lust for one another. Kind of like what Lucifer and I have.

It intrigued me how two individuals could want and crave each other so intensely, so shamelessly. The simple gesture of his warm breath dancing on my skin made my heart pound in my chest a million times faster than it was meant to beat.

I wanted to write about how two individuals who desperately wanted each other but couldn't have each other because the girl was scared to be touched in ways no man had even tried or dared to touch her. She felt guilty because although she knew he wanted her, she couldn't give him herself. It's not like she didn't want him. God knew the way she craved his touch but she wasn't ready. And it would only feel right if she were ready.

Basically, I wanted to write my story because although some women might not relate to it but most women would for your body is a temple and therefore a women's body should be worshiped and not used and then discarded like some old, filthy rag.

The strange part was that I could still feel his touch on me as if he imprinted on me. When I closed my eyes I could picture the way his slender fingers grazed over my soft skin, leaving a trail of goosebumps behind. I felt a pleasurable shiver run down my spine every time he came near me. He knew the effect he had on me and he was unashamed of it.

I typed ferociously as I poured every drop of my feelings into a manuscript. I was unable to stop with all the ideas turning in my head. All I needed to do was sift through them, organize them and I would have a masterpiece. This was going to be my baby and I was genuinely happy and excited.

I could never find the words verbally to express myself, even as a kid. But a pen and page never failed me. I've always loved writing because the way I wrote and the way I spoke were two very different things. I was more confident on pen and paper or on a keyboard behind a laptop than speaking aloud in person.

I was nothing like Macy who was outspoken and courageous. She knew what she wanted and all hell would break loose if anyone got in her way. I looked up to Macy. She was everything I wasn't and in a way that even stirred some feelings of jealousy in me.

"Hey, what you doing?" Macy's voice broke me from my writing trance. She skipped over to me and stood directly behind the chair.

"It's nothing," I mumbled trying to close the laptop before she read anything.

It wasn't that I didn't trust her. Macy was my best critic. She never held back her criticism on something whether it was good or bad. She was blunt which made her good at her job. Basically, all she did was read manuscripts all day and criticized them. I wasn't ready for my piece of work to reach her chopping block just yet.

"See, I know when you're lying to me so you better open that laptop right this instant missy," Macy said sternly as she gestured for me to pick the laptop screen up.

My tongue darted out the corner of my mouth, allowing me to roll the corner of my bottom lip inside. I sunk my teeth softly into my lip in hesitation. I knew she wouldn't let this go. I knew she wouldn't let me leave this room until she saw what I was working on so I screwed my eyes shut and unveiled my masterpiece, awaiting her gut-wrenching remarks.

"His touch felt like fire melting away at the frozen ice that subdued my heart," she read a line and then hummed as she scrolled further down the screen, "Lust! That's what it was that clouded his cold, hard vision. His lustful eyes roamed my creamy skin as if it were liquid gold. He looked at me as if I were some kind of treasure that he couldn't wait to grip in the roughness of his palms."

I buried my face into the palms of my hands in embarrassment and shame. Her reading it aloud just made it worse. I didn't know whether it sounded good or bad but I wanted her to say something other than the silence she was now giving me.

"When you're done, send this to me," she simply remarked.

I peeked up from my hands, "That's it?"

"Would you like me to say more?" A smirk contoured her face.

I thought about it for a second. I knew it could either go two ways. One, I'd feel absolutely shattered and guttered because she would say that my work was nothing but a piece of shit, or two, I'd feel motivated and enthusiastic because she would say it's not half bad. Weighing my options I nodded for her to go on.

She chuckled and then hit me lightly over the head, "Silly! You know that you have a talent when it comes to this type of thing. It's good. Really good! If your work wasn't good then uncle J wouldn't have... " she paused, the smile dropped instantly from her face.

"I know, I know. Can we not bring that up," I urged.

"Sure, so what're the plans for the rest of the day?"

~~~

We stood in the long line that edged slowly forward. It was the afternoon rush and the coffee shop seemed to be busier than usual. My eyes roamed around the shop trying to catch even the slightest glimpse of Lucifer but he was nowhere to be found.

I didn't know whether he worked the morning shift or not but I was praying that the odds were in my favor and I would get to see him.

I didn't have any other way to get ahold of him besides coming here or going to his apartment. All that time we spent together and I didn't even get his number.

With a lot of begging and pleading Macy finally agreed to come here with me. It was her who asked me what the plans for the rest of the day were anyway. It didn't seem like she had anything better to do and she couldn't hide the fact that she wanted to see Lucifer just as badly as I did.

That was the effect he had on every and any girl that set eyes on him so I couldn't blame her or hold it against her. But that didn't stop her from complaining the entire time we stood in the python of a line.

We had to stand in line because we weren't allowed to be seated without a sit-down order. It was Malik's way of making sure all customers had a pleasant experience at his coffee shop. It was a good rule especially when it hit peak hours but it didn't benefit me right now.

"This is going to take forever. You owe me a solid for this," Macy groaned like a disgruntled child, "Actually you owe me like ten solids for this."

"Stop abusing the power of the solids, Mace, and don't you dare act like you aren't as eager as I am."

"I don't understand why you didn't get his number. What is wrong with you? Have I taught you nothing, woman?" Macy said theatrically as she gripped my shoulders and shook me?

"Coming from someone who never quite had a boyfriend before!"

"I can explain that," she began as we inched closer to the counter, "Men just think I'm overpowering and controlling due to my..."

"Due to your?" I asked when she paused.

Her eyes widened and her mouth hung low. She seemed to be doing this face a lot lately. I waved my hand in front of her eyes to which she gripped my chin in her hand and turned my face in the direction her vision had been fixated on.

"What the hell is this dickless fool doing here?" I mumbled under my breath.

"I don't know but we're going to stick around to find out," Macy said as embers of mischievousness sparked in her eyes. The corner of her lips curled up into a smirk and she crossed her arms against her chest.

"No that's a recipe for disaster! We're just going to avoid and ignore Brian's presence!" I harshly warned pulling her to the counter.

The barista took one look at me and then smiled before turning on his heel and leaving. He returned with a latte in his hands which he handed to me before saying, "On the house," he then nodded to someone who stood at the far corner of the shop near a vacant table.

I left Macy to complete her order as I strode over to the vacant table. I didn't want to seem too eager so I took my time walking over to him.

He stood there arms crossed which showed off his toned, muscular biceps. A seductive smirk played on his freshly shaven face. His skin looked delicate without the stubble. The pupils of his eyes dilated to the extent where you couldn't see the bottle green of his eyes. His hair had been tied away from his face in a neat little man bun.

"Like what you see?" he smugly asked.

I shook my head as I sipped my latte, "It's missing something."

He quirked an eyebrow at me out of interest, "Me? Missing something?"

"Yeah, baby face," I teased as I took a seat.

He let out a deep laugh that rumbled in his chest, "I think I preferred the other name."

I rolled my eyes at him and he walked away grinning as if he were a kid who just got locked into a candy shop. He removed a pen and notepad from his apron and he jotted down something before walking back in my direction. He walked past me and then stood behind the chair I was seated on. I could feel his presence and it sent chills throughout my body.

He bent down just enough so that his lips just grazed the corner of my ear. My blood began to boil and I could feel my cheeks turn an unacceptable shade of red. His hot breath awakened my skin and smelt peachy, heavenly.

He slapped down the piece of paper that he wrote on in front of me, "I heard something about you not having my number."

My eyes widened as realization hit me. He probably heard every word of the conversation Macy and I had. I read through what was written on the page. It was his full name with the name I gave him in brackets. Underneath the name had his phone number. His cursive handwriting was pleasantly neat and was just as attractive as him.

I couldn't help the smile that seemed to take over my face. If I wasn't confined in this crowded coffee shop I would have screamed out of pure joy and excitement. I would have sung, skipped, danced and all the other stuff people tend to do out of overwhelming happiness.

I could practically hear the cocky smirk that displayed itself on Lucifer's face. He dipped his head into the crook of my neck and placed a kiss gently as he whispered sweetly in a deep, raspy voice, "You look gorgeous when you blush."

"Firstly, all of this," Macy said gesturing between Lucifer and me, "is PG 21, and ain't nobody want to see you undressing her with your eyes in public."

Lucifer pulled away shamelessly, stifling down a laugh at Macy's reaction. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat and then cleared my throat, shooting Macy a 'shut your damn mouth' glare.

She proceeded to talk either way as she extended her hand forward to Lucifer, "I'm Macy Smith, her cousin."

"Lacy and Macy?" was all Lucifer said as his eyebrows knitted together.

"Yeah! We have rhyming names. Get over it! What's your name?"

"Dylan Reed," he simply replied, shaking her hand for a complete second before pulling away and offering her a tight smile.

The moment Lucifer turned to walk away Macy gushed with excitement. She asked a mountain of questions that she never really allowed me to answer. The sound of her voice faded away as the events that took place only minutes ago flooded my mind.

My fingers traced circles on my neck around the spot his lips made contact with. His voice was compelling and dripped with desire. A simple compliment from him left me all flustered but I wanted more.

When I was around him, I always wanted more and I didn't understand it. I didn't understand how he managed to draw me in and that too without even trying. He kept me hooked. I didn't want anything else except for him.

I took out my phone and immediately added his number. At first, I saved it as Dylan. Then I edited it to his full name, Dylan Reed. I still wasn't happy with what I saved his name as. I was always the type of person who would save people's numbers with their actual names. That included my parents. But strangely, even though I did like his name, I felt the urge to save his number as Lucifer. It was probably because I made that his name but it felt right.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?"

"Sweet baby Jesus, I forgot this assless asshole was here!" Macy said loud enough for Brian to hear.

I could feel Brian's eyes on me. His stare felt as if it could burn a hole into my head. I remember seeing him here when Macy and I were still in line. I thought he would have left by now. I guess I was wrong.

It was almost as if Brian was brought into this world to give me a little taste of what hell would feel like. If he was a little taste then I really don't want to know what the whole enchilada felt like.

"Lacy, I heard you moved out of the house," Brian obnoxiously said.

"Yeah, and what's it to you?" I asked standing to my feet.

"Oh sweetheart," he cooed as he tucked my hair behind my ear, "You're all bark but no bite."

He closed the gap between us, his lips not too far from mine. I shut my eyes and felt my body shudder at his touch. He petrified me. I had a mouth but that was all I ever had when it came to him. I couldn't defend myself and that made me weak. I didn't want to be weak.

"Get away from her Brian," I heard Macy growl.

He laughed diabolically as he turned to face her, "Settle down, little rat. I wouldn't want to hurt you."

It was Macy's turn to laugh as I stood in awe at how Macy stood up for me, stood up to him. Their exchange catching everyone's attention.

"Brian, let me give you a piece of advice. Walk out that door before your ass gets beat up by a girl because by the looks of your face, not even plastic surgery could help your kind of ugly. Don't urge me to make it worse."

Brian clenched his fists to the point where all the color drained out from them, "Why don't you shut that mouth of yours you little twig."

Macy didn't bother with a demolishing reply this time. She stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder. She patted his shoulder lightly as if to mock him before placing a hand on the other shoulder. She whispered something in his ear that I didn't catch before I saw her knee lifting and connecting to where the most sensitive part of his body laid. She then grabbed and twisted his arm backward as she grabbed his hair and shoved his face Into the table.

"Look, your shit is growing real old," she pulled his hair which forced him to raise his head before she sent it slamming right back down onto the table, "How many times do you plan on getting an ass whipping for you to stay away from her. I mean now you even got your ass beat by a girl."

By this time the whole coffee shop had gathered around us, phones in hand, videoing the scene in front of us.

"She came here to see Dylan and she was happy until your ugly face decided to come at us with all your negativity," Macy said as she twisted his arm further behind his back, causing him to let out an ear-splitting scream from the pain that pierced through his body, "Look you've even gone ahead and spilled my latte and I paid good money for that. Unlike you, some of us work for our money."

Lucifer appeared at my side, holding a tray in his hands. He looked down at me with a massive grin plastered on his face. He seemed to be enjoying this along with everyone else who surrounded us.

Macy yanked at Brian's hair and he cried out in pain, "Oh shush, you're such a baby. You go anywhere near my cousin again and not even God himself will be able to save you from the amount of pain I would inflict on you. Do I make myself clear?" Macy fumed.

He didn't respond which just increased the intensity of Macy's anger, "Do I make myself clear?"

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