Trembling With the Strings

"I Love You" Is In The Script

“Goddamn it, Gracie!” Darius hissed, rolling off of me.

“I’m sorry,” I mumbled, not sorry at all.

“You tell me I finally get to fuck you, but then you decide you don’t want to! Just how the hell is that fair?”

I rolled my eyes, turning on my side so I didn’t have to look at him.

“Why don’t I just go finish things with Marcus? Will that change your mind?” He was grinning cruelly, but I could safely bet that he wasn’t in the mood to spend his time with my defiant brother.

“Darius, please,” I begged, turning to face him. He pulled me to him, kissing my neck.

“Why won’t you just give me this one thing? It’s all I’m asking of you, but you’re being a selfish little bitch,” he told me, kissing me roughly.

“I’m sorry, but I am a virgin,” I murmured, biting my lip as he nipped at my neck, placing his hands firmly on my hips and crushing them to his.

“Well I haven’t been since I was seven! Besides, you’d have fun,” he purred in my ear, seduction in his voice.

I made a face at him, trying to shove him away from me. He growled, but pulled his shirt back on begrudgingly before falling back onto the bed, hissing profanity under his breath. I chose to ignore his unflattering comments.

“I suppose you want me to apologize to the runt?” Darius mumbled, slinging his arm casually around me, pulling me close again. I rested my head on his chest, nodding slightly.

“I need to apologize, too. I don’t want him to hate me. We’re all we’ve got, Darius,” I whispered, kissing his cheek. He sighed, nudging me off of him so he could stand. I stood up beside him, and he seized my hand roughly, pulling me out the door.

“Oh, look, Gracie doesn’t have sex hair. I suppose Darius isn’t as good as he thinks, huh?” Marcus was standing right outside the door, a disgusted look on his face.

“We didn’t do anything, brat,” Darius growled. He glanced to me and smirked. “Trust me, she would have been screaming my name if we had. You would’ve definitely heard a lot more than just her panting.”

“You’re a filthy, disgusting bastard!” Marcus screamed, his hands forming shaky fists at his sides. I bit my lip, freeing my hand from Darius’ ever-tightening grip to run to Marcus.

“Marc, sweetie, I love you, okay?” I whispered, embracing him tightly. He struggled, cursing at me and demanding that I let him go, but I ignored it. “Baby, I told you that I won’t let anything tear us apart. Why won’t you believe me?” I was hurt, yes, but I managed to not cry. “Please, trust me.”

“Gracie...” Marcus took in a shaky breath. “I don’t like him. I just have this feeling, you know? He’s going to ruin everything,” he whispered, not taking his eyes off of Darius.

“Dray is just complicated. He’s not going to ruin a thing, okay? I love him.”

Oh, God. That had taken so much composure to say without crying. I hated that awful man, but he was the only one standing between me and my brothers. He had said he loved me to stay on Demetrius’ good side, so why couldn’t I do the same for Marcus?

“I don’t believe that one bit,” he told me, shaking his head. “Why are you staying with him? He doesn’t respect you and treats you like a doormat!”

“I’m only thinking of us,” I murmured, kissing his forehead. “Please stop fighting with him. I don’t want you getting hurt.”

“You mean like he does to you?”

I let go of him, not able to take this anymore.

“Marc,” I murmured, shaking my head. “He loves me. He has a temper, but he doesn’t do anything that isn’t called for. Please just go keep Johnny company. Maybe you could go find Marcy, apologize, and see if she’ll let you ride some horses.”

I pushed him to the stairs before going back to Darius. He pulled me to him suddenly and pinned me to the wall, kissing me roughly. I twisted my hand in his hair, aware of my brother’s eyes on us.

“Gracie, I need you. I’ll be gentle. Please,” he muttered in my ear, crushing his hips to mine and sneaking his hands under my shirt and pulling it off. “I love you, baby.”

“I love you, too,” I mumbled, praying that Marcus would just leave.

He didn’t, and soon enough I caved, letting Dray shove me back into the bedroom.

But sex isn’t so fun when you’re trying not to cry from pain. If that was his gentle, I hated to see what he was usually like in bed! But, as long as my little Marcus thought Darius loved me, it was entirely worth the tears.