And Then There Were Four by Lilith Carrie

After a long week of taking care of things on campus, party night came, and I was more than ready for it. All week the guys had been avoiding me like the plague, and James wouldn’t even look me in the eye. As much as I tried not to let any of it bother me, I couldn’t deny that it did.

Pulling my shopping bag from the trunk, I walked out the back door to the garage and headed for my place. I knew that Kate said I could get ready over at her place, but as great as that sounded, I preferred the comfort of my own home to get ready.

Walking down the cobbled pathway, I stopped in my tracks when I watched James appear against the treeline. Black basketball shorts hanging loosely against his hips and the mouth watering cut of his V-line on clear display.

“James…” I called out softly, hoping that he would come say something to me. But as much as I wished that he didn’t. A hurt and confused look crossed his face, and it broke me a bit when I watched him turn and disappear into the brush and out of sight.

Of course this would be how my life was turning out. Rolling my eyes, a sigh left me as I moved forward and disappeared behind the safety of my front door. With the turn of a lock, I flipped on my speakers and plugged in my phone, turning on my playlist.

The loud music coming from the dock screamed sex, alcohol, and drugs. I didn’t care anymore about what they were going to say, and as quickly as I had been clothed, I was naked. Stepping within the hot cascading water of my shower, I let it burn away any feeling of their touch.

Tonight was going to be different. I had come her and everything turned disastrous right off the bat. I couldn’t allow myself to fall into a rut where I was too worried about a guy, and not worried enough about the future I wanted to have. I had to focus on me, and me alone. Because only I was able to make my future happen.

Like a horrid eighties ballad, I belted out the lyrics to every song that came on while I cried my eyes out with the frustration I had felt. By the time the water ran cold, I was feeling better about myself and a little more confident then I had been before.

The only problem was making sure that that confidence stuck while I continued here the next four years. And if I was lucky, maybe only two, and then I could seek a fellowship while working on campus for my last two years of grad school. Wouldn’t that p i s s them off?

Pulling out all the stops, I dressed myself to impress, applying make up and curling my hair until the look I saw in the mirror was of a woman on a mission. One that was going to turn heads with every step she made. As I grabbed my purse, I pulled out my car keys and made my way out the door towards fun.

The black dress I chose at a local boutique hugged my curves in all the right places, and to really highlight the dress, I picked out a pair of red heels as deep as blood and matched them with the perfect shade of lipstick. If seduction and evil had a baby, I would picture it looking like me.

Stepping onto the path, I head towards the back door to the garage only to be stopped by my father. “Ivy?” His voice making me feel like a teenager who was sneaking out.

“Yes, daddy?” I said putting on a fake good girl smile and looking at him innocently.

“Uh– where are you going and dressed like that?” He asked, his eyes looking me up and down in shock.

“Oh–” I said with hesitation, looking at my outfit, “well my new friends Kate, Bree, and Mandy are all going to the welcoming party tonight. I don’t plan on drinking but I figured I would go hang out and bond with my new friends. Do I look okay?”

He hesitated, opening and closing his mouth, “mhmm” he replied nodding his head. “You look lovely sweetheart, but if you do drink, please don’t drive. Call me and I will come get you.”

“Of course. I won’t be to late.” I smiled sweetly at him, and watched as he walked back into the house. A smirk crossed my face, and as I stepped into the garage, I watched a figure come through the door from the kitchen.

“Ivy—” Hale said, looking me up and down, a lust filled gaze in his eyes as they darkened over. “Whoa– where are you going?”

A chuckle left my lips as I raised a brow, “out, Hale.”

“Where out?” He asked again as his brows furrowed, obviously not happy with my response.

“To a party Hale… what’s with the twenty questions?”

I didn’t have time for whatever games that Hale was wanting to play. All of them had avoided me since the incident with James, and I couldn’t stand that they were acting the way they did. They either wanted to know me or they didn’t, but the hot and cold h i t wasn’t going to go well with me.

“Are you purposely avoiding giving me a direct answer, Ivy. Damian isn’t going to be happy about this.”

Laughter erupted from me as I opened my car door, “does it look like I give a f u c k, Hale? Damian made it clear that I was nothing more than a w h o r e and I was to stay far from all of you. So listen to your brother like the good boy you are, and g o f u ck yourself.”

Shock was registered all over Hale’s face at what I said, and before he could react, I slipped behind the wheel and closed my door, quickly throwing my car in drive as I took off into the night. Turning up the music, I let the windows down, and enjoyed the fresh hair against my skin.

Tonight I wasn’t going to allow them to get to me.

Domain, Hale, Talon and James– the four horsemen of the apocalypse.

A name that suited their ill mannered attitudes and fluctuating temperaments. I was a grown a s s woman, and they had absolutely no control over who I was and what I wanted to do. If they wanted me to be a w h o r e like they claimed I was then maybe I would have some fun tonight.

I’m sure there are some rather s e x y college guys out there that wouldn’t mind fulfilling the pleasure I wanted. Unlike James and Damian, they tend to start a lot of things they are never able to finish completing.

Tonight was about me, and me alone.

F u c k them and there petty b ul l s h i t.

If I had to choose– the jokes on them tonight.