Ain't Your Bitch(18)

So many emotions flashed across Roman's face. Happiness, anger, sickness. His lips pressed against hers softly, letting her know that he agreed.

Edward ran into the room, huffing and puffing. “Princess!” He saw them kissing and narrowed his eyes, but continued. “Anoud!”

Helina stepped forward, her heart thumping harder and already knowing what he came to say. “What? What is it, Edward?”

“Anoud is dead!”

She thought she heard glass breaking. Suddenly on the floor, Helina clutched her hand to her chest and took deep breaths. She couldn't cry. Not yet. Turning, she looked up at Prince Roman, his face scared and sad and yet so beautiful.

“Prince Roman, we marry in three days. Please have your people prepare, because we have much to do in order to mix our marriage traditions with yours.”

And then she broke down sobbing, wailing. Prince Roman went to her and held her as servants and Edward watched.





Brown Sugar

Interracial Urban Erotica

Asia Marquis



I absolutely despise the way I look. Honestly, I probably spend more time in front of mirrors than I do in front of the television. My reflection is something of an obsession of mine, and every time I see myself my mind goes over every one of my flaws, my nose that's too big, my eyes that are too small.

My breasts are lopsided, my stomach is too large, and my smile is goofy. My skin is too dark, too. Too ethnic, according to one of my ex boyfriends. My mother threatened to beat him when she found out he said that to me. She has that strong African spirit and anger more powerful than any man's muscles. I didn't get that from her.

Hating myself this much isn't healthy. At all. I know I'm a smart girl, but no one will ever find that out because my outer shell is just disgusting. I want nothing more than to look like any of the models in magazines or women on TV. But there's no chance. I'm just destined to be gross.

I'm in college, and have been for 2 years, but I've never been to a party. Why would I bother to go to one? No one's ever invited me, and no guys would want to dance or talk to me.

I had a boyfriend in high school. One boyfriend. I was 16, and he was a hitter. He would always tell me, every day, how I was so ugly that I was lucky to have him. And you know what? I was. He was right, because no one else has wanted to come near me since then.

So, imagine everyone's lack of surprise when, after being asked by my friend Lauren to go to a party, I say no. No, I have laundry and homework to do, and I am really just not feeling great, but thank you for asking and next time I promise!

I guess I lie a lot too.

Tonight, though, Lauren insists. "You have to come!" she texts. "If you don't I'll never talk to you again!"

I roll my eyes. But then I bite my lip. What if she's being serious? How would I know? It's impossible to know the gravity of this situation when it's being experienced through text and I can't lose my best friend or else I'll end up a crazy cat lady who spends all day on Tumblr and 4chan and...

"Fine! Where do I need to be?" I will hold this against her for a long time, I assure myself while I wait for her to text me back.

"Just get to my room ASAP, like before 6."

It's 5:30. Great. Now I have to rush too! I run around my room like a chicken with my head cut off, trying to make sense of this predicament as I change into something more flattering (at least as flattering as something can be on my body). A red top and a long, flowing black skirt later, I glance at the mirror. My hair is a mess. Brushing it and tying it up, I can feel my obsessive frustration with my looks building up, and so I save the time I would be spending melting down and use it to get out of my room and down to Lauren's.

Marie is in her room with her, her hair in a tight bun, and she's wearing a short red dress that shows off her thin, amazing legs. Lauren allows her hair to stay down. She's dressed in jeans and a tank top that shows off her obscenely large breasts. But I suppose, she could wear a burlap sack and it would show off her obscenely large breasts.

"I'm glad you decided to come!" Marie says, in a short of fake-happy tone. She throws her arms around me and hugs me. I know she's never enjoyed being around me, which is par for the course.

"So," Lauren starts. "The party is at the local club. It should be great, lots of hot frat guys." She grins at me as if this is meant to make me excited. I am not excited. She waits, ever patient, for me to grin, but before long she just moves on. She puts on makup, and ushers me along as we head towards the club.

It's loud and obnoxious in here, as expected. The music is so loud that I can barely here Lauren say she'll grab us drinks. I follow Marie to a table, neither of us talking to each other at all. She eyes the room, in a manner that reminds me of a lion surveying for prey. As soon as Lauren sits down with 3 drinks, Marie leaps up and pounces on a wildebeest. Or a man. Whichever.

"See anyone interesting?" My best friend asks me, and I shake my head with a sarcastic look on my face. She laughs. "Let me know if you do, I'll introduce you."

She tries her hardest to support me, turning down a few offers to dance. But before long it gets to be too much, and I urge her to go and have fun. I sit, alone, drinking a Bloody Mary and watching everyone around me. Dancing, gyrating their bodies like they're possessed.

I feel a presence behind me, and I turn to try and figure out what it is. Standing behind me with a sheepish smile on his face, is some guy who looks vaguely familiar to me. And then I realize he's in my Calculus class.

"Hey, sorry! I didn't mean to startle you. I just say you sitting alone, and thought you might like someone to chat with."

I am suspicious of his motives. Maybe Marie had sent him over to mock me, or Lauren had for pity. Either way, I wasn't buying it. "No, I'm fine. You can go." He almost looks genuinely hurt by my blowing him off. His puppy dog eyes pull me in, and I immediately feel bad for being so flippant. I'm about to apologize, but he starts in first.

"I mean... I can go if you want. But I've seen you in Calculus and you're always so quiet, and you seem kind of sad. I thought you could use a friend."

I sigh and shrug, which makes him immediately perk up as he sits in the chair next to me. "My name is Nathan!" We make small talk, discussing Calculus, and then my friends, and he talks about how he doesn't really have a ton a friends either. Which is complete bull- he talks to everyone in our class. For a few moments, we're silent while I watch Lauren laugh and flirt with some guy whose head is the same size as his neck. Gross.

Turning back to Nathan, I find him staring at me. When he realizes I've caught him, he grins sheepishly. "Sorry! I've just... I've never seen such a beautiful girl look so sad all the time."

I roll my eyes. Either he's blind or trolling me, and I'm not having it. "I need to go home," I say, standing up.

"Hey- wait! Let me walk you home at least. It's not safe to be out alone with all these drunk douchebags running around looking for a conquest."

I shrug and head to the door. I know he's following me. He seems like a nice guy, so I'm not too worried about it. I just can't deal with being in that fucking club anymore. He's right, too. The whole way back to the dorms is littered with drunk douchebags, most of whom leave me alone. One, however, has beer goggles on, and starts grabbing at me and shouting.

"Pretty girl, why don't you come back to my dorm?"

"No, get lost." I don't have the patience for this shit.

"Come on, don't be frigid. Come back with me." He's slurring and getting angry, grabbing my wrist and holding it so tight that it hurts. Like a flash, Nathan punches the drunk square in the mouth. He falls to the ground. "What the fuck, dude!"

"Don't touch women like that, you piece of shit." He puts his arm behind my back, ushering me into the building and away from the crazies. I'm visibly shaken. We reach my room, and he helps me unlock the door and makes sure I get in okay. "Will you be okay?"

I nod. For a brief moment, I look up into his eyes again. They are so sad. Exactly like a puppy's. He really is a handsome guy. "Do you wanna come in? I could make us some tea." That perks him up.

He sits down at my desk while I get the tea ready. His eyes wander around the room. I keep it clean, but my desk is a different story. My homework is all over the place, and I have my computer open to a forum I go on.

"So," he starts. "Why did you get so upset when I called you beautiful?"

My shoulders slump, but I compose myself and take his tea to him. If I throw it at him, I'll probably ruin my computer. Tough call. I choose saving my computer over scalding him.

"Because I'm not."

"Yes you are."

I glare at him. "Get out if you're just going to make fun of me."

"I'm not making fun of you!" He looks absolutely incredulous. It's nice to be complimented, but I can't help feeling this a trick somehow.

"What do you want from me?"

A sigh, and a glance into my eyes that melts my heart just a little bit. "I've just wanted to get to know you all semester. You're, so far, the only normal person I've met at this college. You're not vapid, or annoying, or a drunk. And it breaks my heart," he stands up and takes my hands into his, staring deep into my eyes with a passion that takes my breath away. "It absolutely breaks my heart that you can't see how beautiful you are." He leans in. Slowly. I feel as if I'm being pulled by a magnet, my eyes closing, my lips parting.