Sweet Darkness Pt. 01

"Really?" She asked, smiling back.

He pulled out a box and handed it to her.

"What is it?" She questioned, looking at the box.

"Just open it." He replied with a smile.

She opened it and it was the black sapphire bracelet she had been wanting.

"Thank you, Mateo." Tamara said, hugging him.

"Well, you've been looking at it every time we went to the store, so I decided to get it for you." He replied, taking it and putting it on her wrist.

He took her in his arms and looked deep into her eyes.

"I guarantee there will be rough times and at some point one or both of us is going to want to get out of this thing, but I also guarantee that if I don't ask you to be mine, I'll regret it for the rest of my life because I know in my heart that you're the only one for me...will you marry me?"

He opened a box, revealing an engagement ring, matching the bracelet.

"I'm sorry. I can't." She replied, closing her eyes.

"Whatever it is, I'm sure we can fix it." He noted with wide eyes.

"No, we can't. I'm still in love with Zeb and want to be with him." She informed, turning away.

"I..uh..." He stumbled with his words.

"I'm sorry." She apologized.

She walked off, finding herself on Zeb's doorstep with tears streaming down her face.

"Tamara, what's wrong?" Zeb asked, opening the door.

"I'm sorry for bothering you so late. Can I come in?" She questioned, looking up at him.

"I actually have company." He replied, looking inside.

"Oh, I guess I'll just go then." She said, turning around.

"I can talk for a few minutes out here if you need to. You look so upset." He noted, closing the door.

"Mateo and I broke up." She informed, looking at her feet.

"I'm sorry. Is there anything I can do?" He asked, stepping closer to her.

"Forget about all the things I've said to you and pick up where we left off?" She hopefully suggested.

"Tamara, I can't do that. I'm with someone and she just moved in not too long ago." He noted, looking into her eyes.

"So, it's serious?" She questioned with a sigh.

"Yea, it is." He replied with a slight smile.

She walked down the sidewalk, but looked back one last time.

***

Tamara was stuck in love with a man who didn't want her anymore and was so depressed. She tried to hang out with friends, wrote in her diary and cried so many nights, but she would never forget the way she felt about him.

She lied down on her bed and held his picture against her chest as she cried.

When she was about to fall asleep, the phone started to ring.

"I don't want to answer that. It might be Quinn wanting to go out." She mumbled to herself as she wiped the tears from her eyes.

She looked at the picture once again and placed it back on her dresser.

Around one o'clock, Tamara got off of her bed and walked to the bathroom to splash cool water on her face, but when she turned on the faucet, the electric went out.

"Shit!" She exclaimed, fumbling around to get out of the dark bathroom.

As she looked for candles, there was a knock at the door.

"Hey." Quinn greeted with a smile.

"Hey, come on in." Tamara said, smiling back.

"I just tried to call you. I figured your electric was out, so I figured I would come over and see you." Quinn explained, sitting on the couch.

"Yea, I heard the phone ring, but I didn't answer it." She noted, lighting some candles.

"What's wrong?" Quinn asked, taking off her shoes.

"Oh, thinking." She said with a sad look.

"Zeb?" Quinn questioned, propping her feet up on the coffee table.

"Yea." She replied, sitting down beside her.

"When are you going to get over him?" Quinn asked, trying not to sound like a bitch.

"I just can't let him go." She said with a sigh.

"Yea, I know, but you need to get back out there." Quinn suggested with a slight smile.

"I don't know if I can." She sighed and leaned back on the couch.

"You should come with me and Ethan to a party tonight." Quinn invited, walking into the kitchen.

"I don't know. I don't feel good." She said, following her.

"You'll probably feel better." Quinn noted, pouring herself a glass of Root Beer.

"Okay, I'll go." She agreed with a slight smile.

Before they headed out the door, Quinn saw the cuts on Tamara's arm.

"You started doing that, again?" Quinn questioned, grabbing Tamara's arm.

"Yea. I know I shouldn't, but the hurt is so intense." She replied, pulling her arm away.

When they arrived at the party, Tamara sat down on the couch by herself.

After a few drinks, Tamara started dancing by herself.

"I see that you feel better." Quinn said, walking over to Tamara.

"Yea, a little bit." She giggled, still dancing.

"Oh, great, look who just walked in." Quinn informed, looking over Tamara's shoulder.

Zeb walked over to them.

"Would you mind giving us a few minutes?" He asked, looking at Quinn.

"It's okay, Quinn. I'll be okay." Tamara said with a smile.

"Would you like to dance?" He asked, smiling.

"Okay." She agreed, smiling back.

"I'm sorry for putting you in a difficult situation." He apologized, taking her into his arms to slow dance.

"I left Mateo because of you." She informed with a sigh.

"You shouldn't have. You were so happy with him." He said.

"He asked me to marry him." She noted.

"He did?" He questioned, looking into her eyes.

"Yes, and I said no." She replied.

"Why?" He asked.

"Because I love you and want to be with you." She said.

"I can't do that. I'm in love with someone else." He reminded and the song was over.

"I know and I have accepted it, but it doesn't make me feel any different about you. You were the one that made me come out of my shell and actually showed me that I was someone worth something. I just took that for granted. I know you loved me and...I'm just so stupid." She scolded herself, walking to the door.

"Can I give you a ride home?" He questioned, taking his keys from his pocket.

"Won't your girlfriend mind?" She asked, turning to face him.

"She's not here and I want to talk to you." He replied, escorting her outside.

Zeb walked Tamara up to her door.

"Tamara, I still love you, but I can't chance screwing up again. You need to go back to Mateo. He loves you, too and I know you love him." Zeb noted, taking her by the hand.

"After what I did, I couldn't show my face around him anymore. No apology will fix it." She replied, fumbling for her keys.

"Why don't you sleep on it and call me tomorrow. I'm still your friend and I care about you." He suggested and turned to leave.

"Come in for a while, please?" She questioned, taking him by the arm.

"I can't stay too long." He agreed, walking in with her.

They sat on the couch to talk.

"So, did you really love Mateo?" He asked, taking off his shoes.

"Yes, I did, but not as much as I love you. Do you really love your girlfriend?" She questioned, looking into his eyes.

"Yes, I do." He replied with a smile.

"Do you still love me?" She asked, looking away.

"Yes." He said, leaning back.

They sat there in silence for a moment.

"So, was he better than me?" He chuckled.

"What do you mean?" She questioned with a puzzled look.

"In bed." He said with a smile.

"Well..." She laughed.

"What?" He asked, looking at her.

"The actual sex was better, but the passion wasn't there like it was with you." She explained with a smile.

Zeb smiled back and kissed her softly on the lips.

"What are you doing?" She questioned, pulling away.

"I kissed you." He replied with a smile.

"I know that. What do you want?" She asked, looking into his eyes.

"You without those clothes." He whispered in her ear.

"Excuse me?" She questioned with wide eyes.

"Oh, you heard me." He informed with a chuckle.

In the bedroom, she slowly put his hardness inside of her. He pushed in slowly and looked into her eyes. She gasped and he continued to push in slowly, feeling her warmth.

He pushed in deeper; she moaned again and wrapped her legs around the small of his back.

He stopped and kissed her deeply; and then he started to move back and forth slowly.

He soon began to move faster and faster. She started to moan loudly and sunk her nails into his back and held him tighter with her legs.

From her moans he could tell she was close to climax and started to move faster.

She screamed and moaned loudly once more and let out a cry as she climaxed.

He could feel her tightening and pushed in harder and faster.

He moaned loudly and with a last thrust he pushed deep inside her and exploded.

"Can I see you again?" He asked, putting his clothes back on.

"I'm not just a booty call." She informed, sitting up.

"How about friends with benefits?" He questioned with a smile.

"What about your girlfriend?" She asked, crossing her arms.

His smile faded and closed his eyes.

"What have I done?" He questioned, shaking his head.

"Zeb, don't do that to yourself. We are both drunk. She doesn't even have to know." She informed.

He just nodded.

***

Tamara didn't forget about what she and Zeb did the night of the party and doubted he did either, but she knew it was over between them, or was it?

The doorbell rang and when she opened the door, Zeb was standing in the pouring rain.

"You're soaked, get in here." She exclaimed, grabbing him and pulling him inside.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, handing him a towel.

"I wanted to see you again." He noted, drying his hair.

"We can't do this. You have a girlfriend." She informed, pacing.

"Actually, no I don't." He said, putting down the towel.

"Oh my God! What happen?" She exclaimed, wanting to pull him close to her.

"I told her what happen." He replied with a sigh.

"Why?" She questioned with a puzzled look.

"The guilt." He said with another sigh.

Tamara sat on the couch with her head in her hands.

"I'm so sorry." She apologized.

"It's not your fault. I came onto you." He noted, sitting beside her.

"Why did you?" She asked, looking at him.

"Because when I came in that night, it felt like we were together again. It felt...right." He said with a smile.

Before she could say anything, the doorbell rang again...it was Mateo with flowers in his hand.

"Oh, I'm sorry; I didn't realize you had company." He said, looking at Zeb.

"That's okay, Mateo. I was just leaving." Zeb noted, handing Tamara the towel and left.

"What are you doing here?" Tamara questioned, watching Zeb leave.

"I was seeing how you were doing. I heard you were pretty depressed, but when I saw him here, I thought you were back with him." Mateo explained, walking over to her.

"No, I'm not. I really don't know what's going on between him and me." She said, sitting at the table.

"What about you and me?" He asked, sitting with her.

"What?" She questioned, folding her hands.

"I know you're really confused and I have been beating myself up about everything, but I really need to know." He informed, setting the flowers on the floor by him.

"I really don't know what's going on. Zeb came here to tell me he broke up with his girlfriend and then you show up. So...I don't know." She said, confused and walked to the sink.

Mateo kissed her, but she just stood there, stunned.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that." He apologized, stepping back.

"I'm just completely confused. I'm just stuck." She said, leaning against the counter.

"Stuck?" He asked with a puzzled look.

"You, me and Zeb are all single. Him and now you. I..."

She felt lightheaded.

"You should sit down." He said and led her to the couch.

She sighed and sat back.

"I'm sorry; do you want me to leave?" He asked, pointing to the door.

"No I don't. I just don't want to be confused anymore. Hell, depression was better than this." She said, holding her head.

"I'm going to go." He informed, walking to the door.

"No, don't leave." She noted, sitting up.

"I think you just need to relax and think about what you really want and then call me tomorrow." He said, leaving and took the flowers with him.

***

Once again, Tamara was lying on her bed, but this time with confusion not depression.

She had to figure this thing out. Who did she want to be with? What do both guys want? She couldn't just think of herself in this situation, there were two other people's feelings on the line, not just hers.

Tamara looked at the phone and called Mateo and asked him to come back over so they could talk.

When he arrived, they sat on the couch.

"Before I can figure out what I want, I need to know what you and Zeb want. Then I will make my decision on whatever." She informed with her hands folded.

"I just want you to be happy with or without me. I love you, but I don't want you to be miserable either. And, not to mention, the sex was awesome." He chuckled.

Tamara laughed and hit him in the arm.

"Sorry, had to lighten the moment." He said leaning back.

"It's okay. I needed the laugh." She replied.

"So, it wasn't awesome?" He questioned with a smile.

"It was." She said.

"But..."He asked.

"But...will you stop trying to make me laugh?" She questioned, hitting him again.

"Oh, so there is a but. Is Zeb the butt?" He asked with his smile growing even bigger.

Tamara snorted with laughter.

"There, now don't you feel better?" He questioned.

"Yea, a little." She said with a smile.

He put his hand on hers and smiled back.

"Seriously though, I want you to be happy no matter what that means for me." He noted, handing her the flowers.

She kissed him on the cheek and took the flowers from him.

"Daisies." She said, looking at them.

"Your favorite." He noted with a smile.

"Yea, they are. Zeb never did give me flowers." She remembered.

"What can I say? I'm a hopeless romantic." He said with a smile.

She smiled and nodded.

"Well, I hate to rush you, but I think I should get to bed, it's late." She informed, looking at the clock.

"Talking about bed, you didn't answer my question." He said, standing up.

"What question?" She asked, folding her arms.

"The sex being awesome." He reminded.

"I said it was." She said.

"But there was a but." He informed, putting his coat on.

"Yea there was." She replied.

"And..." He waited.

"Passion." She said.

"Passion?" He questioned.

"Forget it; I know you don't want to hear it." She noted, turning around.

"Tell me." He said, stepping back into the living room.

"With Zeb, there was passion and with you it was just awesome sex." She explained.

"I think you just figured out your side." He said with a smile, looking into her eyes.

"You knew the whole time?" She asked.

"Yes, but you needed to figure it out yourself and I just wanted to come see how you were because you ARE still my friend." He noted and kissed her on the forehead.

"Thanks, Mateo." She said with a smile.

***

The next afternoon, Tamara called Zeb and asked him to come over, but after hours of waiting, she thought he wasn't going to show.

Sexually frustrated, she decided to go pleasure herself seeing that she had the house to herself that evening.

Her hands wandered to her breasts and started to roll her nipples between her fingers, feeling them grow hard as she touched them.

One of her hands left her breasts and slid slowly down her stomach, teasing herself.

Lightly tracing the outside of her softness with two fingers, her other hand continued on her hard nipples.

She closed her eyes, enjoying the pleasure and her breath quickened as she played with herself more intensely.

Finally, feeling like she couldn't stand the teasing any longer...with fast circles, she rubbed, moaning out Zeb's name.

It scared her when she heard him respond.

"You want me, you got me." He said, standing in the doorway.

"Zeb, I..uh..." She stuttered, scrambling to sit up.

He walked over and kissed her deeply as he undressed himself.

They made tender love while they kissed.

His hands roamed over her body, making her shiver.

He could see the pleasure on her face as she neared climax.

He got up onto his knees, hooked her knees over his shoulders and she gripped tightly to the sheets as she begins to climax, her body bucking with pleasure.

He let out one final groan as he climaxed and fell into her arms.

"I didn't expect you to show up."

"I was in town when I got your message."

She rolled over and put her head on his chest.

"I love you." She whispered.

"I love you, too. Was that what you wanted to talk about?"

She looked into his eyes with tears in hers.

"Oh, Zeb, I'm so sorry."

"For what?"

"Being such a bitch. I know that we can't be the way we were or even pick up where we left off, but..."

"Shh...I'm here and I'm not leaving. It may take some time to build up to where we were, but I love you and I have faith in us."

***

After a few months of taking things slow, once again, Zeb asked Tamara to move in with him back home.

"Really? That's a big step and what about here?" She questioned with a puzzled look.

"Yes it is. And if you will have me, I would love to stay with you at your apartment."

Tamara just smiled and walked into the kitchen.

"I'm going to go take a nap. I'm pretty tired after work."

"Okay. I'll make dinner here in a few."

Zeb walked into the bedroom, but before he lied down, he went to his dresser and pulled out a ring box and opened it.

"What's that?" Tamara asked, walking in to go to the bathroom.

"Nothing, what are you doing?" He questioned, shoving the box back into the drawer.

"I was going to the bathroom. Was that a ring?"

"It was the one I gave you a long time ago."

"You kept it?"

"Yea, memories I guess. I'm sure you would want another ring though when that time comes."

"When that time comes? Do you still want to marry me?"

"It never left my head really. Do you still want to marry me?"

"Are you asking me to marry you?"

"No, I'm asking if you still want to."

"Maybe one day."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You know that we can't pick up where we left off."

"I love you and I'm not going anywhere, so if and when we do decide to get engaged again, I'm sure we will both know when it's the right time."

She walked out to leave him to his nap while she made dinner.

That weekend, they went back home to see their old friends.

"George, can we talk?" Zeb asked, pulling him into the kitchen of his old house.

"I don't like it when you ask me that. It's usually serious or stupid."

"Well, it may be both this time."

"How can it be both?"

"I'm thinking about asking Tamara to marry me."

"Again?"

"Yes again. I was thinking about doing it before we leave back for school."

George shook his head.

"Stupid isn't it?" Zeb questioned, sitting down at the table.

"No, because you love her. I just don't see why you have to talk to me about it. It seems like you 've made up your mind already."

"I just wanted to see if it was a good idea to do it this early after getting back together."

"Love is love, Man."

Tamara walked in on the conversation with a puzzled look.

"What are you two talking about?" She asked.

"I...uh...I was just telling Zeb that I was thinking about asking your sister to marry me. What do you think about that?"

"You've only been dating for a few months."

"You and I we dating less time when I proposed to you the first time."

"Yea, but look what happen."

"Just forget it, I won't ask her."

Tamara walked up to George and put her hand on his shoulder.

"I know my sister; she will want to wait a little longer. I loved Zeb long before he proposed and that's why he and I are back together."

"Would you marry him if he asked again?"

She looked at Zeb with wide eyes, but he just looked down.

"Did he tell you he was going to?" She questioned, crossing her arms.