Joy, Pain, and All Between Ch. 07

Hey guys. I hope you enjoy. This chapter was a tuffy. Hopefully the next one will be easier. And I actually took the time to edit it...YAY ME!!! :)

"Nice. Looks like someone worked this baby over pretty good." Joel stared at her.

"Brittani...you know anything about this?"

"Maybe..." she said running her manicured fingers along the body of his car.

"Maybe? Look, you know how important this car is to me. I know you didn't do this" he asked more than he stated.

Silence.

"Tell me you didn't do this."

"You know...I did see someone. I saw this tall black guy over here with a bat, but..."

"Brittani don't fucking play with me. What did you see?"

"Joel, it didn't have to be this way. You made it. You could have been happy with me, but...I play second fiddle to no one."

"Brittani I swear..."

"On your dad?"

"What the fuck did you say?"

"You know what...I remember now. The guy. I'd seen him around campus with your little bitch. I heard they used to be an item. That was until you came along. What's his name? Mitchell?...Micheal?...Max?..."

"Brittani..." Joel felt like punching the hell out of something. Brittani was standing right there...no...he couldn't do that.

"Mikeal...that's right. Word is he has a vengeance against you. You really should be careful Joel. Wouldn't want you getting hurt..." she said walking off.

"Gaelan wait. Mikeal found Joel."

"What?"

"Skyler just called and said that Mikeal beat his car or something."

"Good."

"Good?"

"I don't like the prick anyway."

"Who Joel?"

"Yes. Your precious pretty boy Joel."

"Why not?"

"Does it matter?" he quipped. "I'm leaving. You coming or not?" Lacey glared at Gaelan. She grabbed her keys and coat, and they headed out the front door.

"Why didn't I just tell him?" Skyler asked herself. "Now he thinks I had something to do with this. FUCK!! Stupid mother fu--". Skyler heard a thunderous knock on the door. She stared at it. Was Mikeal coming back to brag? No. He wouldn't dare show his face anymore. She peeped through the peephole before opening the door.

Skyler opened the door and Joel let himself in. "Mikeal? That's his name?" Skyler stood there in shock.

"What?"

"You heard me Skyler. Don't play dumb." Joel was pissed. He still felt like hitting something.

"Yes. His name's Mikeal."

"And you didn't tell me this because...?"

"I don't know."

"You don't know? I got some dude I don't even know, who is looking for me, and you couldn't give me a fucking heads up? I gotta hear this shit from Brittani?"

"Brittani?"

"Yea. Tells me since I'm fucking with you, he wants to beat my ass. First off, you could've told me you had a boyfriend. Secondly, you damn sure didn't act like you had a guy. And thirdly, if you want him, you better keep him far from me, 'cause if someone even approaches me wrong, I'm throwing blows." He was a little to close for Skyler's comfort. And him yelling at her damn sure didn't help matters.

"Joel, hold up. Don't come at me like that. I broke up with Mikeal before I fucking knew you. Secondly, what the fuck does Brittani know? Wait...Brittani...Mikeal..."

"What?"

"Mikeal came here last week. You came up...I was trying to figure out how he knew...but...it was a few days after we saw her at the restaurant..."

"Where is he?

"I'm not sure...Lace and Gaelan are looking for him."

"Gaelan?"

"Yea."

"What the fuck? Gaelan? What does that mother fucker have to do with this?"

"Forget that. How about Brittani?"

"What about her?"

"What's Brittani's address?"

"I'm not giving it to you, Skyler."

"Why not? That bitch is the cause of this. She's the one who went back running her big ass mouth to Mikeal. She's the reason he came here. SHE's the fucking reason he had me pressed against the wall with a bloody lip. That shit's not gonna slide. I warned her. I fucking warned her. Now I have to fuck her up" Skyler said breathlessly. She didn't mean for all of that to come out.

"What? He did what?"

"He came here."

"I know that Skyler. What did you say after that?" Skyler lowered her eyes to look at the floor. Joel lifted her chin and spoke softly. "Skyler did he put his hands on you?" She nodded. "Pussy" he mumbled. "Is that why you didn't want to tell me?"

"Kinda."

"Kinda? Skyler, I thought we had this connection. A friendship in the least. You won't talk to me."

"I don't need to talk."

"Everyone needs to talk Skyler. We all have shit stored away in the back of our mind. Stuff we don't want to talk about. But eventually, it has to come out."

"Like what Joel? What do you have stored away in that perfect little fairy tale mind of yours, huh? What, how many girls you've fucked?"

"Why do you keep bringing that shit up? I never claimed to be a saint, Skyler. I'm not a bad person. I have fucking feelings just like you do." He turned and walked away from her. Skyler felt like shit for blowing up on him. He really wasn't a bad person.

"I'm sorry, Joel. I didn't mean it like that. I just--"

"My dad was a sailor. He joined the navy after he graduated from high school. He met my mom and my brother was born. Then me. He had two kids and was very dedicated to his work. Mom was worried he may get shipped off one day and not come back. When I was 7, Dad decided it was time for him to do something else. He was the kind of man who liked to help everyone. So he joined the force. I was proud of my Dad as a sailor. I was a little skittish about the police thing though. I was young, but I knew the dangers. A year later, my little sister was born. When I was 10, he was killed. During a routine traffic stop. If he was gonna be killed, let him die in a heist or something. Something brave. Not a fucking traffic stop. I was so pissed. At everyone, especially my mom. I blamed her. If she hadn't ran her mouth, he would be sailing the seas right now. Not at a fucking cemetery. He missed out on everything. My graduation, my brother's graduation, Jerry's first day of school, recital...everything.

I got a tattoo on my back when I was 16.Walkerand the anchors." He motioned towards his back. "My brother has one too, but not the anchors. Mom didn't like it. I didn't care. I didn't like her. I was angry with her for years. I just recently came to terms with it." Skyler continued to listen. She saw the pain in his eyes as he talked.

"Dad left me that car, and my brother his motorcycles. It still hurts. Not a fucking car in the world could ease the pain. After all these years. That car is all I..." he drifted. "I have to fuck him up" he said with balled fists. "I have to. If not for me, for my dad."

Wow, Skyler thought. He did have feelings. And now she knew why he was so upset about the car. It was like a memorabilia of his father. He hurt just as much as she did. Skyler stepped towards him and spread her arms. He walked into them and they stood there. Embracing each other.

Skyler reached up and locked her arms behind his neck and kissed his chin. She then stood on her tiptoes and placed a kiss on his lips. He hesitated at first, but then kissed her back. Gently at first, and then more firmly. He licked her bottom lip and she moaned, allowing his tongue's entrance to caress hers. She moaned again as his hands roamed down her torso and wrapped around her bottom, lifting her up. He walked them into what he remembered to be her bedroom, and kicked the door closed. He placed her down onto her feet and she stood there timidly. Very much unlike the last time they were in this situation. He leaned down and gave her a reassuring kiss. When he opened his eyes and looked at her, hers were still closed. Her eyelashes then fluttered as she blinked a few times before opening them. Staring at him.

Skyler opened her eyes and he was staring at her.Damn he's cute, she thought. But she wasn't sure she wanted to go down this road with him again. Last time, she had a little liquid courage. This time, it was just them. She continued staring at him, and watched his expression change from lustful to blank. His eyes flickered from side to side trying to read her.Cute. She smiled and so did he. She lightly kissed him before reaching down, unbuckling his belt. He gently pushed her hands away and motioned for her to sit on the bed. He unbuttoned his dark blue jeans and un-tucked and took off his black polo and beater. He kicked off his shoes and pants, and was left in his socks and black boxer briefs, which hugged his toned thighs and manhood tightly. He walked over to Skyler and kissed her forehead.My God,she thought. He knelt down and untied her sneakers before pulling them off. Skyler stared down at him as he caressed the bare skin left exposed between her pink tee shirt and jeans before unbuttoning them, motioning for her to stand. She did so, and he pushed down her jeans and she stepped out of them. He pulled her shirt over her head and threw it in the corner of the room. She stood there in nothing but her pink and white matching panty/bra set and socks. Joel reached up and unclasped her hair letting it fall and frame her face.

He lifted her again before lying her down on the bed, with him between her thighs. He kissed her neck and followed a trail down her body. He kissed the valley between her breasts after unclasping the hook in the front of her bra, gently maneuvering it off of her body. He licked and sucked on both taut nipples, eliciting a moan from her. Her went lower and placed wet kisses on her stomach. He stopped and looked up at her. She looked down at him through hooded lids, so he continued. He pulled them down slowly, kissing each exposed inch as he pulled them off of her body. She shivered when her lifted and spread her thighs, positioning his face between them.

Her gently sucked on each nether lip before slipping his tongue between her inner lips. Skyler moaned and grabbed his head, pressing him forward. His tongue slid back and forth. He licked her glistening bud before plunging his tongue into her hot, wet core. Skyler thought she would die right then and there. If she had, she'd die happy and in a very compromising position. Before she knew it she felt her orgasm rush over her. She tried to say something, but she couldn't. She tried to push and pull his face away, but he wouldn't budge. She rode it out and when she was done, Joel was looking up at her. The tip of his nose and his lips were glossy with her fluids. She laughed. He smiled up at her and lied over her and kissed her, making her taste herself.Not bad, she thought.

Joel stood and looked down at Skyler. She thought we was leaving or something until he hooked his thumbs into the sides of his boxers and yanked them down. There was Joe Jr. looking back at her. He climbed back onto the bed between her spread legs. He kissed while positioning himself at her entrance. He caught the moan that escaped her lips when he slid into her. "Goddamnit." He thrust into her as she lifted her hips for a better angle. He then lifted her legs and placed them on his shoulders. He plunged into her, causing her knees to press into her chest. Sex with this man couldn't be anything less than extraordinary...

"Gaelan, you need to calm down. He could be anywhere." They were parked outside Gaelan's apartment. They had been to Mikeal's house, work, and hangout. Mikeal was nowhere.

"I am calm, Lacey" he said frustrated while gripping the steering wheel. Gaelan wasn't calm. But it wasn't all Mikeal's fault. He was still frustrated about the whole Gaelan/Lacey situation. He waited awhile before he spoke, choosing his words carefully. "Why did you do it?" Lacey knew what he was talking about.

"Gaelan, I never meant to hurt you..."

"But you did" he interrupted.

"But it wasn't my intention. Trust me." Lacey searched for the right words to say. "Gaelan, I thought we wanted the same thing. A no-strings-attached sort of thing. If I had known we were on two different pages, I would've ended it long before you found out." Gaelan had sat in his car waiting to surprise Lacey with an unexpected visit. Joke was on him. He saw Lacey leaving her apartment, locked arms and lips with another guy.

"I wish you had Lacey" he said before starting up his truck. "That way, I wouldn't have been sitting there looking like a complete ass." Lacey felt like shit. She liked Gaelan...too much. She wasn't ready for a relationship, so she shied off trying to escape the feelings she felt for Gaelan. She felt it was time to tell him the truth.

"I'm so sorry, Gaelan." She massaged his hand that was still firmly gripping the steering wheel. "I. I was...I felt myself..."

"It doesn't matter, Lacey. Let's go look again," he said before speeding off.

"Which one?"

"That one" Skyler said pointing at Mikeal. After their "encounter", Joel had talked Skyler into showing him where Mikeal lived. They were parked in the parking lot outside of his apartment complex. He had just arrived with a few of his friends.

"Okay." Joel undid his seatbelt and opened the driver's door of Skyler's Mustang.

"Joel. No. Please. I don't want you to get hurt."

"Me? Hurt? Skyler, this dude fucked up the one thing...the ONE thing that means the most to me. If anybody's gonna get hurt, it's gonna be that mother fucker." Joel got out and slammed the door closed. It sent chills down Skyler's spine. She'd never seen him so upset before. She got out and Joel strolled over to Mikeal with what she thought was false confidence.Dear Lord, please don't let him get hurt,she prayed quietly.

"Mikeal?" Joel said pointing at him.

"Who's asking?" was all Mikeal got out before Joel's right fist connected with his left cheek.

"Me mother fucker." Joel landed another blow on the opposite cheek when Mikeal's head whipped around. Mikeal slumped when Joel punched him in the stomach. "You fucked with the wrong one, you fucking faggot." Mikeal's "friends" watched on as Joel beat the hell out of Mikeal. Skyler was blown away. She had seen Mikeal fight. Maybe it was pure luck he had won, because he was definitely getting his ass handed to him now. "AND DIDN"T YOUR MOTHER TEACH YOU NOT TO PUT YOUR HANDS ON A WOMAN? You wanna fight somebody, fight me bitch!" Joel kicked Mikeal in the side before Gaelan came out of nowhere and rushed over and pulled him back. Lacey ran over to the side of the Mustang where Skyler stood.

"That's enough man." Gaelan pushed Joel in Skyler and Lacey's direction before picking up Mikeal. "You alright man?" Gaelan asked, dusting off Mikeal's clothes. Mikeal nodded in the positive. His head then snapped to the right after Gaelan laid a forceful blow on him. "You still alright mother fucker?" Gaelan spit out. "You'd better stay as far away from Skyler as humanly fucking possible, or I swear to God, when I'm done with you, your mother won't be able to identify your fucking body, you hear me?"

Mikeal lay limply on the ground with blood pools forming around his nose and mouth. He heard alright. Skyler kind of felt sorry for Mikeal. He took a hell of an ass-whipping from her boys. That wouldn't be the only one getting handed out tonight.

"Brittani?"

"Joel?"

"Yea. It's me. Look, I'm sorry about everything. You were right, I was wrong. What can I do to make it right?" Brittani couldn't believe what she was hearing. Joel was finally admitting he was wrong, which was something he rarely ever did. Her plan had worked perfectly. He had turned on Skyler and now he was all hers. Life was good.

"Can I come over to your place? You can show me just how sorry you are."

"Sounds great. And look, Brittani, I really am sorry. You're gonna get everything you deserve."

"It's about time Joel" she said before hanging up and searching for her coat. Joel felt bad about what was about to happen, but Skyler had bribed him into it. It was getting harder and harder to say no to her.

When Brittani arrived at Joel's house, everything was perfect. Her boobs were up, hair sprayed, tight jeans. She was going to make him work for it...maybe not. She knocked on his door and he yelled out that it was open. She walked in and looked around. She didn't see Joel. The door slammed behind her, and her green eyes clashed with dark brown ones. Angry dark brown ones. Skyler smiled despite the anger flashing in her eyes. "Brittani."

"What the hell are you doing here? Where's Joel?"

"He's in t he back. He didn't want to witness what I'm gonna do to you."

"You aren't gonna do anything to me. I'm Brittani--" Skyler really didn't care who she was anymore. She slapped Brittani across her cheek and watched it turn bright red. She liked that. She slapped her again before pushing her, causing her to lose her balance and land onto the couch. Skyler climbed on top of her and pounded on her. Brittani threw her manicured hands up to defend herself scratched Skyler in the face. Skyler saw red. She pounded and pounded, and before she knew it, two strong arms lifted her and pushed her against the wall.

"That's enough Skyler," Joel said. Skyler was out of it. She was alert and could hear her own heartbeat. She hated getting angry. Brittani scurried and got up running towards the door.

"You bitch!! You black bitch!! You think you've gotten the best of me? You haven't seen anything yet. You wait!" Skyler pushed herself off the wall and grabbed out, trying to get a hold of Brittani. Joel picked her up and told Brittani to get the fuck out. He didn't know why he had let Skyler talk him in to this. He knew nothing good would come of it.