Fiery Little Thing

by Avina St. Graves

“Only I get to make you come. Only I get to feel your thighs around me. You burn for me. Only me.”

So when I come, there aren't just fireworks and overfilled champagne. The earth rumbles, the ground opens up, hellfire tears through the sky, and I throw my head back to scream his name. Not his. His. Kiervan’s. Checkmate, asshole.

You go girl. Love her for this!!!!!!!!!!

I’m going to fucking kill her right after I kill my brother. Kiervan. Kiervan? She humped my leg like a dog in heat, she kissed my lips, she soaked through my clothes, and Kiervan gets the fucking credit? He isn’t even here, and he’s in the spotlight.

Then she touched me—well, she slapped me. But she chose to put her hand on me. Me. And god it makes me giddy to think she willingly put her hand on me. She chose to slap me.

Hes so delusional. I love him

My fiery little thief is a pyromaniac in the making.

I glance at her, then the flame, then back at her. It’s Bunsen burner day, and here I am, consumed by her instead of the flame. What a waste.

I rub my thumb over the band around my wrist and drop my gaze to the strands of copper hair tangled around the tie.

He stole her hair tie? I love an obsessed man. It does things to me

She’s beautiful, violent, vulgar, and batshit fucking crazy.

He’s dancing around stating I’m prone to outbursts. The only incidents Father knows about are the one that landed me here, and the one where I gave Kiervan a black eye because he had too much to say about the girl who moaned his name last night.

I haven’t figured out why he has an interest in Blaze, though I understand the logic in linking me with her accusations, as he puts it. Something about it doesn’t sit right with me, and I can’t pinpoint why. I don’t trust McGill, and that’s the only reason I haven’t done anything to land Blaze’s ass in solitary, where he has easier access to her. There, no one would care if she screamed.

You and mde both. Something is up with the brotha

She could have been passed out inside and I missed her. Or she could have crawled in just before everything went up in flames. If she had died… I grip the lighter tighter, knuckles turning white. Blaze’s near-death is the only thing I’m sorry for. I won’t apologize for what I did because that house held nothing but trauma, but I deserve what she did to my place.

Ugh its disgusting how in love he is. I love it.

I grind my molars together. That’s not what I meant by saying she deserved what was coming for her.

“Look me in the eyes and tell me you were hoping you’d kill me that night.” Finally, he flinches. It’s so small that I would have missed it if I hadn’t been watching him for any reaction. He doesn’t give me more than that.

“What happened to you?” I swear her bottom lip quivers. “You did.” They’re only two words, but they hit me like a sucker punch to the gut.

“I’m over listening to you talk about things you don’t understand. You want to take away everything that’s important to me, then fine. So be it. You have. The only two things I give a shit about are you and that ring you’ve been wearing on your finger.”

Blaze could have burnt my house into a cinder and leveled it to the ground, and she still wouldn’t have destroyed the one thing I actually care about.

I’ve told you over and over again that it’s all been you. For you. Because of you. Always you. I failed all my classes last year just so I wouldn’t get separated from you.”

“I did it because you’re mine in every sense of the word, Blaze. You always were, and you always will be.”

Taking my ring off, I drop it on Blaze’s desk with a clatter and lean down to whisper in her ear, “Don’t lose it this time.”

I slide into my seat behind Blaze and pull out my notebook, watching her slip the ring onto her finger as she leans back in her seat… until her hair is sprawled all over my desk. Swirls of copper and red cover my book, and I can’t help it; I just… stop. I forget why I’m even angry.

Damn..hes down that bad?!!

I’d almost feel inclined to call her cute—but the word is too mundane to describe what she is. Alluring. Bewitching. Catastrophic. Certifiable. Just to name a few.

From my seat, I watch Blaze sidle up next to Aaron. I’ve never seen her exchange a single word with the guy, but then she places her hand on his arm. Absolutely fucking not.

She shouldn’t have ridden my leg because it’s awoken something primal inside that I’m beyond able to control.

But no, she goes around touching other men and framing me for an explosion I’m embarrassed to have associated with my name. Lithium batteries, a blowtorch, and paper? Please. I could have done that in second grade—points for trying and all, but I expected better fires from her.

Not him worried about his pride and reputation bahahaah

My grip tightens around her, and I stop in my tracks. Everyone always likes my brother better. But I don’t care about everyone; I only care if she likes me.

“If you don’t want to believe me, then that’s on you. I won’t sit here and lay down the details of why Kiervan is the worst monster of them all. So I will say this one thing, and if you want to get down on your knees for another Osman, don’t be surprised if I don’t show up at your funeral. When dissecting animals stopped doing it for him, he thought beating women was the next best alternative.”

the first day I met her on the playground, decking a kid two years older than her for calling her a carrot.

Ok Anne with an E

“You want Duke. You want Elijah. You want Kiervan,” I explain slowly. “You wanted a man who didn’t confess to being your alibi. You wanted a man who pushed you down the bleachers. You want all the men who will kill you.” She eyes my curled fists warily. “And what are you?”

“The man you’ve never wanted, but the one who has, and will always take the fall for you.”

GAHHHHHH PROGRESSSSSS

Kohen grips my hair. “Fight me if you want, Thief. The only way you’ll get me to stop is by mentioning another man.”

Everything about him seems dangerous, like he’s a second away from blowing up. But when he tugs off his tie, tosses his blazer onto the computer chair, and shoves his sleeves up to his elbows, I damn well almost come from how sophisticated he is in his distress—and those forearms. Jesus Christ, those veiny forearms.

Blaze is so me. Like, shit. The weakness is real

“What happened to rest, ice, compression, and elevation?”

“That’s why your legs are on my shoulders and not shaking against the bed.”

got that rizz

“You fucked up.” The warm liquid of the emptied condom slowly drips from my pussy. A grin works its way across his face as he pushes his come back into me with two fingers. “You fucked up bad, little thief. You’re mine now.” “You fucking asshole.” He nods toward the trolley where a packet of birth control awaits me. How romantic.

not the breeding kink!!!??!!!

“Elijah was standing upright when I left him. For the love of God, Charlie, what the hell do you mean he’s in a coma?”

“Aaron said they found him by the cemetery, passed out, beaten up, and badly burned. That’s all I know. Happy?”

“I told you. Bad things happen to people who touch what isn’t theirs.”

Although… it does feel a little nice that he’s figuratively marked me as his territory.

You put him in the hospital!” He has the audacity to look disappointed. “I was aiming for the morgue.”

Hes so unseriously funny. God, i want one

Even if I wanted to get out of this shithole in one piece, what would I do? Hell, how long would I even last? Whatever, I’ll figure it out.

Hehehehehehehe

The science building just fucking exploded.

HE DIDN'T?!!!!!!

“That night of the fire, I was waiting for you,” he explains, desperation lacing each syllable. “I was sick of you hating me so much and wanted you to just shut up and listen for once. So I came over and started a fire just below your window, expecting you to come out.”

“I waited and waited, feeding the fire so it wouldn’t be dead by the time you came out. So you’d be warm.”

I was going to go inside, but I was trying not to piss you off even more than usual because I… I wanted to impress you. I wanted you to see how serious I was and that I could be the type of man you want. Instead, I got pissed off waiting around for you to come down, so I went inside to find the place empty. The first thing I saw when I pulled out my phone was a picture of you sitting on Duke’s lap, and I just…” He rolls his neck side to side, trying to ease the tension in his muscles as his lips pull into a thin line. “I went back outside and kicked the firepit,” he continues. “I thought I put it out. There was just… the leaves were so dry, and the breeze was…”

“Who do you think I sent into a coma just to get here—to you?”

My eyes drop to the fist curled at his side, and for the first time tonight, I notice the red outlining the fresh black ink etched into crooked dashes that goes in a semicircle on the side of his pointer finger. Teeth marks. My teeth marks from yesterday.

He... TATTOOED HER BITEMARK??????

Kohen permanently ingrained my teeth marks into his skin before telling me the truth about the biggest sin I hold against him. More than that, he did it knowing I could spend the rest of my life hating him even after discovering the truth.

I’m not going to ruin him; he’s going to destroy me. It was foolish to think there was any version of this story where I’d emerge the victor. I think if I were to die right now, I might be lowered to the ground with a smile on my face.

“At the beginning, middle, and end, you’re the only one I’ll ever want. You’re mine, Blaze.”

“I’ve seen every single part of you. All the broken parts—even the parts you hate, and I’m still going to stay.”