Under Locke

by Mariana Zapata

The knowledge that my bank account was bleeding a slow death had wrung me dry.

girl you and me both *cries in broke*

You had no idea what desperation was until there was less than a hundred bucks left in your bank account and no job prospects.

ouch

I guess that was the problem with an Associate of Arts Degree from a community college. It left you too educated for minimum wage and not educated enough for a high paying job, unless you were lucky. And lucky, I was not.

THIS

Then again, I always wanted to cry. I cried when I was happy, sad, excited, and frustrated with life. And I hated it.

real

"Babe, I've handpicked everythin' and everyone in here. I know what I want, and I get what I want," he breathed. "And I keep what's mine."

It took a second, but his arms wound their way around me. One hand over my shoulders, the other around the middle of my back. And he squeezed. Dex held me to him, the faint smell of laundry detergent and Dex filling my nostrils. Warm skin, warm body, warm, warm, warm. So much warmth, a wild choke lodged in my throat.

a hug like this would probably heal me

Two big hands cupped my jaw the instant before his mouth, with its deep pink, full lips and day-old scruff, descended on me in a hard kiss—all ownership and demand.

THIS IS WHAT I WANTED TO HAPPEN

“Baby, there’s nothing wrong with my judgment. I know exactly what I’m doin’, and I know damn well that if I ever see you smile at somebody like you did at Trey today, I’ll kill the poor bastard.”

"Please, please, please tell me that you didn't do anything stupid."

Siri, play Please, Please, Please by Sabrina Carpenter

"You've gotta be the best thing I never knew I wanted."

He nipped my ear again. "I love you, Ritz." The scruff of his jaw scraped my own before he bit it gently. "Love your fuckin' face, your that's what she said jokes, your dorky-ass high fives, and your arm, but I really fuckin' love how much of a little shit you are. You got nuts bigger than your brother, baby."