Shattered

~TYRSTAN~

Ditching Seth is easier said than done. The guy doesn't want to part ways until he knows where Trystan is going. He wants specifics. Trystan won't give any. Seth finally caves in and follows some girls out of the diner, which pisses Katie off to no end. She abruptly leaves and says a few choice words to Seth. That breaks up their little party and Trystan is free of them.

It's dark and chilly out again, like it might snow, which is bad since Trystan is homeless. He takes his time walking along the streets, weaving his way past the pristine homes as he heads toward Mari's house. When he arrives, he sees a light in kitchen. A woman stands at the window. She's tall and slender with Mari's dark hair. That must be her mother. Trystan glances at his watch. It's past 7:00pm.

He waits and the woman finally shuts off the lights and leaves. When her car travels down the street, Trystan pulls out the cell that Mari gave him. He keeps walking, not wanting to linger in front of her house. He walks down to the end of the block and turns the corner, planning on coming up to the house from behind, like last time. He texts Mari:

Can I come up?

A few seconds pass and then:

Yes. I'll b down in a sec

Trystan turns at the corner and heads back in the direction of Mari's house. He cuts through the backyard directly behind her house and squeezes through the gap in the fences. Soon he's standing on her back patio. Mari is in the open door, looking down at him. Light spills around her, creating a perfect silhouette. She looks so beautiful. Everything about Mari is so far out of his reach, so why is he reaching? Does it matter if she loves him?

Our lives are so different.

But they're so similar, too. Wealth doesn't get rid of abusive parents. It just hides the damage better. Trystan feels a flutter in his chest, like he shouldn't be here - like something bad is going to happen. He remains on the patio and holds Mari's gaze for too long.

"Are you going to come in?" she says, smiling at him. Tension creases the spot in the center of her forehead like something's wrong. Trystan can't leave her alone. Not now. Not when she needs him. Any second thoughts about being at Mari's vanish.

Trystan grins at her, wanting to see her smile. He wants that worry line pressed flat, erased like it was never there. "Do you always invite boys into your room when your parents leave, Mari Jennings? I had you pegged for a good girl. To think, all this time, I was totally wrong." He teases her with each step he takes, closing the distance between them. When he's in front of the door, Mari still hasn't opened it. She stands on the other side of the screen in a cami and a pair of jeans. His eyes drift to the bare skin at her neck and arms, then back to her face. "You look beautiful tonight."

"Flattery will get you nowhere, Mr. Scott." Mari looks at him from under those dark lashes and smiles. Every inch of skin burns for her touch when she gives him that look.

"I'm not so sure about that. Let me in and let's find out." Trystan grins and she breaks his gaze. Looking away, Mari tucks a curl behind her ear and opens the door. Trystan brushes past her just as Mari turns to the side. It aligns their chests so that they barely touch as he passes. The sensation shoots through him in a crippling wave that takes his breath away. Trystan sucks in air softly, trying to hide how much she rattles him.

Mari turns toward him. Those big dark eyes are filled with remorse. He can see it. He can read it on her face, in her stance, and the way she holds her fingers and twists each one. Trystan wants to ask what happened, but he doesn't want to invade her privacy. It's weird. There's a spot where he wants to be, and it is invasive. That spot is smack in the center of all her most intimate thoughts and feelings - the ones that no one else knows. Trystan doesn't speak. Instead, he steps toward her and pulls Mari to his chest. His hands find her hair and he just holds her gently. Mari's hands lift and slip under Trystan's jacket. She buries her face in his shoulder and stares blankly.

Mari looks up at him with that expression on her face, and Trystan feels like he's going to shatter into too many pieces. He kisses her forehead and whispers, "What's wrong?"

Mari's eyes fall to the floor. She doesn't let go of him. "My mom decided to humiliate me instead of paying a settlement to Brie's dad. It's nothing. I don't want to talk about it."

Trystan splays his fingers and runs them through her hair, forcing Mari to look up at him. A million emotions flash across her eyes. He doesn't press her. "Then, we won't."

Mari smiles softly. She steps away from him and walks away. Trystan remains frozen by the door, his eyes sweeping over her back and drinking in her curves. Mari glances back at him and extends her hand. "Come on. I have something in my room for you."

Trystan smirks and takes her hand, not bothering to contain his excitement. "That is quite a line, kiss ninja."

Mari laughs and bumps him with her shoulder. "I didn't mean it like that! You're so stupid, Scott. I swear - "

"Nah, you like me like this. Admit it." They walk up the staircase to her room side by side. "You wouldn't want me if I were all polite and proper. For instance, telling you that I intend to kiss every inch of your bare skin later is something that I would say. Telling you that you're pretty isn't something that would ever fall out of my mouth. Mainly because it's such a ridiculous understatement that - "

Mari releases his hand and turns suddenly, pushing him into the wall. She leans into him and presses her body against his. Mari's pink lips linger so close, but she doesn't close the distance between them. The sudden action makes his heart lurch. Her hand presses into his chest and remains there with her fingers splayed. Her breath is warm and sweet. Trystan wants to taste her so badly, but Mari doesn't kiss him. Her eyes only sweep over his face, and then land on his lips.

When she speaks, he thinks he might die and tumble down the stairs. "I admit it. I like you this way. I expect you to say the unexpected, to do things to knock me off balance and make me drop my guard. I know you do it on purpose, but for the longest time I didn't know why. Now I do, and I think things are going to get very interesting between us. Don't you think?" She smiles the sexiest smile he's ever seen and traces the tips of her finger along his jaw, barely touching his skin.

Breathless, Trystan says, "You know me so well." He tries hard to hide it, but he can't. His body hums when she touches him. Those perfectly pink lips are so close. When Mari spoke, they touched his mouth with a light brush. The sensation is still shooting through him. It makes him want more. "So, are you planning on having your way with me on the stairs?"

Mari's face flames red. She laughs. "You're such an ass." Mari releases him and walks up a step.

Trystan repeats her swift movement and pins her to the wall. His hips press into hers and she gasps. There's no question about what she does to him. His eyes meet hers. His heart pounds harder. He leans in and brushes his lips across hers so lightly. It's a ghost of a kiss, as subtle as a whisper. He pulls back and Mari gasps and grabs her heart. The smirk on Trystan's face says he's playing, toying with her, but he's not. He'd kiss her like that all night, if he could.

Mari's knees are shaky after that. She tries to push off the wall and stand, but one leg doesn't cooperate and she falls into him. Trystan holds her arm and grins. "Took your breath away, did I?"

"You're evil," she says, smiling, still breathless. "We seriously need to get you a long black cloak and a helmet."

"We could, but I think that'd just turn you on." Trystan laughs as they walk up the stairs together and reach the upper landing. He follows Mari into her room. On her bed are some towels and a pair of jeans and a shirt, folded and stacked into a neat pile.

The smile fades from Trystan's lips. "What's this?"

Mari walks over to the pile and thrusts it at Trystan before she turns to the little bathroom in her room. "I thought you'd want to shower and change." She's opening the bathroom door and flicks on the lights. "I can reapply the make up around your neck in the morning. I'm guessing the bruise is an awesome shade of green now. Mine is." She lifts the hem of her shirt. The bruise on her belly is purple with green tinges around the edges. She lifts her gaze and looks at him, still holding onto her shirt.

Trystan's mouth has gone dry. He steps toward her and sets the clothes and towels down on the counter before slipping his hand around her middle. "I'm so sorry for this. So sorry." His voice is soft, barely audible. Something creeps up his throat and chokes him.

Trystan's fingers trace the bruise slowly, gently. Mari takes a slow breath, but exhales jaggedly. When he looks up, he sees her eyes and realizes what his touch did. While he was mourning his previous actions, she was frozen by his touch. Mari closes her eyes and blinks slowly, like she's trying to snap out of it. But she can't. Not as long as he's touching her like this.

Trystan withdraws his touch and runs his hand through his hair. Mari's chest swells as she breathes in. It draws attention to her breasts. It makes him wonder what it would feel like to hold them in his hands. Trystan tears his gaze away. Although Mari said she changed her mind that one time, she hasn't mentioned sex again. Trystan already decided that he won't pressure her. He won't sleep with her no matter what happens tonight.

Trystan gathers his wits and picks up the clothes and towels. "Thank you for this. I won't be long." Trystan slips past her into the bathroom and closes the door. For a moment, all he does it stare at the knob. He wants her so badly. He can't stand it. Every thought that fills his head is more forbidden than the last. The way Mari pressed him into the wall before set him on fire. Trystan knows he needs to calm down and put some distance between them or they'll end up tangled in her sheets faster than he can blink.

Trystan turns on the shower, making it as cold as he can tolerate.