After running all the way back to her hotel room, Cherry had allowed herself a good and lengthy cry in the shower. Then she had allowed herself a not so good cry on the floor of the bathroom until she was too tired and too numb to properly feel the crushing weight on her shoulders or the way her heart felt like it was being ripped right out of her chest. And finally, after all of that, the cheerleader picked herself back up just to start crying all over again the moment she fell onto the hotel bed. It took an hour, maybe more, for her to finally run out of the energy and hydration that would have been required to keep up with her raging emotions. Exhausted in every way a body or soul could be, Cherry changed into her silk slip and its matching robe. All of her friends were out celebrating but she doubted any of them would ask why she was staying behind.
She nearly ripped the phone stand from the desk from how harshly she grabbed handle, fingers angrily smashing in her father’s number. Oh, and there was nothing calm about the way she laid into him the moment he picked up! Cherry - quiet, soft-spoken, dutiful daughter Cherry - was just yelling into the speaker, viciously angry. What did it matter if anyone out in the hallway heard? What else could they learn about her that hadn’t already been aired out in the lobby earlier? She paced angrily about the floor, listening to her old man grovel and simper. “God, Dad, I hope you’re happy!” She spat back incredulously, tired of the ‘I’m only looking out for you’ routine. “It takes a real great man - a real godly guy - to just railroad his daughter’s feelings like that and literally force a drug addict to relapse! Seriously, what the hell is wrong with you? Where’s your shame, huh?”
She was still tearing into the older man when she first heard the knock on her door. At first, she tried to ignore it. Some of her friends and teammates had been stopping by here and there to see if she was okay after everything, she just assumed it was more of the same. “Dad - Dad, hold on — we’re not even close to done here…” Cherry bounded off the bed, feet carrying her towards the hotel room door that she swung open gracelessly. “Listen, I’m fine. Everything’s great. I wasn’t horribly embarrassed earlier and my life isn’t in shambles, so please just go —” She paused, coming face to face with the last person that she wanted to see at the moment. “Away.” Her wet gaze trailed over him, fingers simply burning with the need to take his face between her hands even now. Instead, she curled them into fists at her sides. “Julian.”
If she could focus on anything but the boy in her doorway, she might have registered her father’s sudden shouting through the phone.
it had been a long time since he had felt so utterly out of control. he honestly wasn’t sure what he could do to fix things. if she would even want to fix things given the look she had given him. how she had spoken about how he was dead weight for her to get rid of. the moment he got off the elevator on her floor he heard yelling. it took him a second to realize that the one yelling seemed to be cherry. instantly he was confused but he kept moving closer to the door. his hand shoved the hood off his head before he began to knock on the door. if she didn’t answer he knew that he would just keep knocking until either security was called or she opened the door. he was relieved at the sound of footsteps and it took him a few moments to realize that she had to be on the phone.
the door swung open and he froze at the sight of her. it was obvious that she had spent a majority of her afternoon crying. now that he was face to face with her, he didn’t know what he should do. it was clear she was shocked to see him and he could hear her father yelling on the phone. he wasn’t too sure what he should do but he was not going to leave till they talked again. he forced himself to move forward into the room and reached to grasp at her face,” lo lamento, alright? i’m sorry.” he didn’t care if her father heard anything that he was saying. he kicked the door shut behind him but continued to back her into the nearest wall. his forehead came to rest against her own as he pushed himself against her.
one of his hands tore the phone from her grasp and tossed it aside. he didn’t care to see if the call had ended or not. he tilted her head up to force their eyes to meet,” i’m not letting you leave me, not like this.” he didn’t know if he would be able to make it without her and he thought she would know that. at the very least he hoped that she would. his fingers ran up into her hair only to smash his mouth against hers, unforgiving and brutal. a groan fell from him as he just prayed that she would kiss him back,” you’re mine, you belong with me, no one else!”














