Chapter 11

"Where have you been?"

Cupid opens up the door to the store. He looks like he has an attitude right now. He should. I've been MIA. I've been hiding out. I can't escape the fact that I let Storm in and he was the one who really killed Lady at the end of the day. I was falling for a murderer. The weight of it all was too fucking much. I had no idea who I was dealing with. I never did.

"You were right," I realize, "About them..."

We head to the back. It's been three days. Three days that I've avoided everything that had to do with Storm or his friends. I had forgotten what I should have always remembered. I was there to find out what happened to Malachi.

I tell Cupid the story in the back. Cupid rubs my shoulder. I guess he's trying to calm me down but right now it isn't working. Three days and nothing. I look down at my phone. It's ringing again.

"Is it him?" he asks me.

I nod. Storm has been calling frequently.

"When I overheard him and Savannah, he returned to the table afterward," I explain to Cupid, "I tried to play it off but it was all in my tone. It was all my voice. He asked me what was wrong. I told him that there was nothing wrong. I was lying like shit and he knew. He kept grabbing my hand..."

"Aggressively?"

I shrug, "Maybe. It was hard. I told him I had to use the bathroom. Truth was, I just had to get away. I left his apartment and never came back."

Ever since then Storm has been blowing up my phone and sending me millions of text messages. He had to know deep inside that I had overheard what he admitted to.

"So he admitted to killing Lady and Malachi?"

I can't catch my breath. The nervousness is making me breathe extra hard as I tell the story. I feel like an idiot coming back to Cupid and admitting he was right about Storm, but I have nowhere else to go. I have no one else to turn to.

"Just Lady, but if he killed her then he probably had something to do with Malachi too."

"Damn friend," he responds, "I'm sorry."

We have a moment where I feel like even though we been through a whole bunch of shit Cupid is still my best friend at the end of the day. I had been neglecting our friendship chasing after Storm but now I was realizing that this was the guy who was there at the end of the day.

"I'm sorry too. For not believing you."

"Listen, when I spoke to Lady I saw some desperation in her eyes," he tells me, "I could tell something really happened to her. You didn't see her face. I can understand why you doubted it."

"So we good?" I ask him.

Cupid thinks about it for a minute in his usual dramatic way. Soon enough he extends me a hand, though.

"Hell yeah. We good. You my bitch."

Before I can reach out to shake his hand he pulls me in for a tight hug. It comforts me for a moment. It makes me feel like maybe I didn't make all the bad choices in the world. Soon enough, though, my reality sinks back in. I knew about a murder.

"I don't know what I'm going to do Cupid," I admit.

"Shit. That's a good question."

"Should I go to the cops?"

"You really want to get involved in a murder case, Demarco?" he asks me.

Truth was, I was already involved whether I wanted to be or not. I understood what Cupid was trying to say, though. This shit was serious. I could be ruining three people's lives.

"I don't have all the details. I don't know if I feel comfortable just running to the cops like that," I tell Cupid, "I'm not made like that."

"Then maybe take the pill."

"What?"

I hadn't even thought of the pill. After I found out that the pill wasn't just transforming me into a random girl but was actually making me into a dead girl, I wasn't comfortable with it. It was creeping me out. I told Cupid everything. He knew how I felt about it. His suggestion wasn't only stupid but it was kind of reckless too.

Cupid tries to make his case in the best way.

"Listen. OK," Cupid explains, "You have her confront them. You get the information that you need. Then you go to the cops as Lady. It's as simple as that. No one will blame you. Everyone will blame Lady. That way Demarco's name isn't tied up into any of this."

"The problem with that is that the cops will think that Lady is still alive. If she's still alive then what is the crime?"

Lady had made an appearance at public events. As far as anyone knew Lady was not only alive but she was alive and fine.

Cupid puts his hand under his chin, "Shit. I ain't even think about that."

" Yo---these people really going to get away with murder."

"Maybe not."

"What?"

"Your grandmother's been trying to get in contact with you," Cupid explains, "Supposedly there is a video out there of Malachi's death. The cops are looking into it as a murder now."

"A video?"

"Yup. They are going through it now. They called your grandmother for the update."

Oh dam.

That was definitely interesting, to say the least.

"They might just answer for the shit they did," I realize.

Cupid shrugs, "Man...hopefully..."

Just at that moment, I hear something in the front. It's the beginning of the day. Way too early for anyone to come in.

"Hey! Anyone back there?"

I can hear the deep, dark tones of Storm's voice. Immediately, I'm panicking. I don't know how to confront him after what I heard. I'm just shocked that he's showing up to my job looking for me.

Cupid looks over at me. I'm looking at him for answers on why the fuck Storm Underwood was walking into his shop right now. All Cupid can muster is a short whisper, "He's been coming in every morning," Cupid says, before adding in a quick follow-up, "It's weird as fuck."

He's right. It's weird and scary. My heart is thumping through my chest at that moment. What if he wanted to finish the job? What if he wanted to tie up loose strings?

What if I was that loose string?

Storm, Savannah and Tempest were murderers. They were killers. I didn't want anything to do with them.

"Get rid of him," I whisper back.

Cupid takes a deep breath. He seems just as nervous as I am but luckily he decides to go with it. He walks out from the back. I turn the corner just enough to see Storm approaching the front counter at Cupid's bow. Storm looks good. I have to admit. He might have been an accessory to murder but he was always so damn fine. He has on a blazer. He looks like he's going to something important. From the looks of it, he seems to have everything together. No one could have guessed the deep skeletons Storm was hiding in his closet.

"Cupid, did Demarco come in yet?" Storm asks.

"No. Sorry man. Still haven't found him."

"Are you fucking serious?" he asks, "He's been ignoring my texts and calls."

I've never seen an expression like this on Storm's face. He looks concerned. Really concerned. He almost looks scared.

"He does that sometimes. I'm sure he's OK."

This doesn't seem really enough for Storm. He is pacing back and forth. He clenches his fists. He looks both concerned and angry at the same time like he is really tripping about something. Then I notice something else. Bags are underneath Storm's eyes. I hadn't noticed it before when he walked in. I thought he looked like his fine self as usual, but it's clear that Storm seems stressed out. It looks like he hasn't been sleeping or something like that.

He looks like he's unraveling right in front of us.

"I NEED TO FUCKING TALK TO HIM!" he shouts.

He looks like he is about to jump over the counter at Cupid. My heart skips a beat when I see this. I think about running out before he hurts Cupid. It doesn't seem like Storm is completely there right now. He's scaring me and he's definitely scaring Cupid.

"Listen. Maybe he just doesn't want to talk to you."

"No. He just overheard some shit. I just want to make sure he don't go around talking about shit he doesn't understand."

"What did he hear?" Cupid asks.

I wonder if Storm is going to admit it to Cupid.

"Nothing."

"You sure about that?" Cupid asks.

"Nothing," he responds, "That's between me and him. Mind your fucking business yo..."

Storm is aggressive. He's aggressive as fuck right now. Cupid is pushing him and Cupid has no idea. I feel sorry for my best friend and his big ass mouth right now. Storm was always well put together but right now he wasn't himself. Cupid should just realize that and shut the fuck up before he starts making things worse.

"You sound a little defensive," Cupid says.

I almost think Cupid calling him out will make Storm flip out completely. It doesn't though. He seems to regain his composure. He takes a few deep breaths as though trying to calm down.

"You right. My bad. I just...I want to see him. I want to see Demarco," he responds before shaking his head, "I just want to make sure he's OK."

"He's fine. I'm sure he just needs to think about what he's heard."

"Well, he can think about it all he wants. I just don't want him talking to anyone about it."

What was Storm trying to hide? He's so desperate at that moment. I can see it written all over his face too. He's studying Cupid's face tryign to see if Cupid is lying. I can't tell if Cupid is giving himself away. Cupid does seem composed but there was no real telling. Storm wants to know if Cupid knows more than he is letting on. Storm is worried about something.

"I don't think he has...but you never know," Cupid states.

This seems to scare Storm even more and he finally lays out his real concern, "Has he been...talking to Lady recently?"

Weird question to ask. Why would he care if I was talking to Lady?

"Not that I'm aware of."

"You know her too right, Cupid?"

"Yeah, kind of."

"I'm promoting a club tonight. It's on the Jefferson rooftops. Do you think you could invite her out? You're definitely welcome to come as well," he explains, "There are some things I just need to discuss with her."

I watch as Storm writes down his number.

"I'll try to get her out," Cupid explains.

Storm nods. He starts walking to the door at that moment. He stops short though and turns, "And if you can...would you bring Demarco too? Or at least tell him...tell him I really do care about him..."

Storm leaves at that moment.

Hearing Storm admit that he really cared about me sends shivers down my spine. I feel weak on my knees, literally. I lean up against the nearest wall and just stand there. The boy fucking cared about me. This should have been a dream. This was my fantasy for so long. Still, him wanting to see me so desperately was weird.

Cupid must think so too because the look he has on his face when he comes back to me after Storm leaves proves it.

"Don't you dare get soft on him. You do remember you overheard him admitting to having something to do with Lady's death right?" Cupid states.

He knows me too well.

I sigh shaking my head.

"Man Cupid. You're right. I just don't know what to do. I feel like he wants to talk to me about something. I feel like maybe I should at least hear his side of the story."

"You heard what he said. He wants to keep you quiet."

"He said he wanted to stop me from talking to Lady."

"Exactly. He's scared his shit is coming back to haunt him. He probably regrets what happened with Lady."

I remember how Storm acted when he first met Lady. What I thought was love could have been regret. He was shocked to see her and realize that she had survived. Maybe he felt like he could make things better with her now that she didn't remember. The only thing standing in the way of Storm and complete redemption now was me.

Cupid had a point. As always.

"You think...he would try to hurt me?" I ask.

Cupid nods, "You know too much. He looks desperate. You should have seen how he was acting out there."

I did see how he was acting. Isaw his reactions from behind the curtain that leads to the back workroom. Storm was desperate as fuck. He was desperate and scared.

I take a deep breath, "But he said he cared about me."

"He was in a relationship with Lady when she ended up getting shot, remember?" Cupid explains, "This motherfucker is cold."

I sigh, "So I should avoid the event tonight?"

"You do realize this is a rooftop event, don't you?" he asks, "Alcohol is going to be served. He could easily explain pushing you off the building. No one would question a thing."

"I need answers, though."

"I agree...and we'll get them together. Just not me and Demarco. But, me and Lady," Cupid explains.

~

The rooftop is what I imagined. It's lit up gorgeously. String lights and mason jar solar lights were lined up. There were three separate bars. The moon seemed to shine down and cast this nostalgic shadow on everyone in the room. It illuminated the faces of the most important looking people I've ever been around in my life. The party seems to be serving as a political fundraiser as well. Some woman is running for Mayor and is making sure that the heavy hitters in Atlanta are all out to support her. Walking in there I know that Team Underwood had done it again.

"I'm glad you didn't wear a bra with that dress. It's fitting you like a glove," Cupid says.

Cupid escorts me into the party as Lady. I took the pill.

I took the pill.

Cupid is right. I'm not wearing a bra. I don't need to. Lady's body is perfect and I seem to know it. Her confidence is definitely coming through.

"I'm not wearing any panties either," I laugh.

He laughs with me. I have complete control of Lady. I don't know what happened before on that day that I lost control. Maybe it was some side effect where I had let her consciousness take over completely but right now I am hoping I remain in control of this body. I can feel Lady's consciousness slightly, though. It's in my confidence. Here I was wearing a skin tight dress made out of latex that seemed to sell sex in every way possible. He was able to whip me up a quick dress in a matter of hours. I had designed it though. I knew what Lady would feel comfortable in.

I'm looking around frantically for Storm.

"You OK? You want me to get you a drink?" Cupid asks, "With perfection like that I'm sure any man here would be willing to pay for it."

"Cupid, I want to stay sober. I'm scared she'll take over again..."

Admitting that out loud was kind of scary. Even admitting it out loud felt like maybe Lady would overhear or something. She would know what I was thinking. It was the most uncomfortable feeling in the world.

"Listen. I think I know why she took over last time," Cupid tells me.

"How?"

"When you take a pill you have residual effects. It's still in your blood even after the effects wear off. Just make sure that when you become Demarco again you flush out your system. You drink a lot of water. Get all that shit out of you."

That was a good idea but it didn't make me feel any better. Knowing that Lady had forced herself into my mind to force me to take a pill at some point makes me afraid.

"I don't know if this was a good idea."

"You'll be fine. Have a good time. Flirt a little bit. Play the room. You are Lady. Look at you. The world is yours right now," Cupid explains.

Cupid was having the same effect on Lady that everyone had. They just looked up to her in a way that no one looked up to Demarco. He thought she was perfection. Maybe I was. My lips were the right color. Every time I turned my face I noticed that there was someone else staring back at them.

"I'm not here for that. I came for answers."

"She wants answers too..." Cupid said.

He had a point. I had been selfish for a long time. Lady wanted answers and she deserved them. I was going to figure out what was going on one way or another.

"Let's split up," I suggest, "I'll go look for Storm. You try to gather intel as well."

"I got your back," Cupid tells me.

"Be careful," I warn Cupid.

These people weren't anything to fuck with. Still, it was nice knowing that I had Cupid on my side. I had made up with my friend and we were going to make sure that we figured this shit out together. We were going to do this for Malachi. We were going to do this for Lady. Matter of fact: I was going to do this for myself. I deserved to know who Storm really was.

I end up on the other side of the party. I still haven't found Storm but luckily I find the next best thing. Tempest is there. She is talking to the twins. They seem to be in a serious conversation. I think about eavesdropping and finding out what it is but I remember that I'm not Demarco. Lady would cause a scene even walking by.

Luckily there is another option. Miles. Miles is close by as well. Before I get anywhere close, I see Miles approaching me. The good thing about being Lady is that men lose their fucking minds around her.

"You look...eh, dam..." he says.

I bat my eyes as Miles approaches me.

"Thanks, Miles. You're always so nice to me," I state.

"Can't help it," he replies, "You are a dime."

I smile at that moment, "Nothing compared to Ivory."

I'm flirting with him in the slyest way ever. I watch his eyes divert back over to where the twins are. It's clear that he has a crush on me. Me even bringing up Ivory seems to make him question things.

"Can I keep it 100 with you? Between us, though?" he asks.

"Your secret's safe with me."

He leans in at that moment, "Ivory never really seems all that into me sometimes. If you had ever given me a chance instead of that fag. I would have taken it."

For someone who was so homophobic, it was also clear that Miles ran his mouth just like a girl. This was a good thing, though. He was trying so hard to impress Lady that I could get information out of him.

"Excuse me?"

"Oh, you haven't heard?" Miles asks, "Storm is a fag. The worst part about it is everyone is still kissing his ass knowing that he probably spends his time kissing Demarco's ass. Literally. Isn't that crazy? You should have chosen me, girl."

Storm's admission at the cabin trip had definitely come with consequences. I'm sure Miles wasn't the only one who was turning on him. Then again, Miles did mention that everyone was still kissing Storm's ass. So it may not have been a big deal.

"I'm sure whatever he has going on is nothing," I state.

"Nothing? That's what Savannah said. Don't see her around do you?"

That's when I realize it. He's right. Savannah isn't around. At all.

"Shit. Where is she?"

"He supposedly sent her to promote all these parties in Los Angeles. I guess she was fucking with his little gay romance so he had to send her away. That's what he does. He did the same thing to Gunner. Gunner got between him and his Demarco and Gunner is a nobody now. This party is the same time as Gunner's fashion show. I read a tweet saying it's a ghost town in that bitch. No one's attending."

I sigh.

Why am I sad? I should be happy. Right?

This was Storm proving he really cared about Demarco. Still, there is something inside of me that seems to be disappointed at the news.

"So you think it's serious between Demarco and Storm?" I ask.

"Fuck yes it is. What do you think they are over there discussing right now?"

I look in the corner of my eyes.

Sure enough, Tempest is talking to the twins. The look on their faces say it all. They are having a very serious discussion bout something. I'm not sure what, but it has to be really serious.

"What's happening?"

"Tempest is losing her control. Ebony likes Demarco and convinced her sister to give Demarco a chance. With Savannah gone, Tempest has no backup. They are trying to convince Tempest but she's not budging on how she feels about Demarco."

"Interesting."

Just at that moment, we are interrupted. It's Cupid. He's found Storm. Storm barely even looks at me when he walks over. He just stands there at that moment.

"Look who I found," Cupid tells me bringing Storm over.

Storm has on a suit. It's fitted and he looks sexy as fuck in it. It's tailored so perfectly for him. He smiles as he leans in for a hug. It's not the kind of hug you give a lover, though. It's the kind of hug you give a friend. I notice the difference when he pulls away relatively quickly.

"Where's Demarco?" Storm asks Cupid.

"You said you wanted me to bring Lady," Cupid acts surprised.

"Yeah and Demarco too if you could," Storm responds, "Kind of wanted to have a conversation with the both of them."

"Kind of weird how Demarco and Lady are never together at the same time," a voice says.

I turn and notice Tempest walking over with the twins. Maybe Storm's presence made her aware of mine. She smiles at me but doesn't give me the friendly hug even after the twins take turns giving me one. She just stands there as though she is suspicious of everything. It's so weird how she finds that suspicious.

"Well, I'm here now," I state, "Maybe the two of us could talk in private, Storm."

I grab onto Storm's hand as flirtatiously as possible.

In the weirdest way, Storm pushes me off of him.

"Actually I didn't want to talk to you."

I'm confused. I'm not only confused, but I feel a little embarrassed. Cupid and I exchange looks. What the fuck was that about?

"You asked to see me," I state, "Specifically..."

"Yeah but not for me. The girls did," he states, "I just invited you on their behalf. I was more interested in seeing Demarco. Cupid, is he going to show up or----"

Storm plays me. He turns away completely as though I don't even exist. I'm shocked. No one has ever done something like this to me, I mean, to Lady before! I think. I'm not even sure. Or maybe I am. All these thoughts are running through my fucking head at that moment. I'm getting a little cold. It's different from the hot that I felt before. I was getting cold as hell.

I was shivering. Then I remember. I usually get hot when Demarco wants to take over, but I get cold when Lady wants to take over.

I'm feeling cold...

This isn't a good thing!

Cupid shakes his head, "Demarco couldn't come."

"I feel like you're playing fucking games. Did you even deliver the message?" Storm stares at Cupid in a weird way.

"Why wouldn't I deliver the message?"

"Because you been acting weird since I gave you my number," Storm contends with Cupid, "You've been hitting me up all trying to flirt and shit, knowing damn well I just gave you my number because I wanted to make sure Demarco would be here."

I look at Cupid. Cupid looks at me. What kind of low down dirty type shit is that?

"He has?" I ask.

"Girl let the boys talk that out amongst themselves," Tempest says, "We would like to talk to you. Alone."

Tempest pulls me to the side. Storm is still arguing with Cupid. I feel betrayed right now and luckily Storm is going off on Cupid, embarrassing the fuck out of him. Miles and a few others have gathered around to watch Storm putting Cupid on blast for being messy. A part of me wants to stay but I realize Tempest has other plans. I watch as the three girls surround me. I realize how close we are to the edge of the roof.

We are a little too close.

"I think you're overexaggerating," one of the twins tells Tempest out of no where.

Tempest shakes her head, "No the hell I'm not. I'm telling you. She is up to something and we need to talk."

"About what?" I interrupt.

"About you and Demarco," Tempest responds.

I'm shocked. Did they know something?

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't fucking pretend like you don't know," Tempest responds, "I've been on to you from the fucking start."

"On to what?" I ask, "What's going on?"

"Stop being so mean to her," Ebony responds.

I know it's Ebony because she is being nice.

"No FUCK that Ebony. You think Demarco and her are so innocent. They aren't. You know what happened that night Ebony? I let you know what went down."

Ebony shakes her head, "I don't care about what you and Lady have going on. That's fine. Leave Demarco out of it. Demarco and your brother want to be happy together. Why don't you stop being a homophobe? Your brother is gay."

Ebony is sticking up for me. At that moment I realize that maybe I had a real friend right under my eyes. Cupid was off being messy as fuck trying to get with Storm behind my back but Ebony was sticking up for me. Looking at her I wonder why I never confided in her and talked to her more. She is really going toe to toe with Tempest in an attempt to protect me.

"I don't care about my brother being gay. It's deeper than that!" Tempest argues with Ebony, "This is about him and his relationship with Lady."

Tempest looks at me. Suspicious. She's been suspicious this entire time, though. It's all coming down to a head.

It's all coming down to this very moment...

"What?" I ask.

"I think you know what this is about," Tempest says pulling us away, "I think you really remember what happened that night and we need to set shit straight."

"What night?" I ask.

"Stop pretending," Tempest states, "You sent that little boy didn't you? You sent Demarco after my brother. I know you, Lady. You are so manipulative."

I'm so confused.

"What are you talking about?"

"You know."

Ivory steps forward looking at me, "Girl, are you OK? Lady is shivering."

I'm cold. I'm so cold.

Tempest puts a finger on my chest. She pushes me ignoring the fact that I'm shivering.

"I know what you did," Tempest states, "And you know what we did. Let's stop the shit. You aren't going to the cops. I know you aren't. You want revenge, don't you? Well let's put all the fucking cards on the table bitch. Because I won't let you use Demarco to manipulate my brother like you did before?"

I'm so confused. I'm so cold.

"Tell her what you mean Tempest. She seems confused," Ivory says.

"Fine. You want to play dumb. I'll tell you everything that happened that night," Tempest states, "It all started when..."

I feel so cold.

Whatever Tempest says just goes in one ear and out the other.

Fuck. Not now! Please not now!

I try to fight it but it's too late.

I'm losing control!

I'm losing control to Lady again!

~

I wake up as Demarco. I can just tell that I'm in my regular body. I feel like shit. I have a huge headache and I can't remember a thing. The last thing I remember was that Tempest was about to have a conversation with me. It's a conversation that she never ended up having. It must be the middle of the night and the only thing that wakes me up is a phone that keeps ringing. It keeps ringing over and over and over. I'm laying in my bed. I'm completely naked. My sheets are wet. Maybe from sweat.

I lean over at that moment and pick up the phone.

"Hello?"

"Baby, it's me." the other person on the line is frantic.

"Grandma?"

My grandmother is usually asleep at this time of night. The fact that she is calling me so late is definitely weird. It must be important. I wipe the sleep out of my eyes realizing that this had to be something serious.

"We have good news baby. The police called me. They have video evidence of who killed Malachi. It seems like there was surveillance footage from when it happened."

"Thank god. Who was it?"

"A girl. A girl killed him, baby."

I shake my head.

"Did they say the name of the person? Savannah? Tempest?"

She shakes her head.

"They said the name but it wasn't one of those. It was a weird name, baby. I think the name was Lady."

I panic. That was impossible. It had to be fucking impossible. I jump up at that moment turning on the light.

That's when I notice something else. It was sweat on my sheets. It was blood. It was fucking blood!

"Grandma let me call you back."

"You OK----"

I hang the phone up. There is blood on my sheets. At first, I think it might be period blood but I move the comforters and realize how much blood is there. It was almost like someone was stabbed. It was almost like someone was killed in my apartment. I walk out of my room into the living room.

Someone is sitting on my couch.

Still.

Not moving. The person is just sitting and not reacting...

I realize it's a girl.

I walk forward. I'm slow. I'm patient. Sweat is dripping down my forehead. My pulse is racing. . I'm confused. I'm naked but I don't even care as I approach the person. The person is just...sitting there.

The first thing I notice is the full hair. It was one of the twins. Then I notice the dress from tonight...

It was Ebony.

"Ebony?"

No answer.

I walk around and that's when my mouth drops.

Ebony has been stabbed multiple times. She was dead...on my fucking couch!

To read the next chapter in advance go to www.crushedcrown.com