Zacky’s POV

“What the fuck, man!” I ran my fingers through my hair in frustration, letting out an angry scream. I couldn’t believe that MJ just up and fucking left me after leading me on all night! Did I do something wrong? Did I read the signs wrong? Fuck, if I didn’t jack off soon, I was going to have the bluest balls known to man. MJ was such a fucking cock tease and I was about done. Though, I had to admit that I still wanted a piece of that little pussy—my bestial urge was screaming. It almost made me want to chase after her and rape her right there in the lawn but I knew better.

I kicked the banister and stormed back towards my room. No girl had ever up and left me mid fuck before and it fucking hurt. That bitch put a dent in my ego and I did everything right tonight! I bought her drinks, danced with her, talked to her about her personal life, complimented her, and made her feel good. And for what? That’s right, fucking nothing! I was so pissed right now that it took every ounce of my being not to trash my room. How fucking dare she turn down Zacky Vengeance? There were girls that would pay to be in her shoes!

Diving into my bed, I smashed my head down on the pillow. This fucking sucked big fat hairy monkey balls! Everything had been going so well and she definitely could have been a girl I was willing to date. Hell, she wasn’t the normal bimbo I hooked up with. MJ had layers and was funny and level headed, and on top of it, she didn’t know who Avenged Sevenfold was! Not to mention she was beautiful to boot. Damn, I just couldn’t believe my luck and to think that I was fight with Gates over this girl. She was nothing more than a little cock tease that liked to play games.That was it, I’m calling off the bet. There is no need to ruin my friendship with Brian over this bitch. She fucking fooled me good, but it wasn’t going to happen to again. Did I still want to fuck her? Fuck yeah, I wanted to fuck her senseless and leave her wanting more, only to turn around and walk away. Two could play at that fucking game, MJ.

I quickly pulled out my phone and tried to decide if I should text Gates. Did I want to call off the bet? Fuck yeah I did because I didn’t want to play these stupid chick games. I thought she was naïve but it turned out she knew exactly what little game she was playing. Fucking bitch! And did I really want to admit to Gates that I was cock blocked? Fuck, I didn’t want to think that I couldn’t be end game for MJ. Shit, this night fucking sucked!

It was then that my phone vibrated in my hand. Speak of the devil himself.

How was the end game? ~Gates

I blinked down at my phone, reading the message at least three times before letting out a scoff. Oh, I bet the end game would have been fucking amazing, but wouldn’t know. Okay, so I didn’t win the bet, but I didn’t want to come across as weak. I also would never admit that she left crying and I honestly had no idea why. What the fuck did I do? I just didn’t understand.

I wouldn’t know, the bitch passed out mid foreplay. Fucking slumdog *Vengeance*

I quickly typed back. There was no way that he would know that I was telling a little white lie. Just as long as MJ didn’t go around running her mouth that she cock blocked me, but she never seemed like the type. Then again, she didn’t seem like the type that would get me all worked up and bail either.

Is the bet still on? ~Gates

I sighed loudly and pinched the bridge of my nose. Was the bet still on? Fuck, I didn’t want to admit defeat and I wanted Matt’s sweet Chevy and a piece of that ass. Was it worth the games? Hell, I’ll let him call the bet off and make him look like the pussy in this situation. Chances are that if MJ cock blocked me, than she would cock block him too.

U better believe it, but remember bros b4 hoes *Vengeance*

Bros b4 hoes ~Gates

I smiled lightly to myself before rolling over and turning on the tv. There had to be some kind of porn that I could get off to that could get my mind off MJ. God she was ingrained in my brain and I couldn’t stop thinking about her. I would find some way to get to MJ and make her mine. I now had a new project.

MJ’s POV

Two blocks down the road, my once numb feet are painfully starting to throb again. I knew I never should have listened to Jimmy and wore these stripper boots. But then again, who would have thought that I would be walking halfway across Huntington Beach. Not to mention that the alcohol in my system was making it difficult to walk in them. “Wait a minute. I can’t do this anymore,” I said, stopping in the middle of the sidewalk and pulling off the boots. I looked up to see Brian looking down at me with a raised brow. “You’re lucky you’ve never had to where heels,” and I would bet money on it! Whoa, I was sounding a little bit like Dice or maybe that was the alcohol talking.

“Are you really going to walk down the street in just tights?” Was that concern in his voice? I had walked home numerous times in Miami without shoes on and had never had a problem. There couldn’t be that much difference between Huntington Beach and Miami. I’m sure that would be fine. I nodded my head, my eyes looking down at the ground. “You are aware that there is broken glass all over the place, right?”

Oh, so that’s what the shiny stuff is? I guess it is a little bit different here than it is Miami. I had just assumed that the concrete was made up of a heterogeneous blend of rocks. “Well, I’m pretty sure my feet are going to snap off in boycott if I have to put these shoes back on,” I said softly, still looking down at the ground and trying to remember how to walk in a straight line.

The next thing I know, Brian had pulled me onto his back with a small sigh. “You’re lucky I’m sober tonight,” he chuckled and I had to agree with him. If I hadn’t run into Brian outside of Zacky, I would have been lost. I had no idea where I was in relation to Johnny’s or even how to get home. Oh, and then there was that whole emotional breakdown I had ten minutes ago. I chewed my bottom lip as I felt his hands grip my exposed thigh. I really hoped that he was telling the truth about keeping his hands to himself.

“You just keep coming to my rescue,” I mumble more to myself than to him. It was still hard to believe that he had beat up Malcolm for me and had now found me in my moment of weakness. No one besides Dice had ever helped me as much as Brian had, and he barely knew me.

Brain chuckled lightly and patted my thigh. “Yeah, now we just have to make sure you stay out of trouble.” Well, that sounds easy doesn’t it? Unfortunately, nothing in my life had ever been that simple. Maybe he could tell me how to walk on cloud nine like a god?

A few minutes later, we had arrived at Brian’s house or mansion rather. This was the biggest house I had ever seen in my life and let me tell you, the inside was even more miraculous. From the moment that Brian dropped me on my feet in the threshold, my eyes were scanning the million-dollar piece of real estate. Okay, so maybe this Avenged Sevenfold thing wasn’t some silly little club that I had originally thought because these guys brought home bank. I didn’t get a very good look at Zacky’s house, but from what I did see, I could tell that it was just as nice.

My eyes danced along the walls in the hallway as I slowly followed Brian. They were lined with pictures of him and his friends and each one captured a special moment in time. He must have had some adventures because the group looked like they had been all around the world. It was something that I didn’t think that I would ever have.

“Pink? Pinkley!”I looked down the hall to see a white puffball fly down and jump right up into Brian’s arms. He smiled widely as he pet her head and pulled her into his chest. “Pinkley, meet MJ. MJ, meet Pinkley. She’s the only stable woman in my life,” he laughed, passing her off to me. “Go take a seat in the living room and I’ll be back with some coffee.” I chewed my bottom lip as I watched him walk away, leaving me with the adorable Maltese. He was really trusting me to be alone in the enormous house? I could get lost in a matter of seconds or better yet rob him and still live to tell the tail.

“Alright, it’s you and me, Pinkley,” I mumble into her soft fur and take a chance and turned to the left. Whoa, this room was beautiful. I gaped up at the tall wooden ceilings before I moved to take in the rest of the room. The room was furnished in beautiful leather furniture, dark wood floors, the largest TV I had ever seen, platinum records, and some of the most beautiful artwork that I had ever seen. “You live here?” I asked, looking down at the Maltese.

“Yep, this is La Casa De Gates.” Brian chuckled, lazily leaning against the dark wood doorframe, watching me with a small smile on his face and two cups of coffee in his hands. “What do you take in your coffee?”

“Just black would be wonderful,” I say as he ushered me over to the large couch in the middle of the room.

Brian raised a surprised brow at me, passing me the cup. “Really? I would have pegged you as a vanilla cream and sugar type of gal.” He shrugged at me as I pulled the red cup up to my lips and took a sip of the dark god. I let out a light moan, closed my eyes, and threw my head back as the warm rich taste flirted with my taste buds. Hell, this might have been the best cup of coffee I had ever had. “That good, huh?” A sexy chuckle escaped his smooth and oh so kissable lips as he watched over the top of his cup.

“Yes, thank you,” I said softly, a smile ghosting my lips. “It’s honestly just what I needed after-after a night like tonight.” Brian brow furred at me as he brought his cup to his lips. He looked like he was going to question my words but thought better of it and I was thankful for that. I really didn’t want to talk about running out on Zacky because of my anxiety. It was embarrassing enough that I had even put myself in that position. I just was the kind of girl that sex equated love and I didn’t want to get hurt. Hell, I wished I could take back the whole day and just start over. I was such an idiot.

“Alright, MJ,” Brian said, suddenly pulling me from my thoughts. “So I told you a secret about me, so now its you’re turn to return the favor.” What did he mean return the favor? What exactly did he want to know? I unconsciously bit my bottom lip and look at him nervously. I guess I did owe him for saving me twice now.

“A-alright…” I stammer out, taking in a ragged breath. “What do you want to know?” I had never met someone who was so blunt about getting information before. Usually people subtly asked me about myself, but not Brian. He came out guns a blazin’ and there was something attractive about that. Too bad he wasn’t the commitment type.

“Actually, let’s make this a little more interesting.” Okay, so now he is making me nervous. I wasn’t going to take my clothes off for him and if that’s what he wanted, I was going to walk out the door. The panic flutters in my chest and I gulp down a sip of coffee, hoping that I can keep myself together. “How about I ask you a question and then you ask me a question. That way I can get to know who the hell is poisoning my liver night after night.”

I chuckled as a small smile fell across my lips. “You mean like twenty questions?” Brian rolled his eyes lightly and shrugged before say ‘sure’. “Okay so do you want to go first?” I asked shyly, not sure what I wanted to ask him.

A large smirk graced Brain’s face as his chocolate orbs watched me, making my heart start to race. “So what does MJ stand for?” Really that’s the big first question that he’s been dying to ask?

“It stands for Mia Johnson,” I said with a shrug before taking another sip of my coffee, my eyelids getting heavy with each passing moment. “Dice started calling me that in high school and it just kind of stuck. I guess I never really felt like a Mia…” I stop myself, realizing that I had said too much. This was the most I had talked in front of man since my breakup with Mal, and it felt good. “Where did you get the name Synyser Gates?”

“I came up with it when I was nineteen when I was wasted in the park with Jimmy,” he chuckled, his dark eyes meeting mine. “Have you been to the park yet?”

“That counts as your next question,” I giggled. “And yeah, Dice took me there and got be drunk on wine for our first date here.” Brian gave me a questioning look and all I could do was shake my head with a smirk. Oh no, buddy, you’re going to have to wait until your next turn to ask that dirty little thought. “How long have you known your friends?”

“Fucking, hell.” He ran his hands over his face. “We grew up together. I got in a fight with Jimmy the first time I met him and then we’ve been best friends ever since.” He let out a small yawn which in turn caused me to yawn. Why were they always contagious? “Okay, so where did you come from?”

“My mother’s womb,” I chuckled, only to receive a pointed look. “Okay, okay, before I moved in with Dice, I was living in Miami.” Oh, that’s is all you’re going to get. “What exactly is Avenged Sevenfold?” Brian’s laughter exploded in the room, echoing through the ceiling and causing Pinkley to perk her head up on my lap.

“We are a heavy metal band,” he laughed, setting down his mug, his eyes never leaving me. “We started it when we were still in high school.” Oh, so that’s why there are platinum albums on the walls. “What was in Miami? Please tell me that jerk wasn’t the reason you came here.”

“That’s two questions,” I pointed out, my eyelids drooping as I slouched into the couch. I guess I was more tired that I originally thought because the coffee wasn’t really helping. I yawned again. “Okay, so I was in Miami for school. I just graduated in May with a degree in digital media and no, I met Malcolm after I moved here.” A small blush fell over my face as I looked down at Pinkley. “I should have known better.”

“What did he do?” Whoa, now we are entering a territory that I didn’t want to enter.

“It’s my turn,” I yawned again, closing my eyes. “What instrument do you play in the band? You don’t look like singer,” I said, my tone soft and tired.

“Have you never heard of google?” Was he serious? I wasn’t some kind of creep that was going to go digging around online. I like to make personal connections with people instead of relying on facts from other people, that was just part of who I was. I know, that’s surprising coming from a digital arts major.

“Google, what’s that?” I teased, resting my head back and closing my very heavy eyelids.

“Did you sleep with Zacky?” Was the last question I heard Brian ask before exhaustion took over, but not before I mouthed the word ‘no’.

“WHERE IS SHE?”

"Dice, have you ever heard of knocking? Sanders? What are you guys doing here?"

"Dicey was adiment on--"

"I'll say it again because you seem to be deaf this morning. WHERE IS SHE?"

I peeked my eyes open, noticing that I was covered in a fleece throw blanket with Pinkley at my feet. I must have passed out at Brian’s last night. A smile fell over my lips, thinking about Brian covering me up and tucking me in. That was really sweet.

“Shh, Dice, she is sleeping on the couch,” I heard Gates say softly from the hallway. “She’s fine. She’s safe.”

He was right. Brian had saved me and made me feel comfortable in my own skin again without any pressure. I owed him one.

Notes