Chapter 21
Arianna was so pissed about her parents unexpectedly showing up that she barely spared a lingering gaze at Pierce’s naked form while they showered. Pierce was bigger than Jesse. She knew this because Jesse’s spirit animal was a peacock. He would often get out of the shower and eagerly walk around nude in her presence. Most likely trying to attract her attention and spark some lustful desires within her. Arianna would be the first to admit she was tempted a handful of times, but she knew she would be opening Pandora’s Box. Everyone who knew the pair was quick to ship them, including Jesse’s grandfather. The Vanderbilts had it stuck in their heads that Arianna would be Mrs. Vanderbilt one day, but she didn’t see that happening. Hands down, Jesse would cheat at some point, and then Arianna would be on death row. Jesse had proven time after time that he needed to feel wanted, and attention from anybody would suffice.
Pierce could feel the tension roll off of Arianna’s body. He understood her rage when it came to her parents, but he wondered if it went deeper than them gambling away her college fund.
“Do you want to talk about it?” Pierce asked once Arianna shut off the shower.
“Not really. I don’t want to bother you with my problems.”
“Well, you kinda got me involved when you proclaimed that we were married.”
“Can you just forget about that?”
“Nah. Trust me when I say this will come back and bite you in the ass. Now what you’re gonna do is dry off, lay on the bed, and tell me what’s bothering you while I give you the best massage of your life.”
Arianna smirked up at Pierce and wasn’t surprised by his eagerness to put his hands on her body. She was just as eager and complied without putting up a fight.
“Oils and lotions are on the counter,” Arianna said, wrapping her towel around herself before exiting the bathroom. She fed Legs earlier before she left but was surprised he was still lazily napping in his cat tree instead of trying to scope out her new guest.
Arianna lit a few of her aromatherapy candles and untied the sheer curtains that hung from her bed. She pulled back her fluffy white down comforter and laid on her stomach.
“This is a pretty romantic setup you got going on in here,” Pierce commented, pulling the sheer material out of the way.
“That’s unfortunate. It was meant to be relaxing, not romantic,” Arianna teased.
“Alright. So I’m gonna stay quiet, and you talk. If you want my opinion in the end, then let me know, okay?”
“Fine,” Arianna agreed.
“Alright, now assume the position,” Pierce instructed.
Arianna slowly turned over and revealed her backside to Pierce and rested her cheek on her forearms. Pierce straddled her back but was careful not to crush her tiny body under his massive weight.
“My parents…where do I begin?”
“Wherever you want,” Pierce encouraged, focusing on Arianna’s silky skin under his fingertips.
Arianna let out a tiny moan, but Pierce had to wonder if he was enjoying the massage more than she was.
“I grew up in a lovely house in a typical suburban neighborhood. My parents had great–paying jobs working for the state. Their combined income allowed
us to live comfortably. I grew up an only child with all the newest toys and the cutest and most fashionable clothing and shoes.
I think I was 13 when everything began going downhill. My parents took a trip to the casino and won $80,000.00 on a slot jackpot. That was the catalyst for their gambling addiction. No one knew, and it took me a while to pick up on the signs.
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Chapter 21
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They couldn’t stop. It was a wrap once they got their first taste of victory, Slots, scratch–offs, Powerball, bingo, the horses, sports games; they didn’t discriminate when it came to losing money. They were always looking for that next big win. Instead of taking the $80,000 they won and investing it, they threw all of it back. They were firm believers in “go big or go home.”
I began to notice when the gifts underneath the Christmas tree became sparser and sparser as the years went on. There were no more shopping trips or bi–weekly dinners to our favorite steakhouse. Birthday parties that usually included my classmates dwindled to a “family gathering consisting of my mom and dad at home.
They became obsessed with conserving energy and water. I couldn’t leave the light above the stove on without getting fussed at, and Lord help you if you were caught taking a shower longer than ten minutes.
My mom would go grocery shopping, and our only organic food products were quickly swapped for the generic brands. The cable was cut, and my parents insisted that everything you would want to watch was on streaming services.
I was strongly urged to get a job as soon as I legally could. My first job was at a cupcake shop, where I worked 35 hours a week while maintaining my school work and extracurricular activities. I was no longer given lunch money or taken school clothes shopping. When I questioned this, I was told it was to teach me responsibility. I was even told that I needed to pay my portion of my phone bill. The car I have now originally belonged to my mom. I took over the payments, and fortunately, I made the final payment this month.
Bill collectors began calling the house, and past–due notices arrived in the mail. One day I was nosy and went through their credit card statements. All of the credit cards were maxed out from cash advances and charges to the local casino.
When my grandparents passed away, they left me a college fund in a trust account that I couldn’t touch. They had no idea my parents had a gambling problem. I would continually check the monthly statements to ensure the money was there. Throughout the summer, the money remained. I giddily purchased dorm essentials and a new laptop for school. The weekend before I was supposed to move into my dorm was when they gambled away my entire trust. What makes matters worse is that they didn’t tell me until the night before I was supposed to move into my dorm. Pierce, harder,” Arianna groaned.
Pierce was paying particular attention to Arianna’s neck and shoulders, where she held most of her tension. It saddened and angered Pierce that Arianna’s parents could be so undeniably selfish.
“That was my future, Pierce. My future to them was dice on a craps table, the lever on a slot machine, the tiny white ball on a roulette table, and a quarter that furiously scratched on a scratch–off. I should be at some frat party right now doing my first keg stand and waking up in the morning with a massive hangover, not-”
“Not receiving a massage from some old dude. I understand.”
“That’s not what I was going to say at all. I was going to say, not laying here wondering how my parents found out where I lived and what nefarious plan they’re up to. I don’t trust them, Pierce. I bet they are going to ask for money or something.”
“I would hope they wouldn’t sink so low,” Pierce responded.
Arianna turned around slightly and met Pierce’s blue gaze with quirked eyebrows. “Are you serious? We’re talking about the same folks I told you gambled away my college tuition, and you don’t think they would ask for money? Hell, I’d be shocked if they didn’t.”
