Falling For Insanity

Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine:

Rosie Mae's POV

The tension between the two brothers was growing thick within just a couple days. I had noticed it when I arrived at Faiths house the other night. Ever since, Blake has been going to extreme lengths to keep out of Eric's path.

Something had to of happened for them to act so hostile towards each other. But both men were closed books when it came to feelings, especially when it came to things they cared about. Both of them were stubborn in different ways. To an outsider, it appeared that they were two very different people but also two very similar people...and they both hated those similarities.

I couldn't really complain, considering Blake avoiding Eric just gives me all the more of an excuse to stay away as well.

The way Eric randomly popped up made my entire day, every day, full of anxiety, wondering rather or not he will appear near me again. I caught myself constantly looking over my shoulder, always checking my surroundings.

My mind always on the next interaction with him, I never feel fully present in the moment I'm in. The books I read, no longer being read due to scary thoughts and feelings. The music I listen to, now being drowned out by the sound of his voice in my head, speaking in loops. Conversations with pretty much anyone, overridden by remembering previous ones with him.

Eric was slowly and intentionally taking over my entire life and mind.

And I am out of control.

"Hello?" I say into my phone when my i********: scrolling was interrupted by a call from an unknown number.

"Hello, Rosie Mae."

I sat up in my bed at the sound of his raspy voice, turning on the lamp on my bedside table. It was like he knew I was anticipating the next time I talk to him.

"How did you get my number?" Is the first thing I ask, a call from him being what I expected the least. He did like a good shock factor though, maybe I actually should've expected it.

"I took your phone, remember?"

"What do you want?"

A chuckle sounds through the phone. His intimidating presence wasn't there to keep my mind off that deep voice and attractive chuckle. My body couldn't help but to shudder when it reached my ears.

"It's Christmas time, Rosie. Be a little sweeter."

The irony in his response makes me scoff. "I could say the same to you." I let out a sigh, tucking my messy hair behind my ear. "Seriously, what do you want?"

"I got a little bored. So I thought I might bother you some."

I've always loved my rooms cozy touch. Fuzzy blankets, fluffy lounge chairs, a little book nook I made myself, dim lighting and a pine scented candle to give it that extra warm feeling. If it wasn't for not wanting to be home with my mom ever, I'd be home all the time...in my room, reading a good story and munching on unhealthy snacks.

When I am home, this is where I want to be. On my bed, in my room. I am fearful Eric is going to take this safety zone away from me too.

In my head, I knew the life and comfortability I desired. Reaching that felt impossible. At this point, I wanted to move states after graduation, start a whole new life that I wanted. All this time I've been working towards whatever else is out there for me. The wrench Eric has thrown at my life has now left me stagnant, knowing my future depends on whatever and wherever Eric is leading me to.

"Should I be flattered?" I rolled my eyes even though he couldn't see me.

"I'd say so."

Another roll of my eyes. He was extremely confident for someone who could get caught on any day, at any time.

His certainty about everything was aggravating. Eric used his charisma to his advantage, making people unable to help being blinded by his handsomeness and smooth voice. Whenever I thought about how I wish Blake was more dominant, this was definitely not a good example of what I had in mind.

"You must be drunk." I say, halfway meaning it and halfway only kidding with him.

"I'm always just a little drunk."

Eric's words left a silence between them.

I am intrigued by him. By who he is, how he thinks, what he's even feeling. His nothingness was the scariest part about him. It was like there was absolutely no real emotion there, no real thoughts.

"Why?" I asked

"Makes me forget about how shitty I am." He answered me with a light chuckle.

Despite all I've seen and know, I find myself getting a twinge of...sadness for him? How could that be? I couldn't tell you. But I couldn't deny it was there.

I remember back to when Blake told me how young Eric was when his acting out began. A teenager should never have that much hate and anger in their hearts. It's way too young of an age to feel such pain. There's so much more life to live and trials to go through.

"Then why do you keep doing these things?" I questioned him.

Eric paused, maybe in thought of how to answer before saying, "not everything is as easy as it may seem. The answer to that is far too complicated to explain to you."

"Are you calling me dumb?"

Eric laughed at the question, actually laughed. The sound made a smile form on my face without permission. "You're dramatic, love. I only meant it's just complicated to explain."

I wanted to press further but chose against it. "Who were those guys the other night? At Jeremy's house?" I asked instead. It was the first time I had ever spoke the victims name aloud. It felt wrong. I felt shameful, like I had no right to say it since I was involved in his murder.

"You know Cory already. The other guys were Nathan and Willy." He answered. "I know them from when I actually went to college."

"How'd they get involved with everything?" I crossed my legs, playing with the fabric of my blanket as I waited for his reply from the other end.

He chuckled with the sound of a lighter flicking in the background. I could just picture him sparking up his blunt. I heard him take a long inhale before he told me, "we all three didn't like the same guy when we met. I had made a joke about killing him." He exhaled. "I knew I'd do it but I didn't think they would. I was really just kidding." I heard the shrug in his voice as he said, "next thing I know we were putting his body in a bucket of acid."

I winced at his words.

"Needless to say...ever since, when I need a little favor...the boys help me out." He finished.

"Where do the bodies go now?" I found myself asking.

"In a bucket of acid." He answers simply, evidently not phased by the memory of getting rid of each body by his nonchalant tone of voice.

I was confusing myself. I'm not sure why I want to know so much when I should really want to know as little as possible. Guilty enough, I'm honestly interested.

At this point, I believe I can ask him anything and receive a true answer.

"How many people have you killed?"

"That's a heavy question, Rosie Mae." Eric began. "Are you sure you want the answer to that one?"

I appreciated that Eric was respecting my wishes by answering questions and telling me things beforehand. He hasn't hesitated yet in giving a response so I could tell he himself was unsure if I needed to know the answer to it.

"Just tell me." I decided.

"Who are you talking to for so long?"

The voice in the background belonged to Blake. My stomach immediately dropped at his words and the sound of his voice. It was the last thing I was expecting.

If Eric told Blake it's me he's talking to, Blake wouldn't be happy. There was no way I could come up with a good enough excuse as to how Eric got my number and why we've been talking behind Blake's back. Nothing would be believable. I just know it would end our relationship.

Then Eric's response made me gasp into the phone.

"I'm talking to that pretty girlfriend of yours."

"What the f**k?" I hear Blake spit out angrily

Eric gave a low chuckle before telling Blake, "relax, bro. I'm only kidding." I let out the breath I didn't know I was holding, relieved. "You're so easily offended."

"Shut the f**k up." Blake grumbled faintly.

I assume Blake had walked away because Eric then said, "did that scare you?"

I ignored his question that was obviously meant to be taunting. "Why the hell would you even call me when you're around Blake?"

"Thought it might be a little thrilling." He bluntly stated.

I have a scoff, shaking my head with the phone pressed against my ear. "Did you get what you wanted?"

"I did."

"You're so annoying." I sighed, beginning to get comfortable in my bed again. "I'm going to sleep, Eric. Try not to call me again."

"No promises." Eric said with a smile in his voice. "Goodnight, Rosie Mae."

"Goodnight, Eric."

{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}

Eric's POV

"Nah, man. Chill out on that. She's not even eighteen yet." Cory made a face, ashing the blunt. "Dating isn't the plan, okay?"

"I still can't believe you're f*****g Faith." Blake said, shaking his head as he took the blunt that was now being passed to him. "That girl stresses me out and I'm only around her when Rosie wants me to be."

The sound of Rosie's name made my attention turn back to the conversation and off of my phone that I was scrolling through.

We all sat around the dining room table at Cory's place, smoking and talking about random things that didn't really matter. I was surprised when Cory said Blake was actually coming. Maybe calling him out the other night made a difference, or Blake was just beginning to keep tabs on me.

I wasn't sure why he cared so much, given he said he wasn't living my type of lifestyle anymore. The boy is blind. He's sitting here at a table full of murderers, also being a criminal himself, smoking fat blunts and taking shots at one in the afternoon. Yet Blake still somehow had the audacity to say that he was some kind of changed person.

I may just die the day reality hits him.

"She really gets around, doesn't she?" I ask with a laugh, tapping my fingers on the table top in front of me.

Cory looks at me, straight faced as he asks, "what do you mean by that, Eric?"

What I wanted to tell him was that Faith was f*****g anything she could get her hands on, one of them being me. He knew we flirted but nothing more. Although I did notice the blush Faith wore when Cory was around, she didn't do that with anyone else. I also noticed how excruciatingly awkward Cory became when Faith was around. They clearly felt a little something deeper than they both led on. Cory was like a brother to me, if I told him what Faith was really out here doing, it might actually hurt his feelings a bit. Especially it being me, his best friend that's having s*x with her too. He certainly wasn't f*****g anyone else other than her, he would've told me.

"Nothing." Eric shrugged, continuing his tapping. "I was just bullshitting." If I ever really thought before I spoke, I wouldn't have had to lie and say I was just bullshitting.

"Oh." Cory said but gave me one last skeptical look before moving past the subject.

The front door then opens without a knock, making me wonder why Cory is leaving his door unlocked. I notice the smile appear on Cory and Blake's faces at the sudden entry, clearly already knowing who it is.

I didn't have to see her to know who was now here.

I'm not sure why or how, but my entire being is drawn to hers, feeling her near before seeing her, hearing her before she speaks, knowing her feelings before she's laid them bare. I'm meant to be next to her, in some way shape or form.

Miss Rosie Mae.

When she rounds the corner, accompanied by Faith, giggling...my body responds unintentionally. A tingling sensation ran down my arms, to my fingertips. I was humming inside. It was like whatever part of me felt empty was filled by her presence.

Rather the feeling was mutual or not, I watched her quickly intake a breath at the sight of me, the veins in her neck more noticeable, tense. Her big, bright eyes flashed as her peppiness slowly faded away along with her laughs, her whole demeanor changing.

It was fascinating; how quickly I can take control of her.

"It's only almost two in the afternoon." Faith says, scanning the tabletop filled with liquor bottles and m*******a bags as she enters farther into the room. "We're supposed to be going to the movies."

I knew Faith was going to the movies with us, but I didn't recall anyone saying Rosie would be coming too. Not that I was complaining.

I caught sight of Blake handing the blunt back to Cory from under the table. He even had to hide the fact he smoked weed from her? This was deeper than I had thought and I already thought it was bad enough.

"So we go drunk." Cory says, pouring two shots and handing them to the girls.

"Cheers." Nathan, Willy and Cory said in unison before taking a shot. The girls didn't hesitate much before knocking back their own shots.

Many shots, too many shots later, I found myself driving a group of drunks to the movies. I had already planned on only smoking and taking a couple shots so I could drive, but I wasn't aware that they'd have almost an entire bottle of vodka gone between the five of them.

The music was loud as Blake Sj's from the passengers seat, nodding his head back and forth to the beat. In the third row of seats, Nathan, Willy and Cory sang loudly, rather obnoxiously, trying to yell over each other as they did. From the second rose of seats, Faith and Rosie swayed back and forth to the rhythm, singing along in giggles.

It was hypnotizing, watching Rosie Mae let loose, not caring about anything or anyone around her, only enjoying herself. It was something I had yet to see from her. I had no idea she could get more beautiful.

My eyes flashed from the road to her in the rear view mirror, sitting in the seat directly behind mine. If Rosie acted like this all the time, she may find life a bit more enjoyable. Her stiff attitude had to make for unenjoyable day.

Her hands moved in the air as her and Faith acted out the lyrics to the song. A grin reached my lips as she unscrewed the cap to the vodka bottle before bringing it to her lips and taking a swig, still dancing, before she passes it back to the boys.

"We're going to the movies." The girls sang off key, in unison as they danced around the movie theater's parking lot. Blond and black hair flew about in the wind as they spun around, almost losing their balance every few seconds.

My ass could get in a lot of trouble if anyone found out they were drunk. Me being the adult, I'm going straight to jail. But they really just looking like overly excited, energetic teenagers...which they were.

I spent more than half the movie a bit uninterested. The high hopes I had for the Christmas horror movie that just came out were quickly let down within twenty minutes of it.

Maybe the movie wasn't as boring as I thought it was. Maybe it was the lack of attention I could pay due to the quaking jealousy in me as Rosie clung onto Blake during the jump scares. Being that she is only seventeen, I knew I shouldn't be feeling this way in the first place, but what did she possibly see in him that she couldn't see in me?

If only she knew the boy she was all head over heels for. She'd learn that him and I are not so different. Then maybe she'd change her mind about him and pick the better option.

Me.

I can tell she blossoms during a thrill, as much as she likes to tell herself that she doesn't. She likes it. She's forcing a personality upon herself, much like Blake is, and it just doesn't fit. She has gotten and will continue to get a better thrill out of me.

It's only a matter of time before she comes to terms with this.

Much to my dismay, Rosie held her pee in she had been complaining about for quite some time, longer than I would have, or anyone else for that matter. The drunken girls were really into the movie. It could be s**t and they'd swear it's terrific.

When she announced her quick mission to the bathroom and to tell her what happens while she's gone, I waited a minute or so, not so patiently.

Just as an action scene came on and everyone was engrossed, I slid out of my seat and exited in the direction Rose left in.

Hopefully no one thought anything of me leaving right after her. Not that I cared too much, nothing was going to stop me from catching a moment alone with her.

"You're more beautiful when you're happy." I called down the long hallway.

The drunk girl stumbled a little, startled by my sudden appearance and probably still scared from the movie.

The hallway leading the the restroom was dim lit and deserted besides the two of us. She was on her way back when I stopped her. Her face was flushed from the alcohol and she stood light on her feet, a slight sway about her.

"I used your money to pay for the movie and snacks." Rosie said bluntly with a confident smile, as if to poke or prod at me.

I chuckled, taking slow steps towards her. She didn't seem to think anything of it as she her expression remained the same and she made no move in an opposite direction. "Oh yeah? What else have you used it for?"

She instantly stretched an arm out between us. At first I thought it was to stop me from going any further. But when I looked down, I saw her fingers fanned out, manicured nails on full display. "Faith and I went and got our nails done." She said proudly before adding, "It was my treat."

Rosie dropped her hand.

I resumed my slow steps.

"You know, there's more where that came from." I tell her.

Her bloodshot eyes look into mine with an amusement she's never worn before. This new way about her when she's drinking was far more fun and fitting. It suited her. She would make a good alcoholic.

"Is that what this is about?" She asks with a grin. If I'm not mistaken, a seductive look now rested in her eyes, unhiding. A hand went to the side of her mouth and her voice lowered into a whisper as she said, "you haven't killed me because you have a crush on me." She dropped her hand to her side.

My eyebrow arched at her bold statement. It was unexpected from her. My feet stopped to stand in front of her. She was firm in her belief as she stood tall, chin raising to continue holding my gaze. "And what if I did?"

Rosie's grin turned into a playful smirk as she raised a hand, placing a gentle touch of her hand on my chest.

My eyes fell to the movement before back at her. I knew she was drunk and that's more than likely the only reason she was acting this way. But I couldn't say I wasn't enjoying it.

Her small hand grazed it's fingers down my chest, to my stomach. I held still for her, paying close attention as she trailed them along my side as she took slow steps in a circle around me.

My head turned to the side but I lost sight of her as her fingers now found my lower back.

"Then I'd say I have more control over you than you have me." She says in an all knowing tone. "I'd say that not only could you get me to do whatever you want..."

She was now on the other side of me, hand now finding the waistband of my jeans as she came to stand in front of. "I could get you to do whatever I want."

She was teasing me. She knows it. She's good at it. And I honestly didn't want it to stop. Not only that, she is honestly right. If it didn't have anything to do with her getting me caught and locked up, I'd do whatever she asked of me and I couldn't tell you truly why.

"Rosie Mae...you are going to start something you can't finish."

She draws her eyebrows together, acting confused. "What do you mean?" Her delicate hand played with the button of my jeans, making my pants grow tighter. I was losing control and I'm sure she was relishing in it.

Getting more sexually frustrated by the second, my hand finds her neck that is already extended to look up at me. I apply the slightest pressure, causing her breaths to quick. Now she was caught off guard.

But that didn't stop her from saying, "Blake's never rough like this with me."

My eyes grew darker. "I'll make a move on you and then you'll be pissed."

Her eyes shined. I could see the lust in them. Yeah she's drunk, but she is clearly wanting me just as much right now.

With more control than I thought she had, Rosie drops her hand, letting her fingers graze the crotch of my pants ever so slightly. "You're right, Eric. Keep your hands to yourself."

Jaw clenched, I watched as she brushed past me, walking back to the movie.

The rest of the movie Rosie taunted me with that sexy look in her eyes, sneaking them past Blake. The entire car ride to drop everyone off where they needed to be, I couldn't stop my fidgeting. I tried to control my threatening erection as she teased me, sneaking s****l gestures and glances from the group. It turned me on that she was testing her relationship so hard that she was willing to do this with her boyfriend, my own brother, right there with us.

I knew she'd regret this in the morning. I'm also aware that now that she knows how to get to me, she is going to use it to her advantage.