Lollipop

"I'm sorry. But your choice

Does not matter..."

{}

"Are you sure you're okay?" Crystal's mother asks for the fifth time since the phone call started making the brunette roll her eyes in amusement at her mother. She had just been woken up by her ringtone while she so deep into sleep as she was very tired from last night. Checking her phone to see that it was the woman that gave birth to her and Crystal was getting kind of frustrated with how worried her mother was about her.

But she was a mother, so it was her Job to worry.

"Yes Mom. I'm fine. I promise"

"Nothing weird bugging you? No one weird bugging you?" The woman asks again worriedly.

"Nothing and no one weird bugging me. Why are you so worried?"

"I'm a mother. It's my job to worry" her mother answers and the brunette shrugs with a small grin. Figures.

"Ok mom, tell me really why you're so worried about me spending my holiday here in Tokyo. You weren't particularly happy when I told you that I wanted to spend it here. What's the matter?" Crystal asks, surprised that she had actually asked such a question. She was never one to pry.

At all. She never asked her parents about things they weren't willing to share. Maybe Sakura's confidence was rubbing off on her.

Which was a bad thing in this case because she braces herself for her mom's yelling about her prying.

But she doesn't.

"I just don't trust the place" her mom says in a low voice instead. Crystal now has a confused expression on her face. Confused about both her mother not scolding her and the words she had just said.

She doesn't trust the place?

"Mom, you were literally brought up in Tokyo. Why don't you trust the place?"

"What did I tell you about prying Crystal?" Her mother says in a stern voice making the girl shrink.

"Not to.." she mumbles.

"Good... Just... Stay safe and don't talk to any strangers okay? I have to go right now"

"Ok. Love you. And say hi to dad for me!" Crystal chirps about to end the call but her mom's voice stops her.

"And Crystal?" She says making said girl pause in her movements at the seriousness in her mother's voice.

"Yes?"

There's a pause in the line, goosebumps suddenly rising on Crystal's skin at the sound of her mother's steady breathing.

"Stay away from any person... That calls you Akina" then the line goes dead.

Crystal stares at her phone in confusion. Brows furrowed and lips parted like a dead fish.

Her brain replaying the last words her mom spoke over and over again in her head.

What was that supposed to mean?

Her thoughts are cut off when a rather loud and quirky blonde burst into her room making the brunette jump a little in fright. Sakura has a big grin on her face as she jumps onto her bed making it bounce.

"God mooorniiinng~"

Sakura sings loudly making the younger girl cover her ears laughing.

"Well someone's in a good mood"

"Yes! Yes I am! Hunter asked me out on a date today and I'm so happy!" Crystal's smile suddenly drops.

Not from the fact that her chest was burning with an unknown feeling, but because Sakura had promised to take her sight seeing today.

"But you promised we'd go out today! That was the whole point why I went shopping with you two days ago!" Crystal exclaims with a frown as she watches the blonde dance around her room giddily.

"Ohh don't worry. I've got everything covered. You know my friend Jackie?"

"The girl from the club?" Crystal asks remembering the talkative dark skinned girl that later that night turned her full attention to Crystal, asking her random questions and talking about random things just so she could get to know her. Oh she remembered her.

"Yes. Well Jackie and another friend of mine agreed to take you out today. You haven't met him yet because he just got back from China yesterday night. You're going to love him!"

Crystal's frown still doesn't waver.

"But I wanted to go with you" she whines, "I'm not that comfortable with Jackie yet and I don't know this guy".

"Oh come on Crystal. Please don't whine. Hunter hasn't asked me out in a long time and I really want to hang out with him alone. I promise they're fun to hang with and I'm sure you'll enjoy yourself. Jackie likes you and I'm sure Leo will like you too. Please go with them?" Sakura says with a pout giving puppy dog eyes at the brunette.

Crystal is tempted to say no for some reason.

There was a painful feeling bubbling up inside her and she wasn't sure what it was. But it had to do with the fact that Hunter and Sakura were going to spend the whole day alone together. She mentally shrugs it off.

"Yeah sure ok" she says dryly making the blonde squeal, pulling her in for a hug.

"Thanks! Now let's go down for breakfast!" Sakura chirps skipping over to the door. Crystal watches as her cousin goes out softly singing a song under her breath. Sighing as she made her way into the bathroom to freshen up.

Walking out her room, she notices Sakura's door opening as the blonde struts out texting on her phone. Crystal blue eyes narrow wondering what the blonde was still doing up here when she was supposed to be downstairs in the kitchen.

"What are you still doing up here?" Crystal asks her cousin who was busy giggling at whatever the hell she was reading on her phone. Sakura doesn't even glance up as she answers.

"Yeah, I forgot to brush my teeth when I took a shower this morning so I did it just now" she answers nonchalantly as if it was the most normal thing in the world,

"common let's go".

Crystal stares weirdly at her cousin, thinking about how strange it was for someone to take a bath and forget to brush their teeth. But then again, Sakura wasn't your typical normal girl. She was weird and strange most of the time so such a thing should be normal to her. The brunette then shrugs, slowly following after her cousin.

As she starts going down the second flight of stairs, she spots Sakura standing at the foot of the stairs Frozen in her spot which makes Crystal frown in confusion. What was she doing there?

Her body looked tense and even though her back was turned to her, she could still tell that Sakura must be wearing a sour expression. She stood there like a garden gnome. Stiff and unmoving.

Feeling worry bubbling up inside her, Crystal walks down the rest of the steps to meet Sakura at the bottom, looking at the shocked expression on her face as she stared at the direction of the kitchen. Crystal looks towards the direction also to see what the hell has gotten her normally bubbly cousin so tense. And that's when she sees it.

Sakura's father and his potential wife heavily making out against the kitchen counter.

Crystal feels the bile rising up her throat at the sight, the feeling getting stronger at the sounds the old couple were releasing. The two lovers must have been feeling nothing but passion and bliss because the kissing only got more intense by the second as they still didn't know that the two were watching them.

To Sakura and Crystal, it was anything but. It was like watching a slime monster make out with an ugly alien. Not that that was what they were seeing but both images provided the same disgusted feeling.

The two girls glance at each other, both wearing a disgusted look before Sakura pretends to gag making the younger giggle a little. They proceed to walk towards the kitchen towards the couple still heavily making out as Crystal clears her throat catching both their attentions.

The two break away, cheeks flushed and lips red and slimy with saliva as they straightened their clothes.

"Oh.. sorry... Didn't see you girls" Sakura's father says awkwardly glancing at the woman he just sucked face with, "Good morning honey, how are you Crystal?" He says glancing at both girls.

"Hey Dad. You're back early"

"Hi Uncle Gray! Long time!" Crystal chirps as he chuckles pulling her in for a hug.

"How come you're here early dad? Not that I'm complaining" Sakura says also being pulled in to join the hug. Eyeing her step mom as she walks towards the drawers to give them space.

"Everything was finalized early and that's why I came back early" he smiles as they pull away from each other. Crystal goes to sit at the island, watching the father and daughter moment taking place right across from her. Placing her chin on her palm as she wonders what the hell Sakura meant when she said her dad hadn't been himself ever since Yui entered his life. Because to her, he was still the same goofy uncle she had always loved. Especially when they all sit at the dining table to have breakfast.

He kept on cracking jokes and telling funny stories to make everyone laugh.

So what the hell did Sakura mean when she said her dad wasn't himself?

Crystal:

I was seated quietly in the back seat, awkwardly looking out the window to distract myself from two things.

One, from the Hunter and Sakura who were busy kissing and flirting in the front seat.

Two, from the unbearable burning sensation in my chest as they smooched it up right in front of me.

It's almost unbelievable how Hunter could act so nonchalant with kissing his girlfriend right in front of me when he practically just confessed to me last night. Talk about hypocrisy.

They were taking me to a small diner where I would be meeting up with Jackie and this "Leo" guy Sakura told me about. I expected a quiet ride all the way there but unfortunately Shrek and Fiona here decided to make it so Goddamn awkward and annoying.

At least for me.

We finally arrive at the place as the car had slowed down a bit, finally stopping in the parking lot. I look out the window to see Jackie laughing away with a dark haired guy who I was guessing was supposed to be Leo.

Both leant up against a red SUV chatting away.

"Yo! Guys! What's up!" Sakura yells through the window catching the two's attention.

"Taking your sister out! That's what's up!" Jackie yells back as they start approching our car. I was still seated in my seat with my arms folded. A pout on my lips.

I really didn't want to go with them at all. I was still uncomfortable with Jackie and I had no idea who Leo is. But I don't have a choice now do I?

"Why are you still seated?" The hypocrite of a devil sitting in the driver's seat asks me and I glare up at him through the rare view mirror. His golden eyes sharp as he stared at me.

Not feeling the need to speak, I raise up my middle finger at him. Flipping him off. His eyes narrow at me in warning and I scoff looking away.

Screw him. Faker.

Now don't get me wrong, normally I'm way nicer than this. In fact, I was what you would call a good girl. Grades are always up, I don't ever

talk back to my parents, I don't cuss, I was also Shy, composed and introverted most of the time.

But it depended on who I was with. I may be nice but I'm not stupid.

After yesterday where I had embarrassingly cried my eyes out in front of him, I was determined to make up for it by putting on a tough girl image even though I was scared shitless inside. I wasn't about to let him push me around just because I was afraid.

I needed to put a stop to it before things got out of hand. Whatever weird obsession he had with me had to stop. It's wrong.

Sakura was totally oblivious to the little exchange between Hunter and I as she had stepped out of the car to talk to her friends.

Hunter doesn't say anything as his golden orbs just stare intensely at me through the rare view mirror. A dark scowl on his face, signifying that he didn't appreciate how I responded to him.

By now I could feel the scared and shy girl in me wanting to take over as I struggled to pretend that his stare had no effect on me. Which was such a very hard task at this moment.

Hunter was already intimidating even from the first time I saw him. And his angry side was something I definitely didn't want to experience as he was already a ticking time bomb waiting to explode anytime and destroy everything in close radius.

I was starting to wonder if I had done something so evil in my past life to meet someone like him.

These are one of those times I curse my love for unrealistic romance books. Because the reason I kissed him in the first place was because I saw the exact same thing in a particular book I had read not too long ago. A girl kissing a mysterious man to save herself from some criminals. And they ended up falling in love.

Yeah when I said I was not stupid, I lied. I was stupid sometimes. I was especially stupid to think it would work in real life.

I thought I saved my self from the three evil pigs by kissing a mysterious stranger. I didn't know he was the big bad wolf himself. I should have taken my chances with with the pigs.

But it's too late for that now isn't it?

I was so deep in thought I hadn't even realised that Hunter had turned around in his seat to face me. He reaches his hand out cupping my cheek and my eyes widen at the sudden action. I move to pull away but his hand weaves into my dark brown locks holding onto it in a vice grip.

"Wh... what are you doing?! Sakura's just outside!" I whisper yell noticing how close he was leaning. He stops just a breath away staring at my quivering lips before glancing up to lock our gazes.

In mere seconds, he has the tough girl in me disintegrating like a withered rose with just the intense look in his eyes. And I'm once again lost in them as my heart flutters in my chest like a goddamn moth.

My cheeks flush in embarrassment as my struggles slowly come to a stop when I notice he wasn't showing any signs of letting go. I gaze at him with wide blue eyes and he stares back. His teeth sinking into his lower lip.

"Sss..Sakura is right outside. You're going to-"

My sentence is cut off when Hunters lips capture mine in a hard and heated kiss. Literally stealing my breath away.

He's fast and aggressive in his movements as he moves his lips against mine. Tilting his head to get a better angle as he deepens the kiss. His hand in my hair tighten even more if possible as if holding me in place as he assaulted my mouth.

This kiss unlike the first one we had shared, was different. Because this time, I was slowly kissing back. I couldn't keep up with his fast movements as I was sure he'd kissed more women than the apples I have eaten in my life time so of course I was no match for him.

My hands were everywhere. Clumsy and unsure as they move from his chest to his arms and just anywhere I could grab onto. My heart pounding so hard in my chest I was afraid it would suddenly stop and I would die from the best kiss ever. I could already imagine my tombstone in my head.

"Rest in peace Crystal Sylvester - Died from the best kiss of her life"

That would have been embarrassing.

A whimper escapes me when he pulls away suddenly and I'm relieved that it's over and Sakura hasn't seen anything. But I'm wrong when he turns his body towards me even more before harshly reclaiming my lips.

I squeal when he bites my lower lip, a little hard but not enough to break skin. My breathing uneven, my mind hazy and my cheeks flushed as I kissed him back harder now slowly getting used to it.

The haziness in my head starts to clear up a little when I peak through my squinted eyelids. Reality slamming into me like a ton of bricks as I realise that I was literally making out with my cousin's boyfriend when she was just right outside the car.

I start whimpering in protest pushing my hands on his chest to get him off me and luckily he pulls away a little.

"S.. stop! Sakura-" he covers my mouth with his lips again shutting me up.

My brain starts to cloud over as the guilt was starting to melt.

Especially when he moves down to my neck assaulting my heated skin before he pulls away.

By the time he does, I was panting so hard as if I just ran a marathon. He has a triumphant smirk on his now red lips as he gazes at my flustered state. My lips part to say something but nothing comes out. He literally stole the words right out of my brain through my mouth.

"From now on if you speak to me anyhow... I will kiss you" he states and my brows furrow, "I was going to say that I'm willing to leave you alone as you had asked. But if you speak rudely to me. I will kiss you. That will be your punishment"

My eyes were squinted as I stared at him like a crazy person. He releases my hair turning around to sit back in his seat.

Still confused, I couldn't help but ask in a shaky voice, "how is kissing me a punishment? You're just cheating on your girlfriend!" I exclaim gazing out the window to see the three oblivious friends still laughing with each other.

His honey coloured eyes catch mine through the rare view mirror as I notice his fingers unwrapping a lollipop. Where did he get that?

"The guilt you feel as you kiss your cousin's boyfriend. That's the punishment..." He pops the red candy into his mouth sucking once on it before pulling it out, "that guilt that eats you up inside when you know that you want your cousin's boyfriend" he looks out the window gazing at the clueless blonde laughing with her friends.

"Knowing that you have that guilt is good enough for me" he finishes placing the lillipop back into his mouth. Anger flares up within me when I register his words.

Not because they were offensive, but because they were somehow true.

I didn't know who Hunter was. I knew he was taken. And I also knew he was a dangerous snake that pretended to be a cute little mouse around Sakura which by the way confuses me since she was his girlfriend. Why show his real self to me and not her? It didn't make sense.

That aside, I knew despite all that. I was starting to catch some feelings for him and I hated myself for it. But I couldn't help it. In so little time, Hunter had managed to ignite some unknown feelings with in me that I was surprised existed in me. He just gave me... Butterflies. Moths even!

I couldn't help how I felt. And that's the screwed up part of our hearts.

Breathing out a shaky breath, I push my bangs behind my ear

"punishment huh..." I start glancing up at the rare view mirror to catch his eyes already gazing at me "what if I enjoyed it?" I ask raising a brow as his lips stretch in a grin pulling out the lollipop from between his lips.

"Then it's good for both of us" he retorts turning around slowly to face me, "like what happened now. It was good for the both of us" he smirks and I shyly look down with a pout. Cheeks red.

"Now..." Hunter suddenly pushes the red candy he was just sucking onto against my lips and I look up at him with a questioning gaze.

"Part those lips for a lollipop"