Outer Masks: Chapter 7: Build Up

Rory squeezed her eye lids, trying to hold onto the last vestiges of sleep, but gave up after a few minutes, feeling her body refuse to listen to her.

Rory had intended to lean over and look at her alarm clock to see what time it was but found herself unable to as she finally noticed the weight on her chest and on the right side of her body.

What the hell? Rory thought.

The woman lifted her head off her pillow and looked down, seeing a head of black hair resting on top of her. It was only when she moved her head to the side that she realized that it was Peach who was lying on top of her, still asleep.

What the hell?!

Rory remembered the two of them sitting on her bed talking for quite a while, realizing that they must have fallen asleep together after removing themselves from the party.

And she was able to relax further as she noticed that they were both still wearing the clothes they had on.

She tensed again when Peach, still asleep, snuggled closer to her, moving head from her chest, and burying her face in her neck, letting out a moan and her body becoming still again.

The sound of Peach moaning so close to her ear kept replaying in her mind, the feeling of Peach’s body on top of hers, and her warm breath against her neck certainly did not help Rory with trying to maintain her composure.

The small amount of composure she did obtain was immediately lost when Rory looked back down only to see that Peach’s new position gave her a direct view of her cleavage.

Damn- no wait, stop it! Stop looking, stop thinking about what Peach would look like without her dress.

Her stress only mounted as a warm heat could be felt in her lower stomach, a sensation that spread even lower, causing a familiar and shameful stirring.

Fuck me, not now! Go down, go down! Uh, getting stabbed in the stomach, stepping on legos, watching mom and dad having sex, Joe in a bikini...

“Ugh...” Peach moaned, tightening her grip on Rory, and rubbing her forehead against Rory’s neck.

She lifted one of her hands and rubbed her eye, waiting for her vision to become clearer. As she did so, Peach finally realized that she was not alone and that this was not her bedroom.

Instantly sitting up, Peach looked down, “Rory?”

“Good morning?” Rory said, but her hesitation made it sound more like she was asking the other woman rather than telling her.

“Did we fall asleep?” Peach asked, already knowing the answer.

“It seems like it. Sorry.” Rory said, still trying to discreetly calm down.

Peach let out a small chuckle, “What are you saying sorry for? All we did was fall asleep together, if anything I should be sorry for using you as a pillow.”

Peach then lifted her arms behind her head, stretching her upper body, drawing Rory’s attention to her toned stomach and hips.

Fuck, why does she have to be so beautiful? I mean, it's not like she would ever want me, but fuck I just can’t help wanting her.

Rory eyes, slowly trailed back up Peach’s form, seeing that the woman was now staring at her, an eyebrow raised, and her lips curled up into an amused smile.

Oh, shit. Was she talking? Did she ask me something? Just play it cool, give an answer that makes it seem like you weren’t checking her out.

“That’s good.” Rory said, confident that what she said was right.

Peach’s smile grew, “You think it's good that you’re going to have to spend the rest of the day cleaning and replacing everything that was broken last night?”

Fuck. “Ugh, yeah?”

Peach finally broke out in laughter, falling back onto the bed. Rory tensed but quickly relaxed when she felt Peach rest against her, seeing her tilt her head back to look at her. “You know, I would feel offended if it was anyone else ignoring me.”

But I suppose it's hard to with you. Peach thought, aware of Rory’s wondering eyes.

“S-sorry. I’m just tired after last night.” Rory tried to reason.

“Sure.” Peach said softly.

“I would offer to make you breakfast, but my fridge...” Rory trailed off.

Peach laughed, “I’ll just have to hold you to that. I didn’t know you could you cook.”

Rory shrugged, “My mom and I both like cooking. It's like a bonding thing for us.”

“That’s sweet.” Peach said, imagining a younger Rory following Amber’s instructions while they moved around the kitchen.

The other woman rolled her eyes, “Yeah, yeah. But I should probably go downstairs and see what new damage was done after we passed out.”

“Wait for me? I have to use the bathroom and clean up. I don’t want to miss the look on your face when you see everything.” Peach grinned.

“Happy to, I’m so glad that my annoyance and anger amuse you so much.” Rory deadpanned, staring at Peach distastefully.

Peach laughed once again, and Rory could not deny that she did not enjoy the sound. “Thank you for being so considerate.”

Peach then swung her legs over the side of the bed, sensually standing up, her hips swaying from side to side as she walked across the room and towards the bathroom. Once the door closed with a click, Rory slumped back down onto the bed, covering her face with her hands and groaning. She gently removed her hands, looking down and seeing the bulge that had formed in her pants, filling her with shame and embarrassment.

At least Peach didn’t see it, I think I would have to kill myself if she did. Rory thought, glad that she was able to hold out until Peach was gone.

Rory thought about dealing with the erection before Peach returned, but quickly banished it away from her mind, not wanting to be caught and not wanting to feel like a pervert for touching herself to the thought of the other woman.

So, Rory quickly jumped to her feet, moving towards one of her drawers and pulling out a pair of compression shorts. She took off her cargo pants, put on the shorts over her underwear, and put them back on.

Rory grimaced, feeling the uncomfortable strain, but pushed past it as she sat down on the edge of her bed. She pulled out her phone and began scrolling through as she waited for Peach to finish.

Another five minutes later Peach strolled out of her bathroom and Rory could see that Peach had redone her makeup and brushed her hair. She also noticed that Peach had smelled like her moisturizer when the woman came closer. Rory licked her lips at the thought of Peach using her things.

“Well, let’s go see what Max did to place.” Peach said as she headed towards the door.

Rory rolled her eyes again, “I fucking hate you, Peaches.”

The two exited Rory’s room and saw that the hallway was a bit dirty, the floors having trash on them, but it was not as bad as it could be.

Any hope Rory had died once they made it to the stairs, walking down them and taking in the living room for the first time that morning. The first thing they saw was Rory’s refrigerator was lying in the middle of the floor, facing the ground, and was leaking water and other liquids all over the place.

“They didn’t empty the fridge before picking it up?” Peach asked, seeing the discarded food that was all over the place.

“No, they didn’t.” Rory said stonily, remembering how she first found out.

Rory then saw that her TV had been pulled off the wall and was resting on the floor by her fireplace, her chairs and couch had been flipped over, the glass door to her balcony had been ripped off its hinges and was lying down in front of the now open doorway, the stripper stage was still set up, two of the walls had holes in them, and that there were still a few stragglers sleeping all across the room.

Rory buried her face in her hands, “I am going to fucking kill him.”

“You know, I'm kind of upset that we missed all of this.” Peach said, wondering just how wild the party had become.

Rory turned to glare at her but saw a familiar head of blond hair behind Peach from the corner of her eye. Max was asleep, lying face down, using a pizza box as a makeshift blanket, a pair of red panties was hanging off his neck and his shirt missing from his body.

Rory stalked towards him and kicked Max in the side of his abdomen, “Wake up, asshole!”

Max let out a choked gasp, wheezing as he turned onto his back and glared at the person who kicked him. “What the fuck, Rory? What was that for?”

Rory turned and waved her hands at the destroyed room, “What the fuck happened after I went to sleep?!”

Max looked around, scratching his head as he sat up. He winced as the light filled his eyes and his head was pounding. “Huh, I honestly don’t remember.”

Rory to keep herself from strangling the man, “You are never throwing another party in my penthouse or any place that I own.”

“What?! C’mon, Roro! It wasn’t that bad.” Max whined.

Peach turned to her with a grin, “Roro?”

“Don’t-” Rory started.

“I mean, you call me Peaches, so I feel like you deserve a nickname as well. Roro fits you perfectly.” Peach said, cutting her off.

Max snickered at the sight and tried to stop when Rory sneered at him, no doubt hearing the laughter he tried to muffle.

“Please don’t call me that, it's annoying enough when this idiot does it.” Rory pleaded as she faced Peach again.

Peach pretended to think about it, “I will if you stop calling me Peaches.”

Rory crossed her arms, “Never.”

“Then I guess we’re at an impasse.” Peach said, smirking at Rory’s frown.

“Whatever.” Rory said before turning back to Max. “You are paying for all of this, just remember that.”

Max grinned, “I already promised I would. But what were you two up to while the party was going on?”

Rory and Peach froze, nothing had happened between them, but Max’s suggestive tone made them uncomfortable.

“I have to go, Rory.” Peach said quickly, “Text me later?”

“Yeah, I get it. I’ll text you after getting everything here sorted.” Rory replied.

Rory then led Peach towards the door, only to then realize that her front door was missing. There were broken pieces of splintered wood all over the doorway and the metal hinges had been almost completely pulled out.

“What the fuck?! Max!” Rory yelled.

“What?” Max said as he slowly made his way over to them.

“Where's my front door?!” Rory yelled at him.

“Oh right. You remember Collin, right.” Max asked sheepishly.

“From Walden Academy?” Rory asked, only remember knowing one person with the name Collin.

“Yeah, well, I invited him and well, there was this fight that broke out with him, and some other guy, and the dude picked up Collin and literally threw him through your door.” Max explained.

Rory stared at Max with her mouth agape, not expecting that to be the answer to her question.

“And what happened to Collin?” Rory finally managed to ask.

Max stared at her blankly, he opened his mouth but closed it as he had no answer.

“You don't know, do you?” Peach asked as she looked between the two.

“I mean, I’m sure Collin’s good. Wherever he is.” Max said weakly.

“And on that note.” Peach said as she looked at Rory. “I really do have to go.”

“I’ll text you. I promise.” Rory said but was still looking at Max incredulously.

Peach smiled, her hand brushing against Rory’s arm as she stepped over the pieces of the door and into the hallway. She could feel Rory watching her as she walked away, she smirked, adding a purposeful sway to her hips.

Peach knew of Rory’s attraction to her, she knew and had found it amusing to entertain at times, but the moment that Joe had told her to stay away from his sister only hours prior, Peach had found her wanting to push boundaries.

I wonder what Joseph’s face will look like when I break him and Beck up and fuck his sister? Peach assumedly thought.

~X~

“C’mon, Ro, I said I was sorry!” Max groaned for the fifth time that early afternoon.

“And I accepted your apology, but I’m still never letting you throw a party in my home ever again.” Rory said in response.

At the moment the two were currently sitting in Rory’s destroyed living room looking online for a new refrigerator to replace the one that some of the partygoers had managed to lift, carry into the living room, and throw to the ground. The destroyed appliance now lay a few away from the couch they were sitting on, towels had been thrown over it as it had been leaking for the last few hours.

“Fine.” Max whined, knowing that Rory would continue to dig her heels in about the matter.

The two had managed to kick out the left-over partygoers and look over the rest of the penthouse for damage. Rory became even angrier when she went into her kitchen and saw that the entirety of her sink had been pulled out of the counter and placed on the island, causing water to leak onto the floor.

She also saw that her dining room table and the mattress in one of her guest bedrooms had been stolen.

“Are you going to help me look for replacements or just keep sitting there being useless?” Rory asked, still looking at the screen of her laptop.

“Did you and Peach fuck last night?” Max said instead.

Rory’s head immediately snapped in Max’s direction, “What?! No, we did- why would you even ask that?!”

Max shrugged, “You two were looking pretty cozy from my place on the floor and you both got weird, and Peach made the excuse to leave after I asked if you all did anything.”

“We didn’t sleep with each other; we just fell asleep.” Rory added.

“In your bed?” Max smirked.

Rory rolled her eyes, “Yes and like I said nothing happened.”

“But you obviously wanted something to happen. I bet your dick was hard the whole night she was snuggling on you.”

Rory leaned her head against the back of the couch, “It doesn’t matter what I want, Peach doesn’t see me like that.”

Max’s eyes grew larger, “Are you finally admitting that you have feelings for Peach?”

Rory shrugged, “Like I said it doesn’t matter.”

“Why?”

“Because Peach doesn’t think of me like that. I’m pretty sure she’s in love with Beck.”

Max sat up, his eyes growing even larger and his mouth dropping open. “Wait, what? What do you mean Peach is in love with Beck?”

“That Peach wants Beck for herself, it’s the reason why she hates Joe so much.”

Since she met Joe and the girls at the bar, Rory had always suspected that there was something else to Peach and Beck’s friendship.

At first, she just figured that the two women were just closer to each other than Annika and Lynn. But as time went on, she noticed how Peach looked at and treated Beck differently and in a more intense way than female friends usually did.

Rory was finally able to confirm her suspicions after getting that call from Peach three weeks ago. After seeing Peach’s physical state, what she had done to her house, and hearing about her fight with Beck, Rory was able to say for certain that Peach Salinger was in love with Guinevere Beck. The way she spoke about Beck, the way her eyes teared up at the thought of Beck not wanting anything to do with her was far too visceral for it to be anything else.

Rory could not deny feeling jealous of Beck as her own friendship with Peach grew stronger.

“Wait so that’s why she and Joe hate each other? Does Beck even know?” Max asked as he digested the information.

Rory shrugged again, “I mean, Joe definitely knows, and Beck might know but I’m not sure. But like I said, Peach loves Beck, so it’s not like it matters if I like Peach.”

“But Peach’s feelings could disappear, plus I know that Peach likes you too.” Max said, trying to encourage his friend, not wanting her to give up.

Rory sighed, “Can we just go back to looking for everything you have to replace and drop this?”

“Alright, I’ll drop it." Max lied, there was no way he was going to let this go.

Rory was his best and oldest friend, someone who was always looking out for others and Max wanted her to get what she wanted.

And she so obviously wanted Peach, and Max was going to do everything in his power to ensure this.

~X~

Peach Salinger was a woman on a mission, sitting in the back of a black Cadillac as her driver took them deeper into Bronx.

After leaving Rory’s, Peach was intent on finding out more about her and Joe’s past. And now, she was on her way to the former girls’ group home that Rory had once lived in before being adopted.

A small sliver of guilt formed when she thought about the fact that she was using Rory in her quest to destroy Joe and Beck’s relationship, but she remembered how smug and arrogant Joe was last night as was able to squash the feeling.

Eventually, the car stopped, and Peach waited for her driver to open the back door, letting her step out. Peach took in the building in front of her; the whole neighborhood was rundown and gloomy, and this was the same for the orphanage.

The sign above the doors of Saint Catherine’ group was missing most of letters and those that remained were barely holding on. Trash littered the ground, showing that the grounds were not being taken care of.

Peach scrunched her nose but walked up the porch stairs and knocked on the door.   Peach flinched slightly when she heard a loud crash from inside, followed by the sound of someone cursing.

After a few moments, the door open, revealing a short, older white woman with graying black hair and brown eyes.

Her face was pulled into a sneer as she looked Peach up and down, “What are you lost?”

“No, I’m not. I am looking for whoever is in charge here.” Peach answered.

The woman clicked her teeth, “That would be me. I'm Gloria Wades.”

The woman moved to the side, allowing Peach to walk inside, o nce Peach had entered the building, Gloria closed the door and silently led her to her office. The inside of the orphanage was not much better than its exterior, being crowded with children, and with clothes, toys, and dirt all over the place.

Peach could see many of the younger children watching her from the corner of her eye, and she could not deny the pit she felt in her stomach as she saw the tentative hope on their faces. The older ones barely spared her a glance, knowing that she was not there to adopt anyone.

Once they reached the door to Gloria’s office, the older woman walked in, not waiting for Peach as the door closed behind her. Peach ground her teeth together, opening the door and walking inside.

Peach remained standing as she watched Gloria walked around her desk and sat down, not wanting to sit on the stained couch in front of the desk.

Gloria sighed as she looked at Peach, taking on a sardonic drawl, “Have you filled out all of the paperwork before coming here? Have you completed the background check?”

“I’m not looking to adopt. I wanted to know if you knew a child that had once lived here; a Rory Libretalo?” Peach explained, she  could see the recognition in Gloria’s eyes when she heard Rory’s name.

Gloria’s eyes hardened, “I cannot give information on people who have been a part of the system to anyone unless they are the person in question, the government, or police with a warrant. If that’s all you can leave.”

Peach pursed her lips and reached into her purse, pulling out a band of money, made up of fifteen hundred dollars bills.

“Is this enough to change your mind?” Peach asked as she threw the band onto the desk.

Gloria stood up, openly glaring at the younger woman, “Look, I’m not sure what kind of shit you’re trying to pull here, but I can't be boug-"

Peach rolled her eyes and pulled out five more bands, each with fifteen-hundred-dollar bills, and threw them onto the desk.

Gloria’s eyes widened; her hands twitched as she fought the urge to grab the money.

Peach raised an eyebrow, “Is this enough? I can find other way to get what I want, but that would involve giving this… donation to someone else, someone more physical .”

Gloria gulped, sitting back down in her seat, “I remember Libretalo, she was quiet and sweet, poor thing. What is it that you want to know about Rory?”

Everything. Peach cleared her throat, “Rory had a brother, Joseph Goldberg. What do you know about him?”

Gloria clicked her teeth, “We have another facility for boys, the Irving Group Home for Boys. After their mother turned them over to CPS, they were obviously separated.”

Peach rolled her eyes, “Obviously, but what else? Why were they not adopted by the same people?”

“While we caretakers try to keep them together, not all siblings are placed in the same homes, a sizable number of them end up being separated.”

Peach’s jaw clenched, “That still doesn’t ex-”

“Nobody wanted them in the beginning, at least from what I noticed with Rory.” Gloria said, cutting Peach off, “Rory already had a... physical issue that turned potential parents away from her, but her background made them run for the hills.”

A physical issue? Is it because Rory is biracial? I thought that would have made more people want to adopt her. Peach thought, “Background?”

Gloria looked to the side, “Sandy Libretalo was a known drug addict, having been arrested a few times for possession and being under the influence of illegal substances. And her fath- her stepfather, Raphael Goldberg...”

“Was wrong with him?” Peach asked.

“From the reports he was abusive, to his girlfriend and their children. But I suppose he got what was coming to him.”

Peach leaned forward, “What happened to him?”

Gloria looked Peach in the eyes, “Dead. Shot dead right in front of his family.”

Peach’s eyes widened; this was not what she was expecting to learn when she first arrived. She felt her chest squeezed at the thought of Rory seeing someone die in front of her, let alone at such a young age.

“Who... who killed him?” Peach asked.

Gloria stared at the other woman, her gaze hardening, “I don’t know.”

Peach let out a disbelieving laugh, “You have already told me all of this, but now you’re trying to act like you’ve gone too far? That-”

“Look, little girl. I told you; I don’t know who killed Raphael Goldberg. All I know is that seeing his death, ruined those children.” Gloria spat, “Is that enough for you?”

Peach leaned forward, glaring at the older woman, “More than.”

She turned on her heel, not looking back as she let herself out, her thoughts swirling in her head as she entered the back of the Cadillac.

As the car began to move and she stared out the window, Peach pulled out her phone and went to her contacts, immediately calling one of the first numbers there.

The phone only rang twice before the other person answered, Peach cleared her throat, “Hi, Daddy. I wanted to know if I could use your private investigator for something important?”

~X~

Hours Later

I know she’s up to something, I could see it in her eyes last night, she’s far from done. Joe thought as he stood down the street from Peach’s townhouse.

He had wanted to sneak inside and look for the gun along with any other damning evidence while Peach was gone, but the newly installed security cameras on every corner of the building had deterred him,

Security cameras and a gun; the perfect protection for a deranged socialite.

Joe knew that even if he destroyed the outer cameras that Peach would have most likely installed cameras inside, he would not be surprised if Peach had gotten a new home security system due to the attack by her ‘stalker.’

Just as he was about to cut his losses and go home, Joe was surprised to see a familiar red challenger drive past him and park right in front of the townhouse.

“Rory?” Joe said aloud as he watched his sister exit her car.

He watched as Rory closed the car door, revealing a filled tote bag in her other hand as she walked up to Peach’s front door.

Joe’s thoughts were filled with questions, wondering why Rory was here, what she had in her bag, and just what Peach was planning to do with his sister.

Joe felt his nails digging into the skin of his palms as he saw the smile on Rory’s face when the door opened, and Peach revealed herself. Peach was also smiling as she took Rory in, stepping to the side and allowing Rory to enter.

The woman stood in the entrance for a few moments, sticking her head out and looking side to side, looking out to see if there was anything or anyone suspicious. When she did not find anything, Peach leaned back and closed the door.

What the fuck? I thought I told Peach to stay away from Rory? But I suppose I also told her to stay away from you, Beck, and she didn’t, it only emboldened her more. She really is trying my patience with everything she does.

Rage and fear were the only emotions Joe felt at the thought of Rory being alone with someone who was so obviously unstable.

I need to know the extent of their friendship, and I need to destroy it. Joe thought as he reluctantly left, leaving Rory behind in the belly of the beast.