Chapter Nine
NINE
JACKSON
I stare down at the fairy strewn across my bed sheets. Her head hangs off the side, pink hair dangling to the floor as she watches me upside down.
It’s been three days, and I’m seriously starting to question my decision to bring her here.
She is everywhere, even when she isn’t. Pieces of her linger around the apartment, and my bedroom is starting to take on her brown sugar scent.
I should’ve just let her stay in Parker’s room.
Out of sight. Out of mind.
But, like every other time I’ve entertained that thought, my chest swirls with a sourness.
Not to mention, every time I look at her, I remember her proposal the other night.
“I’ll date you.”
As if that would work. My family would combust at the idea. There is no way they would ever believe it. My auntie already scrutinizes everything I do, the last thing I need is to give her more ammunition for why I’m ruining our family’s reputation.
And yet, I can’t stop thinking about it.
What a fucking nightmare I’ve created for myself.
“What do you want, Deer?”
“Nothing.”
I look down at her, and for the twelfth time, I have to avert my gaze from her tits that are trying to escape the confines of her tight top. Gravity isn’t doing me any favors.
“Do you need a ride to Crime Night or something?” It is Tuesday.
She heaves herself up, cheeks flushed. “Nope, we canceled tonight.”
“Really?”
“Lee has a subathon and Syd’s still in Europe with Parker, so Stevie wants to take the extra time to work on her new art piece.” She shrugs, crossing her legs.
She looks so damn relaxed on my bed.
“All right.”
I need to get out of here.
I spent the last two days grinding out hours of gameplay for prerecorded content and slotting in streams, so I haven’t seen her much. Deer’s been keeping to herself as well, popping in and out of Parker’s streaming room, where she set up her stuff in his absence.
There’s a small chance he comes back and gets pissed at how things have been moved around, but Parker’s a softie, so I doubt it. Even I can’t get mad at the way her makeup is scattered around my bathroom or how her clothes litter my floor. She’s getting comfortable here, and it makes me feel better after practically dragging her out of her apartment.
But that doesn’t mean I’m comfortable being around her. I don’t like the way she holds my attention like a moth to a flame. She sets me off, puts me on edge.
“What are you doing tonight?”
Her question makes me pause at the threshold of the door I am attempting to escape through.
Is she…bored?
“Probably playing Scythe Survival or something.”
“Oh, I haven’t played that yet.” She looks at me with wide, expectant eyes.
“Did you want to join me?”
She waves her hands frantically. “Oh, no. No, I don’t want to bother you.”
It sounds exactly like she wants to bother me.
“What else are you planning to do?”
She presses her lips together, drawing my focus to her soft pink mouth. “Mmm, I dunno.” She tilts her head. “I was thinking of watching a horror movie. You have quite the collection.”
I follow her gaze to the stack of vintage and collector edition horror movies I have displayed in the corner of my room. She slips off the bed and pads her way to the display case, gently opening the glass door. The pink spandex shorts she is wearing barely cover her ass as she leans forward and runs her fingers across the DVDs.
My mind flashes, an image of her bent over, arms tied behind her back.
She plucks a case from the stack and turns around with a bright smile. “I’ve been dying to watch this. It’s not on any of my streaming services, and it costs like thirty bucks to buy.”
Well. Shit.
“That’s one of my favorites.”
“Really? Well, did you want to join me ?” There’s a glint in her eyes as her smile widens.
My lips move before my brain has a chance to catch up.
“Sure.”
Guess I’m changing my plans.
“Awesome. Let’s get all the goods in order then.” She breezes past me, and I’m forced to trail behind her like some giant puppy.
She tosses the DVD on the couch, not stopping her stride as she starts opening cabinets in the kitchen. I lean my hip against the island as I watch her stretch on her tiptoes to grab a packet of microwavable popcorn, her T-shirt riding up to show a sliver of smooth skin. My fingers twitch to wrap around her waist.
Something is definitely wrong with me.
“Do you want a drink?”
I drag my gaze back up to her face. “Sure.”
“Perfect, just wait. I make the best drinks.”
There’s an excitement pouring off her that I’ve rarely seen before. The bubbly sweetness of her personality doesn’t seem artificial but natural. It’s refreshing, cute.
A sparkle enters her eyes as she mixes random liquids together, the drink going from purple to pink with a squeeze of a lemon. She crouches to eye level as she begins to pour in the vodka. More vodka than I expect her to pour in.
Fantastic…
The smell of popcorn slowly starts to permeate the air as the pops get louder and louder. Deer frowns as she turns around and eyes a bowl that’s just out of reach. The tips of her long, pointy nails tap against the glass rim.
I push off the island and move in behind her, reaching to help her grab the bowl. But just as I position myself around her, she lifts a knee up on the counter and hoists herself up. Her ass presses right against my crotch, almost grinding on it. She gives a surprised yelp, and I hold back a groan. A warmth spreads throughout my body, and my hands close around the bowl as I take a massive step back.
“Here.” I hold the bowl out to her, trying to ignore the last five seconds of my life. Trying to ignore the feel of her against me.
She blinks down at me, those thick lashes fanning up and down.
“Thanks.” She slips off the counter and takes the bowl from me, filling it up with the fresh popcorn. “Do you mind grabbing the drinks?”
“Sure.”
“Ya know, if I hadn’t watched some of your streams, I’d think you didn’t know how to speak in complete sentences.” She gives me the side-eye as she pushes past me to the couch, and I’m stuck trailing behind her again.
“You watch my streams?” I taunt, but it rolls right over her.
“Duh.” She shrugs, opening up the DVD and slotting it into the PlayStation.
I fall back onto the couch and watch as she goes around turning off all the lights before plopping down next to me, crossing her legs. She leaves a healthy foot between our bodies, and I can’t tell whether I should take offense to that.
The movie starts up and, while it is one of my favorites, I’ve seen it enough times that it’s easy for my mind to constantly stray to the woman next to me. I keep watching for shifts in her expression so I can gauge if she hates it or not.
I shouldn’t care, and yet there is a part of me that is secretly hoping she loves it.
By the time we are halfway through, she’s managed to inch her way closer and closer across the cushion. I don’t think she’s noticed. Her drink sits empty on the coffee table, and there are only sad, unpopped kernels remaining in the bowl she keeps clutched between her hands.
The vodka has started to work its way through my system even though I’ve only drunk half of what she poured. The girl has a heavy hand. My body relaxes into the sofa, and I let my legs splay open a little farther, so my knee rests only inches from her own.
I watch her jaw drop as the main plot twist is revealed, and her hand shoots out to grasp my thigh.
“No,” she whispers. “No!” She turns to me all starry-eyed, a disbelieving smile creeping along her face. Her joy is infectious, and I have to stop myself from smiling back. “I totally did not see that coming.” The flash of the TV illuminates her skin, and I can’t help but admit she really is a pretty thing.
Her hand doesn’t leave my thigh as she turns back to the TV, instead, her grip loosens so it’s just lazily caressing. Every once in a while, her hand will twitch, those sharp nails dragging slightly. And I grit my teeth during a particular scene where her thumb presses just a little too high.
And yet, I say nothing. For some godforsaken reason, I say nothing.
Instead, I spend the last twenty minutes of the movie telling my dick to calm down because seriously, who the fuck gets hard while watching a horror movie.
As the final scene comes to a close, she turns to me, her face only a few inches from my own. “That ending was a total mindfuck,” she whispers. “Best movie I’ve seen in forever. Ten out of ten. You said this was one of your faves, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, what’s another?” She leans in closer like she’s looking for me to spill a secret. All personal space has been eradicated.
“Another what?”
“Another movie that you like.”
I frown. “Why?”
She pulls back and huffs. “Gods, it’s like pulling teeth with you sometimes.” She swivels her whole body to face me and places both hands on my thigh this time. She is just as bad as Parker. No boundaries. “I’m asking what some of your other favorite horror movies are because you obviously have good taste. So, what do you recommend?”
A jaded part of me wonders if she is fucking with me a little. Maybe it’s because I have to drag Aleks with me to the cinema to watch horror movies or maybe it’s because Parker will unplug the TV if he comes home and sees one playing. I’ve never had someone genuinely interested before—and fuck if that doesn’t do something weird to my chest.
“Some of the live-action Junji Ito movies are pretty hardcore.”
“Oh! His manga are so creepy.” Her eyes widen and her nails dig into my sweatpants as she leans forward. “The one with the deer-dude was so screwed up. I couldn’t sleep without seeing it every time I closed my eyes. Had to keep the lights on like a wee child.”
I can’t help the laugh that rumbles out from me when her Irish accent slips out.
It’s hard when you feel like there’s a part of yourself that no one else relates to. So, when you find someone who seems honestly fascinated by something you like and willing to learn more about it, it creates this sense of validation and partnership that you didn’t know you needed. And that’s what Deer has managed to do within just a few hours.
“What else?” Her question feels so sincere that a part of me decides to open up—just a little.
“Have you ever watched the Devil Nun franchise?”
This time, she slaps her palms against my thigh. “I haven’t! You love those movies, right? I think I remember Blade mentioning that.”
“Yeah, he’s been coming with me to the premieres since we were in high school.” Begrudgingly, I don’t add. I have to bribe him with chocolate pretzels and ice cream every time I want him to come along.
“Ugh, I love that for you. Lee might share my love for true crime, but she draws the line at gory horror movies.”
“I feel that. We can watch the first one if you want? It’s still early.”
“Totally!” Her smile grows and her hands tighten on my thighs again. As if she just realizes what she’s been doing, she blinks down and flexes her fingers. “Gods, your thighs are like steel.”
I expect her to take her hands away, but they linger.
“Thanks.” I force the word between my lips.
“You’re welcome.” She gives my thigh a pat and then, finally , she removes them, clasping her hands in her lap. She looks at me expectantly and silence stretches between us. Her brows dip. “Are you going to put the movie on?”
“Right,” I mutter. “Right.” I lean forward and grab the controller, switching out from the DVD to one of the streaming channels. As I mindlessly search for the movie, I attempt to gather my wits.
What the fuck is going on?
I hit play on the movie and relax back into the couch at the familiar opening scene. Deer curls her knees to her chest and places her chin on them.
Her attention stays hooked the entire time, and, once again, I find myself stealing glances at her. I could stare at her all day and probably never get bored; I’d merely get lost in the curves and dips of her changing expressions, committing each one to memory.
I hate to admit it, but I like having her around. It’s almost as if I’ve left the city for the country and looked up at the sky to realize for the first time that there are millions of stars lighting up the night. The thought of going back to the drab darkness is unappealing now that I’ve seen the sparkle.
We’re in the final stretch, only ten minutes left of the movie, when her lids start to flutter shut. Deer’s head begins to loll forward before snapping back. She squints her eyes and furrows her brows as she attempts to remain awake and focused on the movie. When the end credits finally begin to load, her eyes close and stay that way.
I let out a deep chuckle.
“Shh,” she mumbles.
“Tired?”
“A little.” She tips over, curling into a fetal position on the couch cushion.
I reach forward and shut off the TV before giving her shoulder a nudge. “You plan on staying out here?”
“Maybe.”
The corner of my mouth quirks up. “Suit yourself.”
I begin to stand up when her hand shoots out and wraps around my wrist. “Carry me?”
“Seriously?”
Her hand tightens. “Please,” she whines.
I let out a sigh, running my eyes over her body. “Fine.” I take a second before bracing my arms and reaching down to scoop her up. Deer snuggles closer to my chest as I carry her to my bedroom.
She is such a princess.
A princess who fits perfectly against me.
The door to Aleks’ streaming room cracks open as I pass it, and we both freeze. He blinks at me a few times before his gaze dips to Deer, back up to me, and then down to her again. I open my mouth to come up with something, but he just closes the door.
This will be a pain to explain later.
I pick up my pace, kneeing my door open and carefully laying her on my bed. I reach down and smooth her hair out of her face as she snuggles into the mattress. I hesitate for a second, contemplating tucking her under the duvet, before my brain catches up. Rationality crashes down on me like a piano falling from a building, and I take a step back.
Without another word, I spin around and stalk out of my room. It’s only when I’m behind Parker’s closed door that I give myself a moment to think.
What the fuck am I doing?