Chapter Nine
Nixie
Three days.
It’s taken him three fucking days to bring me home. According to Calvin, Darcy has been absolutely made up that I got kidnapped by “a hot rich guy” and to “have some fun”. I’m going to kill her as soon as I see her. Calvin was very smug about it all. Like I keep saying—asshole.
But yet, that delusional part of me is sad that he is taking me back home to my kind of boring life. It’s been kind of nice being waited on hand and foot by him.
I peek over to the driver’s side. The glow from the streetlights highlights the scowl across his face, making me question things. Do I even want to go back? The normal side of my brain is saying, “of course you do,” but this messed up side of me wants to stay, locked away in an ivory tower with him.
I shake my head and turn back to look out the window, taking in the familiar streets I walk up and down every day. It just seems strange to be able to go back to normal life after spending the last few days listening in on the conversations he had with his brother and other people that came around the house. Their lives sound the furthest from your standard 9-5 work life. Part of me is very intrigued by what they get up to. I know from overhearing that they are on the hunt for Malcolm; they still haven’t been able to find him. I’m not overly worried about that. I personally don’t think that he would have hurt me if he’d managed to actually kidnap me.
I think it was more of a scare tactic. He doesn’t like it when other people step on what he thinks is his territory. And apparently he thinks that includes me, no matter how many times I’ve told him we’re over.
Calvin makes a turn onto my street, and it dawns on me that I never actually told him where I live.
“I never told you where to go…how do you know where I live?” I question.
“The same reason I know a lot about you: you have been my obsession for a while now darlin’.” He smirks at me.
The realization makes me gasp; for a while now, I’ve had the feeling of being watched. The hairs all over my body stand to attention. It was him. No wonder my body has been betraying me the past few days! The bitch knows what she wants.
“Ah, there it is. I could always tell when you knew I was watching you.” He smirks at me.
“That’s a tiny bit stalkerish, if I’m honest.”
“Nothing tiny about it. I went full stalker to track you down from the first night I laid eyes on you in my club,” he states, like it”s the completely normal thing to do.
“Hmm. I bet you do that to all the girls.”
He shakes his head. “No one until you, and no one after. I seem to have blinkers on when it comes to you.”
Not knowing what to say to that, I just nod and offer a small smile.
Like, what am I supposed to say to that?
Pulling up to my apartment building, he climbs out. Just as I’m about to unbuckle myself, he shoots a look towards me, daring me to do it
I move my hand away. He walks over to my side of the car, opening the door and leaning over to unbuckle me as he slowly moves the seat belt from across my chest. I can feel his breath on my neck, sending goosebumps across my skin. Having him this close to me is making me dizzy. I want to kiss those lips. My hand moves up ever so slightly to go towards his cheek and he smiles. Instead, he grabs it with his own and helps me out of the car.
He still has hold of my hand as we make our way into the building. I wonder if he can feel how sweaty my hand is right now. Smooth, Nix, real smooth.
I don’t bother to ask how he knows which floor I’m on when we step into the elevator, or which apartment I live in. As we stop at my front door, it all feels strange, being back in my own comfort place. Calvin holds out my keys in front of me, again not bothering to ask why he has them. I roll my eyes, and he chuckles as I take them from him. Just as I’m about to slide the key into the lock, the door flies open to the point where I think it may actually come off its hinges.
Darcy appears and gives me a look over. Seemingly happy with how I look, she pulls me into a hug.
“My god, I’ve missed you. Next time you want to get kidnapped, can you bring me along with you? It’s been hella boring the past few days by myself.”
“Thanks for your concern, Darc. Of course. Next time, I’ll just tell the kidnapper to just swing by and pick you up.” I roll my eyes at her.
“That would be great. Thanks, babe.”
Darcy’s eyes travel to the man behind me and widen. “Thanks for being the best kidnapper and bringing her back safely.”
Calvin just chuckles at her. “No problem. But just so we’re clear, if anyone is to kidnap Nixie in the future, it will be me.” He stares at me and shivers run down my back. “But of course, I will swing by and pick you up too. You can keep her company so she doesn’t run into fields in the pouring rain again.”
Darcy laughs playfully at him all while looking him up and down. I roll my eyes at her.
After a short while, she walks back into the apartment and into her room, leaving me standing there, alone with him again.
He takes out the small bag I noticed in the car and hands it to me. I open it to find my phone, purse and other belongings I had on me.
“I took the liberty of putting my phone number into your phone.”
Of course he fucking did.
I nod at him, unsure of what to say or do next. Calvin takes this opportunity to step up to me, his hand grabbing my chin and forcing me to look up to him. He looks into my eyes as he speaks.
“Just because I’ve brought you back home doesn’t mean I’m leaving you alone. That feeling you get that someone is watching you? That will be me.”
Just as he says it, a shiver runs through my body, making me quietly gasp. He must hear me, because he smirks at the way my body is reacting to him. Just when I think the torture is over and he’s going to move away from me, he leans down and kisses the side of my lips. Just that small amount of contact makes me moan in response. His hand moves from my chin and traces my jaw. He moves to the back of my neck and softly but firmly grasps my hair, pulling me close and whispering in my ear.
“Next time I kiss you, it won’t be that soft.”
With that, he lets me go and walks back down the hallway, leaving me standing at my own front door like a hot mess.
“Man, I think I got turned on at the sight of that myself. God knows how you’re feeling,” Darcy whistles at me as she makes her way into the kitchen.
“I’ll grab the wine and the glasses. You get seated on the couch. We have some catching up to do.” She smirks at me.
I nod, finally able to move my body. Closing and locking the front door, I make my way to the couch and Darcy comes and sits next to me, handing me a glass of wine.
“I want to know everything.”
I take a big swig of wine and turn to her. “Oh, god, I don’t even know where to begin.”
I start to relay the events of the past few days.
“I never liked that douchebag. What did Malcolm think was gonna happen after he took you?”
“Honestly? I have no idea, Darc, but part of me is kind of glad that I had Calvin looking out for me. Is that messed up? Being glad that I have a stalker? God, that makes me sound crazy.”
Darcy just laughs at me as I take an even bigger sip of my wine.
“I mean, it kind of does, I suppose, but we like crazy. Crazy is fun. You know I love you, Nix, but you need to live a little. Go out in the world and be wild. I don’t want us to be old grannies, talking about our past and having regrets. I want us to look back on the crazy, fun life we had together. If that means getting all hot and bothered over your sexy stalker, then so be it.” She winks at me and refills our glasses.
“So are you going to see him again?” She wiggles her eyebrows at me over the rim of her wine glass.
“I don’t think I’ll have a choice in the matter,” I laugh at her.
“Anyway, you. Why weren’t you even the slightest bit worried about where I’ve been? Some best friend you are!”
“Well, truth be told, bestie, your stalker man facetimed me that night. He explained everything that went down and I gave him an earful back. But then his brother, I think it was, also came on to reassure me that they weren’t going to hurt you and that you were safe, and I believed him. And with Malcolm on the run, I thought that it would be better for you to stay there for a few days. Which is why I told them that they better bring you back after that, or I would hunt you down myself, and they wouldn’t like to see an angry Darcy on their doorstep.”
I chuckle at her statement. “Thank you for being crazy for me.” I bring her into a hug.
“Always, bitch, always,” she says as she hugs me back.
We stayed cuddled up for a while, watching some rubbish programmes and finishing the bottle of wine.
“Well, I think I’m gonna head to bed. Lord knows I need a good night’s rest,” I announce as I stand up.
“Yeah, I bet you haven’t been able to sleep soundly, being around all that sexiness.” She winks at me.
I shake my head and head to my room.
“Hey, Nix. I know I joke about it, but if you feel scared or uneasy about the guy, just tell me. I’m sure my crazy can scare him off, or we can go to the police about the guy.”
Offering her a smile, I nod and walk into my room. Usually, when I step in my safe space, I instantly feel relaxed and can shut out the world around me. But stepping foot into my room, I don’t feel like that. I feel empty, like I’m missing something. Like I’m missing…him. I shouldn’t feel that way, but I do, and that’s the most fucked up feeling ever.
I head over to my drawers, grab my comfy pajamas and head for a shower. Maybe if I rinse the day away and get into my comforts, I will start to feel more like myself. Stepping into the shower, I close my eyes and let the water wash over me, thinking back to everything. How can I have this much drama around me?
After my extra long shower, I get into bed. I wonder where Malcolm is, and if he’s going to pop back into my life again. I have a feeling that if and when Calvin gets his hands on him, we definitely won’t be seeing him again. The thought alone should scare me off him, but instead, it’s just making me want to get to know him even more. I want to unravel him like he unravels me. I plug my phone in and leave it on the nightstand, but then it vibrates and lights up the room. I unlock it to see a message.
Goodnight, darlin’.
What do you want?
Of course he has my number, and of course that’s what he saved his number under. Rolling my eyes, I type out a reply.
Very on point name to
save your number under.
Also, how do you know
I’m going to sleep?
I came up with it all by myself,
I’ll have you know. Did you really
think I’d just drive off straight
away?
It’s like you don’t understand the
word ‘stalker’ at all.
*eye roll emoji*
Sleep well, darlin’.
I hope I invade your dreams ;)
Of course, that is exactly what happens. I dream of tattooed hands, strong jaw lines covered in stubble, dark brown hair and brown eyes I could get lost in.
It is so wrong, but yet it kind of feels right. I’m so fucked in the head.