Chapter 6 #3
I valued Charlie’s opinion. No one knew our world better than her. She gave it more freely and with more vehemence of late, and a lot of her suggestions were incredibly helpful. My sister was really growing into herself, and I knew it had to do with Fiona’s influence.
“Oo, kitty grew some claws,” I joked, dodging as she went to smack me. I stood up from the couch and stretched.
“C’mon. Let’s see if she needs any help.” Charlie’s growl followed close behind me as I headed for the kitchen.
On the stove were two large trays. One was filled with boiling hot lasagna, the melted cheese and sauce blending together in delicious-looking layers. The garlic bread looked out of this world too. It was a golden color, the outside crispy, but the tops were oily. I couldn’t wait to dig in.
As we ate together, I was overwhelmed at how good the food tasted.
I swear, I almost inhaled the entire plate in one bite.
Charlie wasn’t kidding when she said our mom couldn’t cook.
She had definitely never made lasagna. I was even more upset at the idea of having to share it with the guys outside.
When Charlie asked about Fiona’s cooking skills, I wasn’t expecting her answer. I wanted to hit the ceiling after hearing about her living in her car and in a small apartment overrun with people. She wasn’t telling us about it to inspire guilt or to impress us. It was just a matter of fact.
The more I learned about Fiona, the more it became clear that she processed things in a transactional manner.
She cooked and cleaned in exchange for rent.
It suddenly made sense why she was so hesitant to accept help from any of us.
I didn’t think she believed it when we said we were not expecting anything in return.
After dinner, I hung back and did the dishes, needing some time to calm the fury clawing at my body.
I didn’t know where those feelings were coming from, but the only thing that soothed the beast inside was making sure Fiona didn’t want for anything.
That, for once, someone had her back and took care of her.
There was a wariness about her that I’d seen before.
It was the toll ultra vigilance took on a person.
As I dried the dishes and stacked them in the rack, I couldn’t help but wonder what Fiona would look like once she let go of all the protections she had in place.
What will it take for her to relax and let someone else do the worrying for her?
I wasn’t sure of the answer to that, but I knew I wanted to be the one to find out.
With the dishes done, I made my way back to the living room, where the girls were already getting cozy on the couch. I eyed the movie on the screen and shot a look at Charlie, who merely raised an eyebrow—a blatant invitation for me to leave. Refusing, I sank down in the chair closest to Fiona.
Once the movie started, I was able to focus on her.
She had never seen the movie before, and hearing her laughs, watching all the expressions crossing her face, was an entirely new experience for me.
I didn’t think I watched a single full scene from the movie.
I was too busy studying everything about Fee.
When the movie ended, and I saw Charlie asleep on the couch, panic ran through me.
I didn’t want the night to end like that.
I hadn’t gotten my fill of Fiona yet. I pulled out my phone to text Match, figuring I could get him to bring Charlie home and weasel my way into getting some alone time with Fee.
Fiona stopped me, and for a moment, I was nervous that she was kicking me out.
When, instead, she invited Match up for food, I was alarmed at the wild pace my heart was ticking at.
Not many people would have thought twice about a guy they had never met or seen standing outside.
Most of the Brothers lived at the clubhouse, and home-cooked meals were not common.
Every once in a while, we got together for a barbeque, but nothing like what Fiona had put together.
Begrudgingly, I texted Match, then headed out to the hall to greet him while Fiona went into the kitchen. He looked unsure of himself, and I knew the angry scowl I had on wasn’t helping the situation.
“You wanted to see me?” he asked nervously.
“Yeah. Charlie fell asleep. I’m going to need you to give her a ride to my place, but first, Fiona made you dinner,” I said, watching his eyes widen at that statement.
“Is that okay? Do you want me to just take Charlie to your place?” he asked. I sighed, knowing his confusion was a result of my mood.
“No, come on in. She made lasagna. It’s really good. Just keep your voice down. I don’t want to wake Charlie up.”
I brought him through, both of us as nervous as high school virgins on prom night as we entered the kitchen.
I was not sure where my concern came from, though, because as soon as we were in the same room with Fiona, she instantly made everyone more comfortable.
I kept to the side, letting Fee and Match sit at the table.
He didn’t need me hovering over him when he was already nervous.
He dug into the food with a vigor I understood, and I loved the smile on Fiona’s face at the sight of him wolfing down her meal.
At that moment, I knew I would give her anything she asked for if she would smile at me like that.
Rubbing a fist over my chest, I tried to ignore that feeling as I listened in on their conversation.
Fiona had a quiet way about her. She asked enough questions to keep the conversation going, but never pried.
In the few minutes they spent together, she had gotten more information out of Match than any of us ever had.
She was calm and understanding. There was no judgment or avarice in her gaze when he spoke with her.
She was a completely different breed than the women who frequented the clubhouse.
Match cleaned his plate, and I was all too happy to get him and Charlie out of the apartment.
The idea of alone time with Fiona was an ache in my gut, at that point.
I felt like I had been waiting an eternity for it.
Once she closed the door behind them, I noticed her nervousness as she saw me, still in her apartment.
Feigning a calm I didn’t feel, I maneuvered her over to the couch and turned on the first movie I could think of.
I was pleased to learn she was a fan of Die Hard as well, and we watched the movie together, making idle chitchat before falling into a companionable silence.
I was acutely aware of how close she was to me, that honey vanilla scent hovering in the air around her.
When I felt Fiona shift on the couch, I was both surprised and pleased to see her falling asleep, her head naturally drifting to my shoulder.
I held my body stock-still, not wanting to wake her up.
The credits rolled, and she was fast asleep against me, puffs of breath hitting my neck.
As gently as I could, I pulled her into my arms and lifted her off the couch.
As I brought her into the bedroom and laid her down, I took my time to study the space.
I pulled the dark comforter over her small form, took her glasses off, and couldn’t resist touching her cheek as she snuggled into the bed.
The aqua sheets made her red hair and fair skin pop.
I looked around the space, taking in the different art pieces she had on the walls and the antique vanity sitting in the corner.
Walking over to it, I took in the small collection of bottles she had out, unsurprised to see mostly lotions and perfume rather than makeup.
It was obvious that Fiona had gone to great lengths to put together her personal space, curating an area that was cozy and welcoming, yet eclectic and unique as well.
With every extra minute I got to spend near her, I felt like another layer was revealed.
It seemed like Fiona approached most tasks with equal levels of passion and dedication.
A thrill went down my spine at the idea of that attention focused on me.
Returning to the couch, I hung my head in my hands.
I felt like a creep, stalking around her apartment while she slept, seeing visions of copper eyes watching me.
I checked my phone to make sure Charlie got home and Match was back on duty.
Once that was confirmed, I leaned back, my legs stretched out in front of me, not even attempting to fit on the couch.
I rested my head against the blanket Fiona had used, falling asleep with a belly full of lasagna, surrounded by her scent.
A scream in the middle of the night had me jumping upright, my hand reaching for my gun in a matter of seconds.
I checked the door first, surprised to see it was still locked from the inside, with the bolts and chain in place.
Whimpering sounds came from the bedroom.
I slid the gun back into my holster and headed over there.
Fiona was having a nightmare. She had thrown the blankets off and was thrashing on the bed.
Her brow was furrowed, and it killed me to see her like that.
Not wanting to scare Fiona, instead of hovering over her, I decided to sit on the other side of the bed and try to wake her up.
I gently cupped her shoulder, trying to coax her awake, muttering soothing words in a low tone.
Finally, she jerked forward, pulling herself to an upright position as her eyes looked around the room wildly. I sat still, letting her get resituated. I watched as she raised her shaking hands to her face, then around her throat, before fisting them in the blankets at her side.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you up,” she croaked out, her voice hoarse from sleep and her earlier injury.
“Don’t worry about that. Are you okay? Do you need water? Or do you want to talk about whatever woke you?” I asked, suddenly feeling awkward.
“Just a nightmare. I’m okay, thank you,” she said, her voice sounding small. I stayed where I was as she resettled herself in the bed. I was hesitant to leave, and that must have shown, because I felt her hand on my arm.
“Do you mind staying? At least until I fall asleep?” she asked, and I could see how much it took for her to ask that.
“Whatever you need, darlin’,” I replied, slowly untying my boots before swinging my legs up onto the bed. I lay next to her, on top of the blanket, and was relieved when she finally relaxed back into the bed. I promised myself that I would stay awake, stay vigilant, and watch over her.
That close, though, her body radiated warmth, and the whole room smelled like her. Parts of me that I never knew were missing clicked into place as she turned over to rest her head against my chest. Without my control, I slipped into a deep sleep, with Fiona tucked into my side.