Chapter 2 #2
I lift my head and watch as he stops dead and then approaches the bed and sits on the edge.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper. I shouldn’t have invaded his safe place.
He strokes my hair back from my face and shifts closer so I’m almost curled around him.
“You never come in here.”
“It’s your private space.”
“Why are you in here now? What happened?”
I shake my head, my throat tight. “Can’t talk about it. I just couldn’t deal with all that. So many people. The fridge is empty.” I curse myself for my weak, truthful but evasive answers.
He gets up and crosses the room, shifting black material and revealing a bar fridge. He opens it and returns with a packet of chocolates.
He gets into bed behind me and pulls me up against his chest, then opens the packet and holds one to my lips.
“What are you doing?” Do I sound strangled? I feel like I can’t breathe. Everywhere he touches, my skin tingles, and this is not appropriate friend behaviour when you have a girlfriend.
“Making you feel better.”
Oh. Okay. Well then! I part my lips, accepting the offering, despite the sarcasm and snarky voice that wants me to roll on my back, expose my belly, and purr.
His arms wrap around my stomach, and, after a moment, I lean back on him, eating the chocolates slowly.
“What happened today?”
“The worst day,” I whisper.
Vanilla and chocolate. I’m going to have to move out. The thought twists me up inside so hard. Will I die without them? I think I will.
“How bad?”
“Worse than the day I came here.”
He’s quiet. “That’s serious.”
I nod my head sadly. I put the chocolates aside and wiggle down and roll towards him.
He worms his way down until we’re nose to nose.
“Tell me.”
It’s a command.
“If I tell you, everything ends.”
His frown is serious as he searches my eyes. I love the way he looks at me, like he can see all my secrets.
“No way. We’ll always be the same. Nothing is going to change.”
I shake my head, and I see the moment the concern in his eyes gets really serious.
“Tell me, Vae.”
I inhale. Better to rip the bandaid off, right? I open my mouth to tell him everything when his bedroom door slams open.
“Hey, Raynor, Indy is looking for you.”
I stiffen at Deacon’s tone. It’s bordering on aggressive. Someone is picking a fight with him, and he’s about to melt down.
“Get out, Pan,” Raynor’s tone gets aggressive super quick, feeding off Deacon’s energy.
He shakes his head and moves into the room. “No can do- wait! Who do you have in the bed? Seriously? Are you fucking high? If Indy finds out, she won’t stop screaming about it for weeks.”
I roll away from Raynor and sit up. I go to slip past Deacon, but he catches me before I can. The hand is light on my waist, but I have to bite my cheek to stop the moan from slipping free.
“What are you doing in here, Vae?” His surprise is crystal clear. He did not expect it to be me in Raynor’s bed. The fact that his suspicion eases just sends the pitchfork into my heart. No chance of anyone wanting Vae.
“There are people fucking on my bed.”
He laughs. “So kick them out!”
“You promised, Deacon!” I whisper shout.
To my absolute disgust, I start to cry.
Deacon sighs and pulls me into a hug. “I’ll kick them out.”
“But it will still smell like them,” I whine.
I whine.
Oh, my god…
I seal my lips shut and stand in his arms, trembling.
“Okay, you can sleep in my room.”
“No!” I shout. “I'm, no, no, I can’t do that. Just no.”
“Well, you can’t stay here.”
“Why can’t she?” Raynor challenges angrily.
“What? But you never let anyone stay in here.”
“She’s not anyone; she’s my Vae, and I want her here. It’s my room, Deacon, and this is my space. You don’t get to decide what I do in my bedroom.”
I tense, stepping back, looking between them. Raynor is puffed up, tense, his eyes fixed on Deacon.
I think maybe Deacon might fight him, but after a long moment, he throws his hands in the air and mutters something about small dicks.
Raynor throws a controller at his head.
I step to the side as they collide, slamming into the walls. Deacon throws a punch; Raynor gets in a good punch to the gut. I shout at them, but I can’t even get past them. They are just too big.
I stamp my foot and scream, but the music almost drowns me out.
They slam into the wall beside me.
“STOP!”
They keep going, bouncing off the hallways like they’re pinballs in a pinball machine.
Mal appears, laughing, Indy on his arm. She smiles at them, and, once again, I’m struck by how wrong she is for them.
They should be mine.
I hate this. I hate it. They should never be fighting. I have to stop them.
“I’m moving out!” I shout.
The music cuts off at the worst possible time, and the sudden announcement gets all the unwanted attention I didn’t expect it to.
Deacon shakes free of Raynor and grabs my arm, pulling me to him and glaring down at me.
“That’s not funny.”
“I’m not laughing. I’m moving out,” I say with a tremble in my voice. Be strong, Vae.
This is the right thing to do, for them, for me, and for everyone.
Raynor is shaking his head, but Mal looks the worst; betrayal, devastation, the happy glow is dead and gone.
“You? You’re moving out?” Mal whispers.
I nod my head. “I am. It’s time.”
“I think it’s a wonderful idea,” Indy says with a happy coo.
I hate her.
Deacon turns to face the gawking crowd. “Party’s over. Get the fuck out of my house.”
Raynor stares at me like he doesn’t know me. “You’re right. This changes everything.”