Chapter Twenty
Rowan
Did I think going on a grocery run would minimize the guilt? In my fucked up head, I hoped it would smooth over our rough start, but as I stare at the list, I piece together what she’s plotting.
“An instant camera?” I question out loud as I stand in the electronics section of a store. “What the fuck is that?”
“Do you need some help, sir?”
I turn and there’s a young woman with a name tag pinned to her bright blue shirt. She’s looking at me expectantly, and I sigh as I show her the list.
“Which one of these cameras is instant?” I grumble.
The woman’s brows lift as her eyes skim the lines of supplies. “Are you scrapbooking?”
I scratch at the back of my neck. “My girlfriend is, I guess. She handed me the list before I left.”
She nods, understanding crossing her features as she points to a row of bulky cameras. “These are all instant. What color would she like?”
I think back to the color of Addison’s running shoes and her phone case. She loves purple, so I grab the lavender one.
“Good choice,” the employee smiles, handing me a small box. “This is the film. Everything else you're looking for can be found on aisle twenty.”
“Thank you,” I grab my cart and walk through the store until I find the arts and crafts aisle.
The amount of glitter, paint, and stickers on this list raises my blood pressure.
I know she’s plotting against me, but everything has consequences.
If she wants to learn the hard way, who am I to stop her?
“Distraction, my ass,” I mutter as I grab what she needs before heading over to the grocery side of the store.
The food and drink items she included aren’t strange, but there’s hardly anything on here.
I grab a few extra snacks and things for her to try.
If she likes something, I can always come back and stock up on it.
She isn’t making the getting-to-know-you part easy, but I’ll crack her open in no time. It’s subtle how I plot to gather the information I’m itching to know about her, but she’ll have no idea what I’m doing. She’ll play right into my hands.
I check out before heading home. It’s nice to have my truck back, but I wish someone other than Thalia had gone to pick it up.
She left the inside a complete mess, but I can’t complain.
Now, whether or not she returned the other vehicle is a complete mystery.
My bet is that she didn’t, but I couldn't care less about who she terrorizes.
When I get back to the house, Addison perks up on the couch, her eyes lighting up when she sees the bags in my hands.
Her look stuns me for a moment, and I imagine a life like this, where I come home, and she’s happy to see me.
It makes my chest pang with longing as I set everything down on the kitchen island.
“Did you get my stuff?” She bounds over to me, practically bouncing on her heels as I take everything out of the bags.
I set her supplies down on the counter, pinning her with a stare as I brace a hand over everything. “What are you planning to do with all of this?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know, Weather Boy.” She rolls her eyes before filling her arms and skipping back to the living room.
I watch her for a while, suspicion tugging at my gut as I put things away. She’s obscured by the back of the sofa, so I can’t see what she’s doing, but I know it isn’t anything good.
“It’s getting late,” I comment.
She looks up as if just noticing the darkness beyond the windows by the front door. “I’m not tired, and I’m not sleeping with you.”
I figured as much. I keep reminding myself that it’s going to take time for her to come around, but I’ve already grown attached to the feeling of sleeping beside her. While she was out of it, I kept her tucked up safely against my chest, but now it’s back to a cold bed.
It’ll all be worth it.
“I’ll take the sofa,” I say. “If you’re planning on staying up, you can use my office.”
She blinks. “I get your bed? Why?”
I shrug. “Because it’s the polite thing to do. You’re my guest, Sunshine.”
She doesn’t argue as she gathers her things and rises from the couch. “Good night.”
“Night,” I call after her as she pads up the stairs. I grab an extra blanket and pillow from a closet, take off my boots and jeans, and lie on my back on the uncomfortable leather. I stay up for a while, listening to Addison’s footsteps as she moves around upstairs.
I eventually have to force myself to sleep. It’s hard having her in my home, but I'm trying to stay on her good side. Keeping myself away is proving to be a feat all of its own.
Around the early morning hours, I finally drift off, the last images being of the enchanting woman who haunts me during the day and in the deepest recesses of my mind at night.
***
There’s a flash of light from behind my closed eyes. I’m in the space between awake and sleep, and the whispered voice near me causes me to shoot upright on the sofa. I fling my arm out and grab whoever is standing over me.
Addison’s frightened gaze connects with mine as my hand squeezes her throat.
“Fuck, Sunshine.” I release her quickly, and she scrambles back. “What are you doing? You can’t sneak up on me like that.”
She places her hand around her throat before I see the subtle blush blossoming on her cheeks. “Sorry. I didn’t think I was going to wake you…”
I rest my elbows on my knees before using a hand to rub the sleep from my eyes. “I’m an assassin, Addison. You can’t do things like that. I could have hurt you.” I notice the purple camera in her left hand, hanging by her side. “Did you take a picture of me while I was sleeping?”
She shrugs. “You took pictures of me.”
Touché.
“Just be more careful, okay?” I ask.
She rolls her eyes. “You’re so dramatic.”
I flick my phone on and squint at the time. It’s two in the morning. “Why are you still up?”
She ignores me as she airs out the printed photo, looking pleased with her skills. “Good night.”
She saunters back up the stairs, and I’m left reeling. She’s a fucking handful, and she knows it. This woman is going to be the death of me, and I’m hopeless to stop it.
***
I’m up a few hours later, and the sun has barely risen. Sleep is a commodity I find hard to come by, and with Addison gracing every corner of this place with her light, I find it even harder. It’s different not being beside her, and I hate it.
I pull on my jeans before shuffling towards the kitchen. I flick on the drip pot and make us some coffee. I don’t expect her to be up anytime soon after last night, but when I hear soft footsteps down the stairs, I turn around.
She rounds into the kitchen, freshly showered and her hair parted into two thick braids. She’s wearing one of my old t-shirts, which she probably found stashed away in a drawer somewhere, and some black leggings.
“Oh, coffee!” She smiles before walking over and grabbing the mug I set on the counter for myself.
“You’re up early,” I mumble, pulling another cup down from the cabinet.
I pour us both a generous mug before she frowns at the dark liquid. “No sugar or creamer?”
I pull both of them down from a cabinet before sliding them to her, and watching as she concocts an elixir that eliminates the bitter taste altogether.
Three scoops of sugar and creamer, I take note.
“How are you up?” I ask.
“I was asleep for days. A few hours were good enough for me.” She takes a sip, humming softly at the flavor. “Besides, I want to be awake when you see what I’ve been working on.”
My brows lift over my mug. “What you’ve been working on?”
“Mhmm,” she stares at me, something playful in her eyes as we drink our coffee.
“I have a few reports this morning, but I’ll check it out as soon as I’m done.” I promise.
She’s unfazed by my answer as she pulls out a chair at the kitchen table and eases onto it. “Oh, you’ll notice it right away.”
I don’t like the way that sounds or how she’s brushing me off. Alarms sound in my head, but she’s in such a good mood that I let my guard slip. Whatever she’s plotting can’t be that bad.
“I’ll be done in a few hours,” I say as I walk past her.
“Good luck,” she smirks, continuing to sip on her drink.
I stop, staring at her from the staircase, before I blink away the strangeness of the situation. I climb the steps, my mind switching over to all of the accounts I need to update as I step into my office and halt dead in my tracks.
I grip my mug tighter as I stalk toward my desk.
The monitor is covered in fucking stickers.
Brightly colored cartoon characters of animals and food nearly swallow it.
The bookshelf with my encyclopedias? Also covered in damn stickers.
I set my mug down with force on my desk before a cloud of glitter poofs around it.
My eye twitches as I realize the whole surface is covered in pink and purple shimmering fine dust. I pick up the keyboard, only for a mountain of powder to pour onto the floor and coat my bare feet.
I slam my keyboard down before rubbing a hand over my mouth and cursing when I pull it away and see it coated in fucking glitter.
This brat!
I leave her alone for one night, and she turns my office into her canvas.
My head whips up to the bookcase, and before I know it, I’m standing in front of it as I observe the one book that’s turned with its pages facing outward.
I snatch it, my teeth gritting as I stare at the bright pink cardstock glued to the cover.
‘Addison and Row Row’s Memories’ is freehanded at the top in bubble letters and surrounded by hearts.
The picture glued to the front is the one she took of me last night while I was sleeping.
She’s in the frame, throwing up a peace sign with her tongue out as I sleep with my mouth wide open in the background.