Chapter 30 Kiera
KIERA
It was pitch black, hours before dawn when my door slammed open. Without thinking, I groped the nightstand for something heavy, hoping to bludgeon my intruder. Things had been peaceful in the house, but peace never lasted long, and I’d rather be safe than sorry.
I threw the drawer open, fumbling for it blindly, when the light from the hallway illuminated a familiar figure. “Rise and shine, Bunny.”
Spencer was leaned up against the door frame, arms crossed over her broad chest, arms bared in a t-shirt that, as usual, had its sleeves hacked off.
“Jesus fucking Christ,” I huffed, slamming the drawer shut as I collapsed back into the bed. “You scared the shit out of me. What do you want?”
“It’s what you wanted, actually.” She laughed, stepping into the room. “Time to get up. We’ve got work to do.”
“You’re fucking with me.” I groaned, pulling the comforter over my head. “What time is it?”
“Five.” Spence said, tugging the foot of the blanket hard enough to uncover my face. “Time to get up.”
“Five?! What kind of arcade opens at five?”
“It doesn’t. But it’s a holiday weekend, which means the kids are out of school, and they clock in like it’s their full time job. So we’ve gotta get there early. There’s a lot of behind the scenes magic that’s gotta happen before the mongrels come knocking.”
I rolled over onto my stomach, desperate to block out the hallway light. “There’s no way they’re coming that early.”
“You’d be suprised.” Spencer laughed, sitting on the edge of the bed. “Come on, it beats staying locked up all day, right?”
The teasing edge in Spencer’s voice told me everything I needed to know. She was deriving way too much pleasure in throwing my request back in my face.
“Just go without me,” I mumbled, burying my head in the pillows.
“Not a chance in hell. Not after you asked so nicely.” She laid a hand over the back of my blanketed calf and squeezed.
“Get up now, and we might have time to grab you some coffee. Keep tangling yourself in those sheets, and I’ll hoist you out of bed myself.
Though I think you might enjoy that second option a little too much… ”
“In your fucking dreams,” Grumbling, I clenched the pillow tighter. But as she lifted her hand from my calf, I got the feeling that she wasn’t joking about dragging me out of bed.
I sat up before she could grab hold of me, kicking the blankets loose at my feet. “Fine, fine, you win you fucking sadist.”
“If I’m a sadist, what does that make you?” Spencer laughed, plopping herself back across the mattress. “Just remember, you’re the one who asked for this.”
Heat rose in my chest at the implication. Unwilling to dignify her with a response, I stumbled out of the bed, pulling my big t-shirt down to cover my bare thighs. I was partial to sleeping naked, but you learned to cover up quick when you had roommates as nosy as these fuckers.
As I dug through the dresser drawers, I called to her over my shoulder. “You know, you’re way too peppy for someone who’s awake before the sun is.”
“What can I say, love? Just excited to spend the day with you.” Her voice dripped with sarcasm, but there was a hint of something true in her flirtation.
Brushing my hair to the side to hide my blush, I pulled out an oversized green Champion sweater and a pair of leggings along with a fresh black thong.
It was sportier than my usual stuff, but I was still in the process of washing his tacky scent out of my clothes, so I had to make due with old underwear and whatever Spencer had picked up at the department store.
Tossing the clothes in a pile on the bed, I cleared my throat.
Spencer propped up on her elbows to meet my gaze. “Need something?”
“Not particularly.” I crossed my arms. “Are you just going to sit there and watch?”
She smirked at the jab, eyes lingering just a second too long on my thighs. “I will if that’s one of my options.”
Heat flared in my cheeks, as it often did at her boldness.
How does she get under my skin so easily?
Her comments shouldn’t have flustered me. Even if she was gay, I wasn’t.
So instead of cowering, I met her boldness in kind. If she wants a show…
“Suit yourself,” I yawned, pulling the shirt over my head and tossing it on her head. “It’s more of a punishment for you than for me.”
Spencer scrambled to pull the shirt off of her skull just in time to watch me peel my underwear down my thighs. Scooping them up from the floor, I dangled them in front of her on one finger. “Want these in a to-go bag? Might make it last longer.”
But unlike me, Spencer was unfazed by the flirting. She snatched the panties off of my finger, taking a deep whiff of the crotch.
“Spencer!” My mouth dropped open as I reached to grab them back before realizing I was fully nude.
She took advantage of my hesitance to shove them deep into her pocket before levelling me with a devious grin. “Finder’s keepers. You’re welcome to go searching if you’d like, but I can’t make any promises about what else you might find.”
“You’re a sicko,” I scoffed, snatching my clean thong off of the bed before she could get any more ideas.
This whole stunt was supposed to be flustering her, but I couldn’t help it. Her flirting, her cockiness, the way her hungry eyes roamed my body unapologetically: it sent a surge of excitement through my chest that I couldn’t quite understand.
The only time I’d felt something remotely like this was with old boyfriends, and even that paled in comparison.
In all fairness, the only people I’ve been this naked in front of were old boyfriends.
Making note to sift through that feeling later, I pulled on the leggings, grabbed a tanktop from the drawer, and then hid my traitorous body beneath the baggy green sweater. “You ready to go?”
“Born ready.” She grinned, popping off of the bed. As she crossed the threshold, she reached for her bag, which she’d tucked behind the doorframe, and fished something out. “For you.”
I furrowed my brows as I grabbed the navy trucker hat from her hands. Across the front in a vintage serif font were the words Lucky Strike. “What’s this for?”
“To cover-up that red halo of yours.”
“Should I be offended?” I scoffed. I had half a mind to throw the hat right back in her face.
But she shook her head. “Taking you out of the house is trouble enough. I don’t need to increase the odds of anyone actually recognizing you.”
“That’s ridiculous.” I crossed my arms. “First of all, this hat isn’t covering up anything. Second of all, no one is going to spare me a second glance.”
“I beg to differ, Bunny. You’re not the type of pretty that goes unnoticed in public.”
Heat crept up my cheeks, but before I could stammer out a reply, Spencer grasped the doorframe, tilting her head lower to intercept my gaze. “Please? It would make me feel a lot better.”
“...Fine.” I grumbled, shoving on the cap and brushing past her through the door. After the early wake up call and all of her other stunts, I shouldn’t have felt so generous. But Spencer could charm her way out of any problem. It was a skill I’d have to be wary of moving forward.
“Atta girl,” Spence grinned, picking up her pace to pass me as we reached the stairs.
I knocked into her side, bumping her against the banister as I plodded down to the landing. “No cutting in line.”
“Competitive.” She laughed, bringing up the rear. “Alright, I’ll let you have it. But let’s see if you’re still a little speed demon once I’m in control.”