What I’m not gonna do is f**king sit in a house with the f**king blinds pul ed and the f**king doors locked and wait for other people to solve my f**king problems, the whole time scared out of my f**king mind.”
Yeesh.
That was a lot of f-words but the moment warranted it.
“You need to be smart,” he said, not moving out of the space I invaded.
“I need to get control of my life and I’m going to get it and I don’t care how. You might not like it but that’s the way it is.”
“You put yourself out there, I can’t keep you safe.” I stared.
Then, I swear I couldn’t help it, I laughed. And something else I couldn’t help, since I was so close to Eddie, I leaned into him and when I did, I wrapped my arms around his middle and put my forehead to his chest. It was either that or fal over with the hilarity of it al .
“This shit isn’t f**kin’ funny,” Eddie said to the top of my head. His hands were on his hips, he wasn’t touching me and he wasn’t happy.
I looked up at him, my arms stil wrapped around him, my body pressed against his.
“Eddie, don’t you get it?” I asked softly, stil smiling, “I’ve never felt safe in my whole life. Never. Until now.” Something flickered in his eyes but he didn’t move.
I pressed closer and tilted my head back further.
“Three months ago, if this happened to me, I’d have sat in a house with the blinds closed, the doors locked and been scared out of my mind.”
He hesitated a moment, then I felt his body relax and his hand came up to where my jaw met my neck, the pad of his thumb against my cheekbone.
“You’re so ful of shit, Chiquita,” he said quietly but the scary had gone out of the quiet. He was looking in my eyes, the glitter in his melting and I knew I’d won.
Final y, I’d won an argument with Eddie.
I felt like dancing around, instead I gave him a squeeze.
“Am not,” I said.
“You would have been as hel -bent to risk your neck and solve your Dad’s problems, you just wouldn’t have had some crazy Rock Chick to get you in trouble while she’s tryin’ to watch your back.”
“Indy’s not a crazy Rock Chick.”
“And Indy isn’t the only one watchin’ your back.” I smiled at him. I knew what he meant because that warm feeling was in my bel y again, but I decided, and for the life of me I didn’t know why, to tease him and maybe, just a little bit, flirt.
So I cocked my head and said, “I know. Al y’s watching it too.”
Wow. Flirting worked.
His eyes went liquid, my bel y fluttered, his other arm went around me and his thumb came under my chin and tilted my head back even further.
“Al y is a crazy Rock Chick,” he said.
I couldn’t help it, I let out a little giggle.
He watched me for a beat, then his face got serious. “I don’t like what you’re doin’, I don’t agree with it and if I can, I’l stop it.”
Wonderful
I didn’t like that he didn’t like it but I nodded anyway.
We were at an impasse and we both knew it.
“This your way of tryin’ to prove to me you’re boring? If it is, I should warn you, it real y isn’t workin’.” I shook my head then tried again to use the truth and said, “Eddie, trust me, I am boring.” The dimple came out.