Page 216 of Love Me Stalk Me
Her head snaps toward me so fast I almost laugh. "You did?" she asks, completely incredulous, like I just told her I enjoy getting waterboarded for fun.
"Yeah, I did."
Her brows pull together like she doesn't quite believe me. "But they're so...much."
"They are," I agree. "But I liked it. They care about you. That much is obvious."
She huffs, shaking her head. "They're nosy as hell, is what they are."
I chuckle, thinking about her brothers cornering me outside. "They're protective," I amend. "We agree on at leastone priority."
She raises an eyebrow. "And that is?"
I glance at her. "Our mutual hatred for Evan."
She laughs, rolling her eyes. "God, they wouldn't let that go."
"Can you blame them?" I ask, turning onto her street. "They want to make sure you're taken care of. That you're happy."
Her lips press together, and a quiet wistfulness settles over her face—a softness I’m not sure I’ve seen before, or know how to name.
Then, she exhales, shaking her head with a small, amused smile.
"Pretty girl," I say, looking at her from the corner of my eye.
She turns to look at me and that's when I freeze. My grip on the steering wheel tightens, and I don't need to fully look at her to know she's watching me now.
"Why do you call me that?" she asks, her voice light, curious.
Fuck.
How long have I been calling her that out loud? I just got so comfortable with it. It's second nature. I don't even think about it. It's just who she is to me.
I swallow, forcing a casual shrug. "It just feels right."
She tilts her head slightly. "Feels right?"
I chance a glance at her. "You're my pretty girl," I say simply, because it's the truth. "Why wouldn't I call you that?"
Her breath catches, her fingers fidgeting in her lap. And then, in a small voice, she asks, "What are we to each other?"
I slow to a stop at the light, turning fully toward her. "As far as I'm concerned?" I tilt my head. "You're mine."
Her eyes widen, like she wasn't expecting that answer. "Don't you think that's a little fast?" she asks, voice barely above a whisper.
I lift an eyebrow, watching her closely. "I don't know, Izzy," I murmur. "You tell me. Is it too fast for you? Because I'll take it as slow as you need."
She swallows, looking away for a beat, her fingers playing with the hem of her dress.
"No," she finally says, shaking her head. "I just...I want to be fair to you. I don't want to treat you like some amazing rebound."
"Amazing, huh?"
She groans, smacking my arm. "That's what you took from that?"
I chuckle, turning back toward the road as the light changes.
"Just making sure I heard you correctly."
