Page 4 of Say I'm Yours, Firecracker

He pulled me up from the booth, placing my back to his front. I could smell cigarette smoke wafting from his breath as he mumbled something to Aaron’s friend.

All hell broke loose. Fists were flying, and then Aaron had the guy with no boundaries in some sort of arm lock that my brain couldn’t comprehend.

Then mystery man’s hands were on my shoulders, his eyes roaming my body, inch by inch. When he was satisfied he guided me and Xavier toward the door. The air was chilly, and my dress wasn’t the warmest thing in my closet.

“I’m sorry.” Xavier lifted his hand from where he was standing. “What the hell just happened here?”

“I threw that asshole out a few weeks ago. Same issue,” my gargoyle grunted.

“So then, why did he come back?” Bellamy asked, appearing out of nowhere. “What about security? How did he get back in?”

“I’ll find out.” He was so curt, and almost cold in his response to her. “Until then, I want to know if your friend here is okay.”

His chocolate eyes zeroed in on mine. I felt like I couldn’t breathe. The man who had haunted my dreams and fantasies ever since we fucked in a secluded corner of this club was starring at me. Speaking to me. Touching me. Concerned about me.

I couldn’t stand anymore in these heels. Thoughts swam and my focus started to fade when my mystery man literally swept me off my feet and said, “We’ll take my truck.”

He held me against his chest like I weighed nothing, and carried me over to a massive truck. Gently, he sat me down in the front seat and all my thoughts went silent as I gave into the exhaustion I’d been fighting all night.

I followed Aaron to his girl's house, where I guess they had decided they would be staying the night. The guy that was with the girls rode in the back of my cab, he was snoring by the time we pulled up at the curb.

I hopped out, stretching my limbs and rolling up my sleeves. I caught the dirty words Aaron was saying to his girl and chuckled.

The blonde bombshell was softly snoring when I opened the truck door. As easy as I could, I wrapped her in my arms and carried her inside. “Where do you want me to put her?”

The mouthy brunette pointed to the air mattress set up in the tiny living room. I laid her down carefully, and watched as her friend covered her with a blanket.

“Where’s Xavier?” She said once she was satisfied with the placement of the blanket.

I stretched out my arm, rubbing the back of my neck. One of my tells that I was uncomfortable. “He’s passed out in the truck. He's staying here, too?”

She nodded and Aaron offered to help me bring him in. I stood there a moment, processing.

“Hey, Behemoth, chill. He’s going to be on the couch, plus he’s gay.”

Surprise colored my cheeks. It shouldn’t matter. The blonde wasn’t my girl. I had no claim on her, and she had made it clear she didn’t want a claim on me.

Aaron and I carried Xavier in and placed him on the couch. With one last look at the girl who strutted away with a piece of my soul, I clapped Aaron on the back and left.

My mind was running a million miles an hour. Even though the blonde had run from me, after fragmenting a part of my soul and taking it with her, she had continued to come to the bar. I wanted to believe it was because she wanted to see me, but I knew better.

I also knew my best friend and if Aaron was as serious about his girl as I thought he was, then I would be seeing more of the Firecracker from a few weeks ago.

I couldn’t decide if I was excited by the idea, or terrified.

I had not been feeling well, and it couldn’t be a hangover. Even though last night I only had one drink, my usual headache was gone, and though I was nauseous, I couldn’t actually throw up.

This was literal hell.

Sitting beside the toilet in my small apartment was not how I wanted to start my morning. Especially on my day off. I wanted to go to the new thrift store downtown, and maybe ask Haven to join me.

Instead I sat around, feeling sick to my stomach and scrolling through my phone while Netflix played in the background. I couldn’t eat, fear that I was going to puke my guts up kept me from anything from my kitchen.

Other than water. I drank more of it than I think I ever had.

I opened my period tracker, wanting to see what funny quote it would have for me today. Instead it wasn’t a quote…

I scrambled up to find my calendar, I never missed a period. It was always on time. Frantically I placed my finger on today’s date and counted back to when I should have started.

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