Page 30 of Fated Shot

“Complicated,” I finish. We sit quietly for a few moments. I’m pissed at that douche and equally jealous of the time he spent with her tonight. She’s here now, though, and I’ll be damned if I don’t make the best of it. “It’s your turn, by the way.”

She thinks for a while before letting out a small yet powerful sigh.

“Jack, why do you like me?” she asks, genuine confusion in her voice.

I stare at her for a moment before she continues. “If you haven’t noticed, I’m a bit of a mess, and I’m sure there are a million other girls who are dying for you. Girls who would be willing to do a lot more than play twenty questions.”

There’s not a single girl I’d rather have sitting on my couch right now. I think about it, though, waiting for a moment before responding.

“I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?” she repeats back to me.

“I just can’t get you out of my head.” I take a breath. “I don’t know what it is. There’s just something about you. It’s like I’m drawn to your light. I promise I’m happy just sitting here on the couch, nothing more. I just… I don’t know, want to be around you.”

She’s searching my eyes. It looks like she’s going to say something, but I have to ask, “Why’d you ignore me, Mia?”

She pauses, the wheels turning in that beautiful head of hers.

“I got scared. This…” motioning between us, “Whatever it is, is a bad idea. I just got carried away in the moment until it all came crashing down. I’m sorry. I couldn’t process, it was just a lot all at once.”

I’m trying my best to digest her words as she adds, “And I figured you’d leave, and there’d still be time for you to call our waitress to get your business taken care of,” she says, hand waving around my dick.

I laugh, nodding. “Mmm, my business.”

She slaps a hand on my chest. “HEY! Don’t laugh at me! I was trying to be considerate!”

I wince at the contact as her knuckles hit a sore spot.

“Oh no!” She flies up off the couch. “I’m so sorry, I forgot for a sec. Do you have an ice pack or something?” she asks, already on her way to the freezer. Before I have time to oppose, the door swings open, and her voice calls out. “Uhh, someone replaced your freezer with the first aid section of Shoppers.”

“Yeah, well, I need all that stuff a lot more than I need a frozen lasagna,” I call back as she shuffles over, carrying a handful of items. She plops the pile on the couch and sits on her knees next to me.

“May I?” she asks, a softness in her voice as she hoovers over the hem of my t-shirt. I nod, as she eases it up. Lifting myself off of the couch, she helps guide it all the way off.

She gasps the moment she spots the mark. “Does it hurt?” Lightly trembling hands grazing over the now even deeper purple bruise spending across my rib cage.Like hell.

“It’s not as bad as it looks,” I assure her. “And you’ve officially used up all your questions,” I add with a playful smile.

She rolls her eyes as she reaches for the arnica cream, squeezing some on me. It’s ice cold. A shiver runs down my chest the moment it touches my skin.

“Sorry,” she says, wincing instinctively. All sympathy in her voice as she delicately starts spreading it around, slowly rubbing it in. I just watch her at work, so focused and gentle. Closing my eyes for a second, I let myself be at peace in the moment as she continues. She hums softly to herself while her fingers trace across my stomach. This feels too good to be true.

She stops for a moment as I watch her close the lid of the cream and set it down beside her on the couch. To my fucking delight, she’s not finished her doting. Instead, she grabs for the frozen ice pack and holds it gently against my torso, face contorting at the touch as if she’s worried she’s hurting me. I don’t react, though. It feels ridiculously nice being taken care of like this as she continues to hold it in place.

Her eyes scan over the rest of my body slowly. I can hear her shallow breaths as she takes in the view. Blushing, like usual, when she realizes I caught her looking. She can stare all she wants. But when she meets my eyes, there’s something new there in her expression.

Don’t do it.

Just enjoy the moment.

Don’t ruin this.

She’s smiling at me now, though, the smile that has the power to knock every sense out of me. A huff of frustration escapes me.

“Is this really such a bad idea, Mia?”

Andddd, of course, I did it.

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