Page 27 of Dusty and Dented
When Dagger lifted the bowl from his lap and held it toward her, she took a handful and popped it into her mouth.
“Thank you,” she said after a moment.They watched in silence for a while, her energy to keep sitting upright quickly fading.She started by inching down the bed.Wiggling her way to being a little more reclining every time she moved.After several episodes of wiggling around to get more comfortable, Dagger spoke up.
“Pause it for just a second,” he said.
She felt around for where she’d left the remote, then did as he asked.Turning, she watched as he picked up the bowl from his lap and got up.He set the bowl on the dresser.
“Want any of this?”He picked up the grocery bag she’d looked through but hadn’t eaten anything from, not yet.
“Not right now.”
“No problem.I’ll leave it up here for you.”he put it on the dresser next to the popcorn.
“Are you going somewhere?”She couldn’t help the frown that crossed her face.
“Nope.I’m just getting us both a little more comfortable.Plus, I need to piss.”
“Oh.”She used the break as a chance to slide farther down the bed.She balled up one of the pillows and curled up with it partly in her arms and partly under her head.“Okay.I’ll be here when you’re done.”
He didn’t take long and when he came back, he stretched out on his back on top of the bed next to her.At first she thought he was just getting more comfortable, but he picked up the remote and laid it on his far side, then he wrapped one arm around her head and shoulders.
“Come over here, you’ll be more comfortable this way.”
Andy froze.She looked up at his face, not sure she’d heard him right.Was he really wanting her to curl up against him?To use him for her pillow?Could she do that?Would he think she wanted more if she did what he wanted?Would he expect her to have sex with him if she did?
Not that he was bad looking or even a bad guy.She liked him.Maybe too much.He was part of the club that had gotten Travis killed.
“It’s okay.You don’t have to.I just thought you might be more comfortable.If you don’t want to that’s okay too.”
She stared at him a moment, narrowing her eyes.Had she heard the tiniest bit of hurt in his voice?Could he possibly be upset that she didn’t jump to snuggle against him?
But she already hada voice called from the back of her mind.She hadn’t cared much at the time, because she was so lost in her grief, but he’d held her while she cried over Travis.She gave in, moved the pillow she’d been clutching and slid over next to him.She set her head on his chest and wrapped her arm around his belly, then realized her head was probably blocking him from being able to see the TV and looked up at him.
“I’m not keeping you from seeing the screen, am I?”
“Nope.I hadn’t realized it when I did it but that’s one of the advantages of mounting the TV that high.”He glanced toward the TV to show her what he meant.
She had noticed it was mounted up close to the ceiling, she’d thought it strange at the time but hadn’t given it much thought.She still didn’t want to.Instead of asking him any of the billion questions now popping into her head, she nodded and laid her head back down.
“Ready?”he asked.
She didn’t say anything just nodded, enjoying the way his heartbeat was a steady rhythm in her ear as he picked up the remote and restarted the movie.
