Page 17 of Stevie
Nika’s expression darkens as she continues to slowly sharpen her knife. “You no lie to Nika. I know when lying. I smell it. And when Nika smell the lie, Nika gets, ah what the word…” She stabs her knife into the butcher block while she thinks.
“Ej! Law man!” She yells to the officer as he is making his way towards the door. The guy turns to her and gives her a nervous smile. I can’t blame him. When they showed up, she tried to hit the officers with a cane.
“Yes, ma’am?” I watch her face fall again.
“What the word for feeling-” She grabs her knife and stabs it over and over in her block. The cop looks from me to Stevie.
“She knows my body cam is on, right?” Stevie waves him off.
“Just go on, Kevin, thanks for your help.” Once the cop is gone. Stevie stares at Nika, who is cleaning off the counters.
“Knock it off, old woman,” Stevie snaps. “Are you trying to get arrested?”
“Ah! Prison here, like a vacation. You want real prison? I tell you–”
“Baka!” Stevie growls and storms out of the cafe area, back to where the steps to her apartment are.
“Go on bear man… before I remember the word.” She doesn’t need to tell me twice. I hightail it out of the cafe and up the stairs to Stevie’s apartment.
“Peaches?” I call out when I don’t see her. I hear a faint curse from the bathroom. I tap on the door and it opens, I find Stevie standing at her sink, sobbing. “Stevie,” I breathe, and pull her to my chest as she sobs into my shirt.
“How did they get in? How am I supposed to stay here until my surgery? I-I… oh my god. What did I do?” Another sob wracks through her, and I hold her tighter. She smells so good, woody with amber, and maybe vanilla? Something sweet from downstairs is definitely mixed in there.
“Hey,” I say softly against her hair. “Listen, why don’t you grab your stuff and come to my place? You will be safe there.”
“That doesn’t sound smart,” she sniffles. This woman is impossible.
“Fuck off, that’s the smartest decision I’ve made all day.” I tap my chin in thought before shrugging. “Besides making you come on my tongue.”
“Shut up,” she groans and pulls back and slaps my chest. She’s silent for a moment and I can see the pros and cons list formulating in her mind as she stares at me with her blue eyes. Her left eye is my favorite. It has this one little part that is a light brown, it’s so small that if you weren’t looking, you’d miss it. But I don’t miss it, I find it every single time. “Brooks,” her whisper pulls me back.
“Yeah?”
“You—can I tell you a secret?” I’m not sure why we are whispering, but I continue to follow suit.
“Of course.”
She snaps her mouth shut, as if she’s afraid to say it out loud. Shaking her head, she looks up at me and I see a fear in them that guts me. “I feel safe with you,” my whole body goes numb at her confession. Stevie feeling safe with me is a dream come true, but it’s also terrifying because I can’t ever let her feel unsafe again. I have to keep her safe.
Stevie
CHAPTER SEVEN
“Well, you know he likes you,” Janie says as she, Indy, and I sit on the back porch at Janie’s house, sipping mimosas. Brooks needed to go to his office today, and because I am no longer allowed to do anything without a babysitter, I either had to go with him or be with someone. So Janie told me to come over, and we could watch Fox and Derek chop wood, which is not nearly as dull as it sounds. Though, watching my friends get all horny over their guys is kind of cringy. That could be envy talking, though. I mean, I have dick on demand, but I don’t know; lately, the dick part isn’t what I’m craving the most. It’s the stolen glances, the way he shamelessly flirts with me. God damn it, I need to stop. I am not getting into a relationship with any man, including Brooks. No matter what I seem to want as of late.
“Yeah,” Indy smiles from behind her sunglasses. “Stevie, he’s had a crush on you since we worked the night shift at Hel’s. Oh! You got it, Daddy!” Indy cheers, and I watch Derek, the quiet introvert, shake his head and give Indy a small, reluctant wave.
“Please stop calling me that!” He calls back, but you can tell he doesn’t mean it with his unusually light tone and the slight smirk tugging at his lips. Derek is the definition of a grump, except with Indy. Which makes them that much more adorable because I have seen photos of this man in a swimming pool, holding penguins just to make her happy.
“Is he ever going to pop the question?” Janie asks, and Indy laughs.
“Maybe? I mean, I’m okay either way. I know after what his ex-wife did, the thought of marrying again gives him anxiety. We’ve talked about it, and I told him I’m happy with how things are and there is no rush or pressure. If it happens, it happens.”
“That’s so sweet.” I smile and pat Indy’s hand. “Janie, I should be ready to return to work after this weekend. I’ve just got to finish getting things organized at Brooks’.” I had to take this week off after Brooks forced me to go live with him. Force is probably a strong word. Honestly, after finding out someone had broken into my apartment, I didn’t want to be there alone. Not that I would’ve admitted that. When he said I was going to his place, he was met with minimal resistance, and I know he noticed. Thankfully, he didn’t say anything about it. I don’t do scared, and I really don’t like relying on others, especially not a man. But, once again, just like at the convention after Vincent tried to attack me, I find myself wanting to run into Brooks’ arms and have him shield me from the world.
“Are you sure? I don’t want you to do too much, plus with the shit happening with your videos,” she says, her eyes never leaving her husband. “Hey, Papa Fox! You need an oxygen tank? You look a little winded!”
Fox barks out a loud, “Ha!”
