Page 185 of Love Me Stalk Me
She huffs but doesn't argue.
"Alright, my turn," I say, settling in. "First car?"
"You go first."
I shrug. "'99 Jeep Cherokee. Piece of shit, but it ran. Barely."
She giggles. "I had a Volkswagen Jetta. It broke down every other week, and my dad had to keep fixing it."
I chuckle. "Yeah, sounds about right."
She tilts her head. "Do you like catsor dogs more?"
I snort. "Dogs, obviously. But I respect a cat that acts like a dog."
"Okay, respectable."
I lift a brow. "What about you?"
"Both. But if I had to pick? Cats. They match my vibe better."
My lips twitch. "Because they're stubborn and refuse to admit when they like someone?"
She gasp-laughs, smacking my chest again.
"Exactly," she deadpans but I can see the smile in her expression.
"Alright. What's your weirdest fear?"
She grimaces. "Escalators."
I stare.
She nods seriously. "The thought of getting my shoelace caught and getting sucked into the gears and becoming a cautionary tale haunts me daily."
I bite down a laugh. "You don’t even wear shoes with laces!”
“My emotions are valid!” she laughs.
“Okay, yes, that is true, but that is the most bizarrely specific fear I've ever heard."
"Yeah, well, what's yours?" she challenges.
I pause, thinking.
Then, I shudder.
"Clowns."
Her face lights up with pure delight. "No fucking way."
I shake my head. "They're unnatural. No one smiles that much. It's creepy as hell."
She bursts into laughter again, burying her face in my chest. I wrap my arms around her, holding her close, letting myself soak in the sound of her happiness.
Suddenly, she gasps and sits up. "Oh! I almost forgot!"
She leans over to her nightstand, pulling open the drawer. I watch, curious, as she rummages around before pulling out something that catches the light—a rosary with deep blue glass beads.
