Page 25 of Signed for You

Crow is watching me, his brows knitting together, the one side of his lips lifting up into a small smirk.

"I see,” he says before returning to his phone.

"Where would you want to go?" I ask him. "If not here, where?" I've turned back to look at the book I'm doing a terrible job of reading, but I know he's listening.

"I don’t know." He takes a moment.

"Probably somewhere kind of like this. Some place in the middle of nowhere." I find myself looking at him again, noting how similar we are.

"I think I'd find myself some land, far away from everyone else,” I say. "I'll have a spare room for you when you're annoying me and I kick you out of bed though,” I tell him with a smile.

I can't imagine anything worse than living in a city. The hustle and bustle, endless people, lights, chaos, and sirens.

Peace, serenity, and silence on land that I can call my own, with animals, would be my release. One day it will be. I’m going to find Gray, figure out how to calm the chaos around me, and then go to university, find myself a home and live peacefully. That’s the plan.

"The spare room can be for when you annoy me,” Crow tells me, putting his arm around my shoulder and pulling me closer.

"I am not annoying,” I tell him with a laugh. "I'm just so perfect that no one else can stand it,” I say, moving back into his embrace.

"So perfect indeed, Char,” he says with a chuckle.

I find myself smiling at his words but am soon rudely interrupted by the very devil I've been trying to avoid.

"How long have you two been together then?" I hear Liam ask as he wanders towards us.

“Did Dad tell you we’re together?” I ask as I watch Liam saunter towards us.

It was only a matter of days ago that Crow and I kissed for the first time, and here Liam is asking us how long we have been together. We haven’t even talked about if this is a thing yet, and now I have to find an answer to him that doesn’t make me seem too keen to Crow in case he doesn’t want anything more than this but also an answer that doesn’t make me sound like too much of an idiot.

"No, but I can tell. You don't stay here though, do you, boy?" he questions.

"Yes, he does,” I tell him with a roll of my eyes and a sigh. What is this? An interrogation?

His jaw sets as he looks at me. He doesn’t even acknowledge Crow. I stare right back. Again. This seems to be happening too regularly, and he's only been around for twenty-four hours. These staring competitions are going to end up with me having my face stuck permanently in a scowl at this rate.

"I don’t think he should,” he tells me, still not looking in Crow’s direction.

I feel Crow shifting uncomfortably, unsure of what to do with himself.

"Dad’s fine with it,” I tell him, ice lining my words. This man. He thinks he can just say whatever he wants, to whoever he wants, and get his damned way. Well, not here, not now, and certainly not with me.

What happened to him? I feel horrible even thinking it. Prison happened. I know he changed, but the shade he has been throwing my way since this morning is becoming too much when he seemed so happy to see me yesterday.

He doesn't respond. He comes to sit in the wooden chair opposite us. He's trying to intimidate. His arms crossed, legs ajar slightly, his glare alternating between me and Crow every second his eyes can roll around to it.

"I’ll come back later,” Crow says, pulling his arm from around me slowly.

I latch onto his arm with speed, agility, and a crack that makes it sound like I just slapped him.

“No," I say. I look at Crow. “Stay," I tell him.

"Look, I'll come back later, Char,” he says. “I need to get some stuff done anyway." He's pulling his arm from my grasp. This time I let him go.

I know it’s hard for him. He would stand up to anyone for me, I know that much, but I also know that he hardly knows Liam, has him as a new Pres, and can’t put himself in a vulnerable position with him.

Crow’s gone and yet Liam and I are still left staring at each other. More like glaring actually. The only passion shown is anger, frustration, and on his part happiness that he's intimidated my "boyfriend" away.

"Not sure he should be able to scare that easy if he's here,” Liam says, "with you.”

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