His to Steal

Ch. 25: Surprise

Nicolai

Ever since I told Sutton what really happened with Jason, things have been...chilly between us. It wasn't like things were fantastic before, but I felt like before she came in to see me in the middle of the night, we were getting somewhere. But now, we're back to side glances and polite conversations over dinner.

And Jason is on my nerves more than ever. I swear, I'm going to lose it soon if he doesn't stop baiting me. I've held it in as long as possible but I'm teetering on the edge of sanity between that and the...frustration I feel building between me and Sutton. Touching her the other night in her room was not enough for me. I need her like I need my next breath and being right across the hall from her is too fucking much when she isn't speaking to me.

She's in the living room playing the Playstation with Dominique when I peek down the hall, and I send Dom a text message. Keep her occupied for a bit?

Dominique: What are you up to?

Nicolai: I have a surprise for her, and I want to put it in her room, but I don't want her to catch me doing it. I got it before she moved in but I haven't had a chance to give it to her.

Dominique: Oh my god, that's precious. Yeah, I got you.

I slide my phone in my pocket and duck my head into my closet, pulling out the bags that I placed in the floor the day I moved in. Darting across the hall, I slip silently into her room.

The bedroom we set up for her is large, a queen size bed with a memory foam mattress and fluffy comforter in the middle complete with mountains of pillows. Sutton always did love having too many soft objects on her bed; she said it made her feel like she was in a pillow fort.

I always thought there was a deeper reason than a pillow fort though; I think they made her feel protected. Safe. She wanted me to stay with her all the time, and while I could've gotten away with it on my side, her father never would have allowed it.

She was always so fucking lonely. Even though she trusted her father, and still does, that's not the same as having your person.

That's all I ever wanted. Was to be her person.

I blow out a sharp breath, setting the bags on the bed and pulling out the objects inside. I went to four Targets between here and Brooklyn and bought as many of these goddamn squishy marshmallow stuffed animal things I could find. She used to always talk about wanting one, and I had always wanted to do it. But I never got the chance.

I probably overdid it; there must be twenty of them on her bed now, but I wanted her to have them. I would've bought her every single one in each of those stores if I thought it would help.

Also inside a couple of the bags are books from the reading list Dom gave me. Apparently the day I followed them around the park was the last time Sutton got to go book shopping, and she had added at least fifteen books to her list since then. Between Target and Barnes and Noble, they had all of them. I leave them stacked on her nightstand and slip out of her room with the plastic bags in my hands.

When I get safely back across the hall, I text Dominique that I'm finished.

She's so impatient. She insists she needs to get back to her room immediately for something. No idea what.

I can't help the smirk that turns up my lips. Sutton always had some kind of sixth sense about me and what I was up to. I wonder if she knew somehow I was in her room. I set my phone on my nightstand, grabbing the remote and turning on the television. I'm barely five minutes into my next episode of Beckham on Netflix when I hear a little squeak from her room. Those fucking butterflies from the day I saw her at the park return, and I don't even want to push them away.