Thorns & Oranges

Girl's Prerogative

Chapter Nineteen

I nodded, fully expecting him to do what he did in his car. But that would've been easy. Nothing about him and me was easy. He kissed me for a second before letting me go and stepping away, turning his back on me and walking over to the military-type duffle I'd watched him pack.

"What are you doing?" I blurted, half tired of this strange starting and stopping bit.

"I'm leaving."

"What? But you said..."

"I can't take this anymore, Elina." I flinched at his proper usage of my name. "I'm done doing this routine with you. You're worse than a roller coaster. You're hot then you're cold. You're up and then you're down." He hauled the bag over his shoulder and turned to look at me. "I'm not playing games with you. It's elementary behavior and definitely something I don't want to deal with. You can stay in here tonight if you want, just lock the door behind me and no one will bother you."

He pushed me out of the way and I stumbled back, a little more than stunned.

"You're leaving."

"That's what I said. I'll see you tomorrow."

He opened the door, stepped out, and then slammed it closed without even bothering to look at me.

"What the fuck?" I muttered and then louder, "WHAT THE FUCK!"

I pulled on my skirt as fast as humanly possible and then yanked open the door. If I estimated right, he would be halfway down the stairs. I took off after him but my evaluation was wrong. He wasn't halfway down the stairs; he was already walking out the door. I shoved passed people, probably throwing a few off balance as I raced to the front door and then outside. He was heading down the drive where his bike was parked at the end.

"Rey! Wait!" I called after him but he didn't stop.

Maybe it was the volume of the music and talking or he was just ignoring me but he didn't show any signs someone had yelled at him. Like the athlete I used to be, I skipped over the steps and jogged down the side walk, pausing just once when something jabbed me in the foot.

"Ow. Shit. Rey!"

I got a few looks from people as I limped and bounded down the rest of the walk and to the driveway. He was digging in his jacket pocket for his keys and just as he brought them out, I reached him and snatched the keys out of his hand. He whirled around and glared at me. Ok so maybe he had heard me.

"Give them back."

"Please," I huffed in a breath. "Please don't leave."

He glanced at the people behind me, his eyes flicking from one face to another before he looked back at me. "And why exactly should I stay?"

"Because you're a man of your word and you said you would."

His top lip twitched up and not in a good way. "Not good enough." He ripped his keys from my hand and turned his back on me.

I don't know why I was getting so emotional over him leaving. It was his life, he could come and go as he pleased. But I'd already been shot at twice today and I wouldn't put it passed Rob to try again, even if I was in my own house. My stupid brother was so inebriated he couldn't protect me even if he was paying attention.

Plus something in my stomach seemed to seize up when I thought about him really leaving tonight.

"Please. Please, Rey, don't leave me here by myself."

He was in the middle of kicking up the stand when he stopped. He glanced back at me, his brow furrowed in confusion.

"Please."

He set the bike back against the stand and got off, dropping the bag to the ground.

"I know I'm a headache. I know I'm a pain in your ass but you have to understand. Every time I've said it, I've been left with nothing afterwards. And with everything that's happened and everything that's currently happening, I just can't be left with nothing again because that'll be it. I'm an addict, Rey. I'm full of destructive behavior and I'm afraid if I'm left with nothing again there'll be no stopping me next time." He stopped in front of me, looking from one eye to the other. "I really like you and I don't want to lose that. It's the only thing that stopped me a few nights ago."

There is was. Out in the open for him to do whatever he wanted with. If he'd been anyone else I would know exactly how he would react. Most gangsters thought feelings were amusing, especially when a Rose got attached. They'd make a mockery of it and in the process break the Rose down until she did all the unmentionables this life could possibly bring just to make them happy. It was something my brother tried to avoid by assigning me to Ford but he'd played with my emotions like it was nothing more than a game. It was a long relationship that ended disastrously and I was surprised my brother even thought of reassigning me to someone else. He'd given the keys of my life to another who could crash the car and walk away unscathed while I, of course, would be left in pieces.

My brother must really trust him.

Or he just didn't want to deal with me anymore.

That was a sad thought.

Rey reached out and grabbed both his tags and the shirt they lay upon, pulling me forward so I was touching him from knees to chest.

"There's no reason for you to get all emotional about it."

Right there in front of everyone outside, he kissed me. It was a little public, even for him but what did I care? I ignored his semi-insensitive comment and kissed him back. By the time one of us pulled back, I couldn't remember which, I was wrapped around his torso and he had his hand up my shirt.

"Can we go back upstairs now?" I whispered.

He shook his head. "I can't." I frowned at his response which made him just squeeze my boob harder.

My legs tightened around him in response and it felt like my lungs stopped working. "Don't do that."

"Hm." He bit the skin of my chin and suddenly we were moving. "Hold on."

I wrapped my arms around the back of his neck so I wouldn't fall off as he walked to wherever it was we were going. He grabbed his sack off the ground and headed towards the street.

"Where..."

He dropped me to my feet and I winced as my ankle joint ached, not to mention whatever I had stepped on had broken the skin and it stung when it came in contact with the sidewalk. I hobbled after him as best as I could, not that I had a choice since he kept one of my hands in his as we walked down the street.

"Rey."

"We can walk to my apartment from here."

"Yeah, that's great. Only problem is I ran after you without shoes and in case you haven't noticed, these streets are littered with glass and..."

He paused and looked down at me then my feet. "Why'd you do that?"

"Oh I don't know. Maybe because you high-tailed it out of the house faster than I could put my skirt back on."

"Had to get you to chase me somehow. Although I'm glad you did put on your skirt. Your brother would have my head only after he made me put a bullet into everyone else's who looked at you. Stay here." He started walking again and then hesitated. "You remembered your cell but not your shoes?"

I shrugged. "Girl's prerogative."