Her eyes begin to drift open and they widen almost instantly when she meets mine.

"Fuckin' perv." I'm met with a pillow to the face as she groans very dramatically.

It only takes around 10 seconds for her to recover from her mini tantrum about me staring before she rolls over to wrap her arms around my torso.

Just as I begin to relax again, she digs her fingers into my sides, making me jump away from her and roll off the bed.

She bursts into a fit of giggles when I hit the floor, awfully hard might I add.

I have no idea why she even tries, but she grabs my hand, attempting to lift me up, but before my back even moves a fraction of an inch, her arms shake and she gives up.

When she reaches down again, I grasp her hand, dragging her on top of me.

Her arms shoot out and land on either side of my head, our faces barely an inch apart.

I notice how her entire body is still.

"Why are you like a statue, baby?" I laugh, reaching for her waist.

Before I even make contact, she jumps away and dashes to the bathroom.

I gather myself and stand up, lightly tapping the door.

There's a hum from inside, telling me to come in.

She's standing infront of the mirror, toothbrush in her mouth and cheeks flushed.

"What are you doing?"

She gives me a look that I know as "stop asking stupid questions."

I poke her cheek with a grin.

"Why are your cheeks so red?"

As she leans over the sink, I gather her hair so she doesn't get toothpaste in it.

With her hands on her hips, she turns to face me. 

"Are you blushing? All because our faces were close?" I gasp, unable to hold back a little bit of teasing.

"Why do you keep asking questions?"

It's technically a question, but her and I both know that's her telling me to shut up.

And I'm not one to go against the fierce little lady.

She raises a single eyebrow, almost daring me to carry on.

I bite the corner of my lip, shrugging before turning my back to walk out.

I hear her mumbling behind me and I try not to laugh.

Everytime we walk into our room, she attempts to do some sort of tackle on me so I'll land on the bed, but it's yet to work.

Anticipating her tackle, I turn to face her just as she's coming towards me.

As her arms wrap wound me, I fall backwards onto the bed.

Just to let her think she won.

"Oh my god, I got you!" she claps her hands excitedly before doing some very unusual dance with her hips ontop of me.

Gripping her waist, I stop her movements.

"You got me." I grunt out, pushing on her back so she lays on me.

She smiles up at me with her chin resting on my chest.

"Your freckles are pretty."

"You say that everytime."

"And I mean it every time." she says as if it's the most obvious thing.

She prods her finger into my cheek.

"Stop."

"What you gunna do, pretty boy?" she tries to tease, but her words always manage to come out as compliments.

"Your all looks, no strength." 

"Come on, you know my muscles are better."

I haven't even said a word yet she just keeps talking.

I flip us over, both of her wrists in one of my hands.

She struggles against it before seemingly slumping in defeat.

Leaning up slightly, she places one of the softest kisses ever on my lips.

I don't even notice my grip losening until she breaks out and throws her arms up in the air.

"Haha! Not so strong now!"

Not even trying to fight it, I just open my arms and her energy simmers down and she places herself in them.

It's silent for a little while, just us together.

Then she brings up a question.

"Are you ever going to tell me what happened that night?"

"What night?" my eyebrows furrow.

"When you came to my apartment. With that wound." 

I notice her body tensing and the look on her face, as if she can feel the pain.

My mind runs wild with excuses, ones that don't even make sense, just to escape this conversation but I know I have to explain.

"You're not going to believe it, it's so stupid and sounds like it's straight out of a tv show."

"What, are you some kind of sexy mafia boss?" she wiggles her eyebrows at me.

"I'm not out of one of your sex books, darling."

Her face flushes and she buries herself in my shirt.

"Shut up, just tell me. I'd believe anything you say. You could convince me the sky was yellow and I'd believe you."

I hesitate. It's not even a big deal and I know how ridiculous it is.

"My dad's company. There's things that come along with it. Friends, contracts. But also people who hate that a young, inexperienced boy has all the power."

I pause and she lifts her face from my chest.

"Your not a boy. And definitely not inexperienced."

Her comments never fail to make me laugh.

"Focus." I remind her of what this is about. 

"My dad's friend. Or old business partner. He was supposed to take the job but dear old dad wanted to continue in the family."

Like I said, ridiculous.

"What, so he hired a hitman?" 

"No, no. Well sort of. He would do anything in his power to make me look inferior, injuring my friends and family, and then me and if I was killed along the way, I'm sure he wouldn't complain."

As I say it out loud, it seems more and more like I'm reading a script.

The silence feels like it's deafening me as I wait for her reaction.

As I wait for her to laugh and call me crazy.

"Wait, so what actually is this company?"

"Well, it's hard to explain. It's sort of like taking care of money and shit. But I mostly just count the numbers I'm given and sign the papers when they are handed to me." I shrug.

She sort of laughs, but she sounds more suprised.

"So you don't really know the company that you run?" she chuckles.

I hug her closer, laughing with her.

"You could have just told me when the first incident happened. I could've helped."

"Alaina, there's no way in hell I would let you get involved, and plus there's nothing you could have done."

"Are we safe?" she sounds almost nervous to ask, like its not relevant.

"I'll never let you get hurt, you never have to worry about that. And we are handling it."

There's another long pause.

"Well, you clearly weren't handling it when you stumbled to my door drenched in blood." 

"Woah, whats with the hostility?"

She lets out a sigh as she stuffs herself impossibly closer in my arms.

"I just really don't want to ever see that again, so you and your dumbass friends need to stay safe."

Well, I can definitely say she handled it well.

We have to actually get out of bed because we will definitely fall asleep, and Alaina does not like her sleep scheduele being messed up.

"Come on, baby" I slide out from beneath her and she lets out the loudest groan.

Latching onto my hands, she tries to pull me back down but I just pull harder and she flies out of the bed.

She gives me the death stare before walking out into the kitchen.

When I follow, her stare returns back to me as if I'd genuinely done something wrong.

I give her a luck that says "really?"

She returns a look that very clearly says "I know I'm being dramatic but don't push it and come kiss me".

You see, Alaina has a lot of these looks and after spending time with her for so long, you learn each and every one.

I wrap my arms around her waist, but before our lips meet, her phone rings.

She gives my chin a soft peck before answering the phone.

"Mom?" her eyebrows are furrowed.

The ghost of a smile that was left is completely gone now, her face completely blank.

Her eyes can't focus, they dart all over the room in very obvious panic.

"Alaina?"

She meets my gaze, but this is not one of those faces I can read.

I've never seen this look before.

The phone drops out of her grasp and I catch it just as it falls but her hand remains next to her head, as if she hasn't processed anything.

"M-my dad."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thank you to anyone still here for this story.

It's sadly coming to an end now.

2 more chapters, then the epilogue then its over.

Its been a great journey and I'm excited to explore my next story, hopefully a better one!

Whose your favourite youtuber, if you watch any still?