29. Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chapter Twenty-Eight

"Did you know hawks are monogamous?"

I bring my gaze from the TV to Sev. Though he said he wanted to watch a movie, he won't stop fucking talking.

"Can't say that I did."

He nods. "They take raising their kids pretty seriously too. Both parents are heavily involved."

"Did you know all these facts before you became obsessed with me or only after?"

"Half and half," he answers quickly. "How'd you get the nickname?"

"Certainly not because I'm monogamous and enjoy taking care of children."

I bring my gaze back to the TV but feel his eyes burning into the side of my face.

"So you're afraid of commitment. Good to know."

"I did not say that," I bite out, fighting against the urge to look at him. I focus on the TV though I have no idea what's going on at this point.

"You did. Maybe not so many words."

I sigh and don't entertain him with a response. I don't even like the Rambo movies, but Sev insisted, and I figured appeasing him would get me some quiet time. Didn't work.

I wasn't lying about being afraid of commitment. I don't think I'm afraid of committing to someone for the rest of my life, my fear is being stuck with someone I can't stand. I mean, he's been here only a few hours and he's doing nothing but annoying me. I could gladly spend my life with someone who didn't talk and left me alone all the time. He's fine when he just shuts up. All the stupid shit comes out of his mouth.

"Is it because you can dive really fast?" he asks.

"Jesus Christ," I mutter, covering my face in my hands. I turn to Sev and bark out, "No!"

"Then tell me."

I shake my head in utter disbelief that he's still going. "You are easily the most annoying person I've ever met, and that says a lot because my cousin is obnoxious beyond words."

"You get annoyed by everything."

"I do not."

"You kind of do," he says with a firm head nod.

"Maybe you should just leave," I say, gesturing to the door. "You're no longer dying, and you've been fed, so you don't need me anymore."

I'm surprised when he looks upset by that. I don't allow it to make me change my mind though. I get up and head into my bedroom, hoping he'll take the hint and get the fuck out. This is too much. This is crossing boundaries I'm not okay with crossing. He can drug me and kidnap me. Coerce me into wanting his dick. But now he's invading my space. My home. The one place I get solace. Fuck. This.

Of course this giant ogre follows me into my bedroom.

"Holy shit. Have you ever heard of boundaries?" I shout, whirling toward him.

Sev grins. "They're my favorite thing to cross."

"Yeah, clearly. How aren't you in jail?"

He shrugs. "I'm good at not getting caught."

"Keep annoying me, and I'll make sure you do."

Sev chuckles, pointing at me. "Funny."

I grit my teeth and say, "I wasn't joking."

His smile stays as he watches me in a way that has me feeling all kinds of strange. My skin gets hot and prickly. My stomach is all fluttery. I can't take it.

I turn toward my bed. "I'm going to sleep."

"Great, I'll join you."

By the time I turn around, he's already stepping out of his boxers. My jaw drops.

"You are not sleeping naked in my bed with me!"

Sev pauses with one foot on the ground, the other mostly out of his underwear.

"Well, I can't sleep with clothes on, Justin."

Arguing with him will get me nowhere. Nowhere. And oddly enough, I don't hate the idea of sleeping with someone.

I've never done it before.

Not since I was little and my brother and I shared a bed.

It's the being naked part that's messing with my head. But his underwear hardly makes a difference.

I sigh, gesturing toward the bed. "Get in. I'll be right back."

I go to the living room to shut off the TV and lights. When I get back to my room, I swear it's a sight right out of Goldilocks and the three bears where Papa Bear gets into a bed that's too damn small for him. Or however the book goes. I shut the light off and get into bed.

There's enough space between us that we aren't touching, but I feel his body heat under the blankets, and honestly? It feels nice. I hate sleeping in the heat, and always make sure my room is cool. But I like to be warm under the blankets, and having Sev here beside me gets rid of that extra chill that lingers on the sheets and in the mattress.

"Thank you for today."

Sev's words are so quiet. A low rasp. For some reason, it has my chest tight. But not in a lustful way. In an emotional way. Maybe because they're normal and serious, and that's hard to get from him. It's unexpected.

If he could just be like this more often…

"You're welcome."

But then he does something that is entirely too expected, and rolls over, throwing his arm over my waist and tugging me against him. He cuddles with me, resting his head beside mine and throws his giant tree trunk leg over mine, hooking his foot around my ankle. Anyone would take a look at this man and think he'd die before cuddling, but I know differently.

I know differently.

"You know me so well."

I do know him. Very well. Cuddling is exactly something he would do, and I should have known that before we got into bed together.

Though I've never cuddled with anyone before, I don't hate it. It's kind of nice, actually.

"Jesus, you're like a fucking bear." I grunt, tugging my arm out beneath his body before it gets crushed.

He hums a satisfied sound, like that was a compliment.

My mind is tired, but my body feels alive. I'm not sure I'll go to sleep any time soon, even though I'm more comfortable than I've ever been before.

"Isn't it so much easier when you give in?" he asks, his voice barely above a whisper.

No, not at all, I think.

Because when you give in to people, when you allow yourself to care, that's when you get hurt. You allow people close to you and they take advantage. They take everything they can from you until you're nothing but a shell of a person.

I don't answer his question because I can't have that kind of truth with him. Or with anyone for that matter. And thankfully, he falls asleep soon after. But just as I thought, I don't. Not for a long time, even though I feel perfectly content sleeping with this man beside me.

In my bed.

Cuddling with me.

Why?

Why the hell do I feel so normal around this psychopath?