9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Lacey

"So. You and Skylar."

My roommate crosses her arms and stares me down. I fidget, sneaking a glance at my phone to see if Skylar is here yet.

"Uh, yeah. We're friends."

She raises an eyebrow, "I didn't realize friends talk to each other until 3 AM."

A flush stains my cheeks, the guilt of keeping her up all night washing over me.

"I'm really sorry. I didn't realize I was being that loud."

"Well, now you know." She sniffs, looking me up and down, "I should have known you'd get one of the Vin brothers."

"What do you mean?"

"Look at you." Cecelia waves a hand in my direction and I glance down at the oversized fleece and leggings I'm wearing, " A long-legged Bambi waiting for a man to take away her innocence. Guys love that shit."

I flinch as her words penetrate my skin. Jerrell said something similar that night, the accusation that my stature and physical features were the reason I ended up in the backseat of his car.

Swallowing the nausea rising up in my throat, I force my shoulders back and remember one of the first things my therapist taught me.

"How people behave has nothing to do with what I look like."

You're not to blame for what happened, Lacey. You asked him to stop and he decided not to listen. That was his choice, not yours.

Cecelia smirks, "Uh huh. Have you told Skylar you're a virgin yet?"

"I'm not a virgin."

Her eyes narrow just as my phone pings with a text. Walking past her to put on my shoes, my hands are shaking as I tie up the purple laces. Memories threaten to bubble up, but I shove them down, refusing to acknowledge the darkness when Skylar is outside waiting for me.

Pasting a smile on my face, I stand up and give her a nod.

"Have a good day, Cecelia."

Her glare burns a hole in my back all the way through the residence building and I don't take a breath until I finally make it outside. The faded blue paint of Skylar's car catches my eye and the lingering tension fades away .

Skylar climbs out of the car and I break into a run, throwing my arms around him before he has a chance to say anything.

"Thanks for picking me up."

I pull back and give him a smile. His eyes drop to track the movement and my heart starts to beat faster.

"No problem." He clears his throat and gently pulls away, "Hopefully you can find the book you're looking for."

"Oh, I'm not too worried. There's never been an occasion when I haven't found a book I want."

I follow Skylar around the car, watching the way the sun catches the pale strands of his hair.

He catches me staring and I quickly duck my head and climb inside the car. Trying to keep my cheeks from flaming, I stare out the windshield and wring my hands together. Skylar climbs in after me and I wait for the ignition to start.

But nothing happens.

A full minute goes by until I finally turn and look at him. He's watching me with bright eyes, a playful sparkle reflecting back at me.

"Are you having engine problems?" I ask politely, trying not to notice the way his flannel shirt brings out the flecks of gold in his dark iris.

"Not that I know of."

I wait for the rest of the sentence but he falls silent, just staring at me.

"Why aren't we moving then? "

"Because I want to look at you." A smile lights up his eyes, "And I want you to know that you're allowed to look at me too."

A blush hits my cheeks, "I didn't mean to check you out."

He goes quiet for a moment, silently searching my face for questions that haven't been asked yet.

"Do you want to know a secret?"

At my nod, Skylar's face breaks into a wide smile.

"I like it when you look at me."

I swallow, squeezing my legs together.

The matter-of-fact way Skylar communicates leaves no room for interpretation and no room for doubts. He's completely transparent and it's probably the hottest thing I have ever experienced.

"I like it when you look at me too."

The confession slips out and I bite my lip, staring at the honest boy sitting next to me. Skylar tilts his head, looking at me as if he can see the damaged layers hiding underneath.

"That's okay too."

The lack of expectation in his voice has my shoulders dropping with relief. He leans forward and turns the ignition, casting one last glance in my direction.

"Ready to go book shopping, Flower?"

I close my eyes, soaking in the sound of my nickname on Skylar's lips. When I open them, he's still watching me and I can't fight the smile that takes over my face.

"Absolutely."

"I'm transferring schools."

Awe drips into my voice when we step inside the most adorable bookshop in Southern Alberta. Betty's Books & Nooks isn't just designed for book shoppers, but readers as well.

The tiny shop is split into different sections based on genres, with each closet-sized room set up to look like a personalized library. Worn love seats are strategically placed in each section to encourage visitors to have a seat and start their next favourite book.

It's cozy and simple and I think I've just fallen in love.

"Oh my God. Is that a romance section?!"

I grab Skylar's arm and drag him towards the sign hanging above the second closet. The wooden sign has pink hearts painted along it and I have to stop to snap a picture.

"Good to know your loyalty lies with whoever holds the most romance novels."

Amusement dances through Skylar's gaze as he looks around the room. I quickly snap a photo of him as well before tucking my phone away.

It seems silly to want proof this boy exists, but a part of me doesn't believe it myself.

"Happy ever afters are my secret addiction."

I shoot him a smile before turning my attention to the colourful spines lining the shelves around us, "There's something reassuring about knowing everything is going to work out in the end."

Skylar wanders over and pulls a book from the shelf. The half-naked model takes up the entire cover, the engorged muscles big enough to see from where I'm standing.

He holds it up with raised eyebrows, "I can see the appeal."

I laugh, "Not all of them look like that. You're looking at the erotica shelf so those books are going to be more intense."

"Erotica?"

"You know. Books that are more focused on physical attraction than plot."

He tilts his head, "That doesn't sound intense to me."

Biting back a smile, I walk over and take the book from him. I flip open the cover to the trigger warnings and pass it back. Skylar reads them silently, his cheeks growing pinker with every BDSM act listed on there.

"I take it back. This is very intense."

Giggling, I take his hand and lead him over to the contemporary shelf, where the cheerful cartoon covers lie in wait.

"There's a lot of sub-genres in romance. You have dark romance, sports romance, queer…" I point to the different shelves around the room before bringing his attention back to the one in front of us.

"This is the romance I like. Not too dark but angsty enough to feel real." Reaching over, I grab a familiar cover, "This is the one I was reading in the parking lot. "

Skylar takes it and flips it over, reading the synopsis. Trying not to obsess over his reaction, I scope out the rest of the options lining the shelves. The owner did a good job organizing, making sure series and authors stayed relatively in order.

"It sounds fun." He doesn't make a move to put it back and a thrill goes through me.

"Are you going to get it?"

"Yeah." He gives me a shrug, "I could use a happy ever after too."

The brutal honesty tugs at my heart. There was a reason I felt drawn to my mystery pen pal all those weeks ago, and it wasn't because we both believed in fairytales.

It was because we both needed one.

The love seat pressed against the wall catches my eye and suddenly an idea sparks.

"Here, let me pick out a book and we can read together." I point towards the oversized chair, "Would you be comfortable sharing that?"

Skylar blinks in surprise and nerves hit me unexpectedly. I don't want this day to end, so here I am, making another ridiculous suggestion in the hope that we can spend more time together.

I blow out a breath, "Never mind. That was a silly idea-

"Okay." Skylar nods slowly, flicking his gaze from me to the small couch, "Let's do it."

"Really? "

"Yeah." He walks over to the ancient furniture and analyzes it, "We'll fit better if we each take a side. Our legs might overlap though."

"That's okay." The words slip out much too quickly and Skylar glances at me with bright eyes.

"Did you pick out a book yet?"

"Uh… yes." Grabbing the one with an adorable purple cover, I press it against my chest and creep closer. Skylar holds out a hand and I stare at it, suddenly feeling nervous.

"Can I see it?"

I blink, realizing the hand is for my book and not me. Passing it over with a blush staining my cheeks, I'm about to suggest we abandon this idea when Skylar turns and walks out of the room.

Skylar

"Skylar Vin! Aren't you a sight for sore eyes."

Betty croons at me as I approach the checkout desk, her octogenarian status shining through the thin tuff of grey hair and countless wrinkles lining her face.

"Good to see you, Betty. Can I purchase these please?"

She grins, "How's your mama holding up? It's been too long since she came to visit me."

"I'll let her know she needs to come by."

"I'm just playing you." She cackles, showing off the few remaining teeth, "The lovely Amber was in to see me just last week. Now, you and your brother on the other hand… "

She shakes her head, "You've both been denying me a proper visit. An old biddy like me needs to see some handsome youth or else I'll shrivel up and die, you hear me?"

"I'll keep that in mind."

She barks out a laugh before ringing in my order, "That sneaky humour of yours is going to get you into trouble one day. Don't tell your brother this, but you've always been my favourite of Amber's children."

"I'm sure you tell Vector the exact same thing." Passing over some cash, I slide the two books back into my arms, "Take care, Betty."

"I always do."

I duck back into the romance section and find Lacey browsing the shelves again. Her fleece sweater rides up when she reaches for a book on the far shelf, exposing a sliver of skin. My eyes follow the smooth line of her stomach, down the curve of her ass, and over the endless length of her legs.

Even though she said she likes it when I look at her, I try not to do it too much. She's skittish and a little unsure at times, so I've been doing my best not to scare her.

It's hard though. I've never met a more beautiful person in my life.

"Did you find something else?"

Lacey jumps and I scold myself for not making my presence known.

"No, I was just looking." Her eyes drop to the receipt in my hand and she gasps, "You didn't have to do that! "

My shoulder lifts in a shrug, "I wanted to."

"Well, thank you." She blows out a breath before giving me a tentative smile, "Are we doing this?"

Glancing at the aging couch, it looks a lot smaller than it did a few minutes earlier. I had said our legs would overlap but I'm starting to think we might be a lot closer than I'd originally anticipated.

My eyes flick to hers and I find her watching me closely. I can't tell if she wants me to back out or go through with this, so I decide to take the leap.

"Yeah."

She nods, murmuring something to herself before walking over and sitting tentatively on the far side of the couch. I follow suit, taking the other side, and the worn material dips with my weight. My heart is in my throat when I pass Lacey her book, watching as she shifts around to make herself comfortable.

I must not have been thinking clearly because this love seat is clearly not big enough for two people. Especially when one of them has legs that go on for days.

A pink tinge hits Lacey's cheeks when her long legs brush against mine, her earlier bravado completely disappearing when I shift and straddle them with my own. Praying that my body won't react to her proximity, I meet her wide green eyes with a hesitant smile.

"Is this okay?"

She swallows, "Uh, yeah. It's okay. "

I tear my gaze away from her blushing face and look down at the colourful book in my lap. There's no way I'm going to be able to focus with Lacey's legs wrapped around me, but I pick it up anyways.

It doesn't take long for my suspicions to be confirmed. I stare at the words on the page as the minutes tick by, unable to think about anything except the weight of Lacey's limbs pressing against mine.

Sneaking a glance in her direction, I find her completely engrossed in the book in front of her.

The pastel colour of the cover looks dainty in her hands, the bursts of yellow flowers on the front making me think of our sunshine tissues. I watch as she turns the page, her chipped nail polish a lighter purple than that of the cover, and marvel at the way she's slipped away from reality right in front of my eyes.

Watching Lacey read reminds me of what it feels like to draw. The way the rest of the world fades away until all you can see is the ink on the page.

Laughter slips past her lips and I can only stare as she turns yet another page, completely oblivious to my presence. I wish I had my sketchbook with me so I could try and replicate the joy radiating from this moment.

"Oh my God. Skylar, you have to read this." Giggling, she waves me over, "I would try and read it to you but it wouldn't do it justice. Get over here."

I drop my gaze, trying not to look like I just spent the last ten minutes staring at her. Swinging my legs off the couch, I take a step over to where Lacey is sitting. She pushes herself upright and pats the space beside her.

I slowly sit down but the dip in the cushion causes Lacey to fall against me. Her shoulders dig into my chest as she tilts sideways but the sharp impact isn't the problem.

I freeze, feeling her hand land on my upper thigh as she catches herself, her fingertips grazing the edge of my crotch. I let out a sharp exhale and Lacey quickly turns her head.

"I'm so sorry, did I hurt you?"

Not trusting myself to speak, I shake my head. Big green eyes stare at me, the few inches between us not helping the situation below.

"Skylar? Why aren't you saying anything?"

I blow out a breath, "Can you move your hand?"

"Huh?"

"Your hand." Gritting my teeth, I squeeze my eyes shut, "I need you to move it."

Finally, the teasing pressure leaves my body and I breathe a sigh of relief. Muffled giggles float towards me and I peel one eye open to see Lacey covering her mouth with her hand.

"Having fun, are you?"

She giggles, "I'm sorry, I'm trying not to laugh."

"You're doing a marvellous job of it."

Laughter spills from her mouth and she leans into me, shoulders shaking as humour takes control of her. I shake my head, feeling a smile hit the corner of my mouth.

"What scene did you want to show me? "

"Never mind. It was nowhere near as funny as that was." She wheezes, trying to pull herself together, "Just to clarify, I'm not making fun of you."

"Of course not."

"It's just…" Laughter takes hold of her again and soon she's wiping away the tears streaming down her face, "That has never happened to me before."

"You've never gotten a boner in a bookstore before?" I shake my head, soaking in the smiling face next to me, "You're missing out."

"No, I mean I've never caused a guy to…" She gestures towards my jeans which thankfully are not tented, "Struggle to keep things under control."

I frown, unable to comprehend how any guy would be able to stay in control around her. From her lack of coordination to the way she laughs out loud when she reads, Lacey reminds me of everything good in this world.

"His loss."

She smiles and a wayward curl falls across her face. I gently brush it aside, hearing the sharp intake of her breath as I lean forward.

"You must be Lacey!"

I jerk back, snatching my hand away from Lacey's face. Her eyes go wide, looking over my shoulder to the newcomer beaming at her from the doorway.

"Do I know her?" She whispers and I smother a groan.

"I can't believe this is happening. "

The woman limps into the romance section and gives us a bright smile. I close my eyes, wishing I was anywhere but here, and turn to face the intruder.

"Hey, mom."