“If he’s insisting on staying, then we’re watching something he will hate. I was thinking either TheSex and the Citymovie orMean Girls.” I snorted. Charlie and I typically watched action movies, so she was really trying to piss Bash off.
“I’m not a huge fan ofSex and the City,” I replied, not really wanting to get in the middle of a sibling war.
“Mean Girlsit is!” She clapped before curling up into the corner of the couch and grabbing the remote. With the movie pulled up, I turned the lights off and passed Charlie the throw blanket she liked during movies. Bash came in, eyeing the screen before sitting in the chair next to the couch with a beleaguered sigh.
“You’re lucky I’m feeling too full to fight you on this,” he said, leaning his head back, preparing to nap once the movie started.
With the lights off and a full stomach, it was hard to stay awake. The movie was funny. I had never seen it before, and was enjoying it far more than I had expected to. I would occasionally turn and catch Bash staring at me instead of the movie, grateful for the dark room so he couldn’t see the blush that spread over me.
By the time it ended, I felt weirdly awake, as if there were an unknown tension in the room, keeping my focus heightened. Charlie, on the other hand, was out cold, drooling all over the armrest. I got up and switched some lamps on, illuminating the living room in an easy glow. Bash shook his head good-naturedly at his sister. He took out his phone, and I walked over to him.
“Are you texting the guy downstairs?” I asked, standing close so I wouldn’t wake Charlie up.
“Yeah. Gonna have Match come up and grab Charlie, give her a ride home. Is that okay?” he asked, stopping texting to make sure I was comfortable.
“Why don’t you ask him to come up and eat first? He can drive her back after that,” I suggested, trying to keep calm at the ideaof strange men coming in and out of my apartment, warring with my desire to thank them for their unquestioning support.
“Are you sure? You don’t have to cook for them. This is part of their job.”
“I’m sure. I want to meet them and thank them. I should know their names and stuff, unless you don’t want me to? I don’t really know what club rules are,” I said, suddenly nervous that I had overstepped.
“Fiona, I know you don’t know me well, but please believe me when I say that you are as much a part of the club as anyone else. What you’ve done for Charlie, and I don’t just mean the night you met, has not gone unnoticed. She loves you, my parents love you, and the guys are dying to learn more about you. So ask whatever you want. I’ll always try to answer what I can. It’s only me and Match tonight. I’ll go ahead and tell him to come up for food now.” I nodded, suddenly feeling a bit nervous.
I excused myself into the kitchen to make a big plate of food for the guy. I popped it into the microwave so it was nice and warm by the time the two men walked into the kitchen. Bash entered first, followed by a taller man who, while slender, was still clearly built. He was younger than I had expected him to be. The man looked a bit like a puppy still growing into his paws.
He was all long limbs and energy. Before I could get nervous, I took a look at his face under the lid of the baseball cap he had on. I was surprised to see anxiety there. He looked at Bash for either reassurance or permission before walking over to me. Closing the space between us, I held my hand out.
“Hi, I’m Fiona. I wanted to thank you for standing guard the last few days. I really appreciate it. I made some dinner, if you’re hungry?” I offered, waving at the dish.
“Starving. It smells really good, Miss,” he said before sitting at the table. I pulled out ice tea and poured it into some glassesbefore taking the seat across from him. Bash was standing, leaning against the counter, his legs crossed in front of him.
“Please, Fiona or Fee is fine. What’s your name?” I asked, eyeing the vest that was covered by the jacket he wore.
“Oh, you can call me Match,” he replied between large bites.
“Why do they call you Match?” Looking up, his cheeks packed with food, he took a minute to chew. Looking between Bash and me, he took his time before answering. He slid his chair back, then stood up, removing his baseball cap to reveal a shocking mass of bright red hair.
“GINGER!” I yelled at him, covering my mouth as I laughed. He rolled his eyes good-naturedly, sliding the cap on backward as he sat back down to finish off his plate.
“Well, if you ever want to gather with a fellow redhead, ya know, to talk about our lack of souls, feel free to come by, even if it’s just for a home-cooked meal,” I said with a genuine smile.
He looked at me with a mix of confusion and awe. Growing up with red hair, I knew how creative and relentless kids could be when it came to teasing. He told me he had been with the club for three years, joining right after graduating high school. Conversation was light for the rest of the meal, and he cleared every speck from his plate. It filled me with satisfaction, and I was happy I had insisted on doing it.
“Okay, well, thank you again for the awesome meal. I’ll go drop Charlie off, then send you a text when I’m back outside for the night,” he said to Bash, who nodded.
“Sounds good,” he replied.
With an ease I still couldn’t fathom, Match picked Charlie up while I stood, holding the door open. I turned to see Bash staring at me, his look unreadable.
“Do you need to go? I don’t want to keep you,” I asked, hovering awkwardly by the door.
“Nope. I’m all yours for the night.” I had to mask the shock on my face, unsure what he meant by that.
“Oh. What does that mean, exactly?” A warm feeling ran through me at the smile that spread across his face. He walked over to where I was standing, his stride almost predatory. Grabbing my hand, he hauled me across the room until we were next to the couch. When he sat down, he gently pulled me down to sit beside him.
“It means I get to pick the next movie,” he said, grabbing the remote, keeping an arm wrapped around me.
I was struck silent by his nearness, but there was a tingle under my skin, emanating from all the spots where our bodies met. I nodded mutely while he flipped through movies before settling onDie Hard. It was a favorite of mine and somehow soothed my anxiety.
