Strong For Too Long Trilogy ✔️

17. Craving

CHAPTER 17: Craving

"He won't even let me touch my bloody laptop." I point out.

Thirteen scoffs, "You aimed a gun at his head. What did you expect him to do?"

I glare at her as Tobias hides a laugh over a cough while Aaron makes me a cup of tea, speaking in hushed tones with Harrison. I fold my arms and lean back, "Have we heard from Javier and Forty?" I ask, lowly. Aaron put me on house arrest and there was nothing I could do when finding out the next morning, after last night's events...I was still stupidly recovering. Eight gives me a raised eyebrow, shaking her head as she leans back, seemingly calm and collected.

"This is ridiculous. No one told me this is what it's going to be like getting tied down to a man." I say to her. Eight chuckles under her breath when she snaps her eyes above me and suddenly everyone is outright laughing.

Before the clearing of the throat resounds above me, "Your tea...pipsqueak."

I fold my arms tighter, "Thanks." I say, dryly.

I'm picked up from my seat and immediately slid straight onto Aaron's lap, "More like I'm tied to you." He whispers against my ear. I hold the urge to snort and just roll my eyes, leaning back against him, he slides his arms around me, before he slides head into mine and breathes me in. His thumb runs circles into my waist as I raise an eyebrow at him.

He's been like this all day.

"I am fine." I say to him.

It's Reynolds who gives me a serious look, "Be glad he let you out of bed." He says to me.

I narrow my eyes at him, "On a side note. Olive...can I please take a blood sample?" Samsara says to me, slowly. Eight leans back against the couch and side glances me.

"You were in control, but you also weren't." She says to me.

"I wasn't going to shoot anyone here." I say with a low growl. Aaron begins massaging my shoulder, pressing a kiss to my temple, before hugging me closer to him. His arm around me was tensing though, I furrowed my eyebrows at that.

Samsara looks between us both, "Please, Olive." She murmurs.

Thirteen leans her elbows on her knees, "Perhaps when we return back to London. You can undergo scans all you like, but understand that we've been through the kind of scans that could cause us to still hold bad reactions to them."

Eight snorts, "Ain't that the truth."

I clench my jaw, reaching for the tea, "So, who wears the pants in your relationships?" I wonder.

Aaron leans back and looks to me inquisitively, I snap my eyes to his, "One word and you sleep on the couch tonight." I say to him in a whisper. He purses his lips to hide his amusement as he regards me with warmth and...whatever that look in his eyes says when it wore the same last night, the first time we were both naked together. He truly hasn't let me go since.

Branson looks over to Madison, who rolls her eyes, "I certainly do." She says, grinning.

Thirteen looks bored as she turns to Eight.

Who gestures to herself, "I'm sitting here, aren't I? The second he threw me over his shoulder at the academy's library back in London, he's worn the pants since. That's how I got pregnant." She says, smirking.

I place my tea down, Eight studies me, right before Thirteen hands the ringing phone to Tobias, "Here, since none of us candidates will turn into killing zombies by answering a phone call." She says to him, dryly. He slides it from her fingers, eyeing her as he answers it. He stands, turning away to speak to Javier. An arm slides around my shoulders, Aaron leans against the back of the couch, watching me and running his fingers through my hair.