For What Its Worth...Lust

Persephone

This was not how my night was supposed to go. I just wanted to take a hot bath and slip into my cold sheets. Especially after my mom sent her co-worker's son to the store to ask me out after Rocky left. Kind of wish he had stayed a little longer. Would've made it easier to reject the date invitation. Makes me kinda wonder what he would've done if he had been there. But no, now I'm stuck going on a date with a guy I have zero interest in. And now to top it all off I come home to find my apartment door wide open. Like what the fuck, of course someone decides to break in today of all days. And of course they just had to damage the door which of course I'll have to pay to fix. I swear all my books better be there, untouched.

I walk into my living room ready to assess the damage only to see Rocky and Nick roaming around. Weird.

"Did you really stalk me, just to break into my house?"

Nick turns like a deer caught in headlights. The sight would have normally brought me to tears of laughter, but I'm currently more concerned with what's going on here and if it means I'm moving in with Celine and getting a restraining order.

"Does it count if I technically didn't do the stalking?" Rocky smirks like anything about this situation is funny. I swear one more slick comeback and I might be the one who goes to jail tonight.

"Does it count as murder if they just can't find your body?" I say with a smile keeping my cool. Nick quickly jumps between us,

"Hey, no need to get violent tonight, we're just trying to help."

Help? How? What could he possibly be talking about?

"How is robbing me helpful?"

"We are not robbing you. We just got an alert that somebody broke in. So, we just came to check things out." Rocky says nonchalantly as he takes a seat on my couch.

"How and why would you get an alert? Are you actually fucking stalking me?"

"Well I wouldn't say I was technically stalking you. More so keeping tabs." he smirks again, evaporating any and all patience I had left. I grab my conveniently located broom, lifting it up to whack him.

"Okay smartass. Let's start with why you're keeping tabs on me and getting alerts on what goes on at my apartment? Are you really that mad that I may or may not have gone on a date? How can you even afford to do that anyway?" My outburst is met with silence which leads me to lock eyes with Rocky. I hold his gaze trying to maintain my composure. Suddenly the spell is broken by Nick who starts laughing so loud, my downstairs neighbor can probably hear it.

"Man don't tell me you used our resources just to find out who her date was. I knew you were down bad but this is next level. You got it bad"

Rocky glares at Nick while he continues to laugh like a mad man. I swear if looks could kill. God this man needs more expressions.

"Well Persephone everything is clear and nothing seems out of place. You may want to stay somewhere else till you can get that door fixed." Nick says after settling down.

"At least someone is giving me answers tonight. Thanks Nick"

" Any ti-"

"Pack a bag you're staying with me." We both turn in shock to Rocky, his expression exactly the same. If this man thinks I'm staying with him he's gone insane. I mean who does he think he is?

"No the fuck I'm not. I'll be fine in a hotel or with Celine." I fire back.

"Whoever broke in tonight didn't take anything. Do you know what that means?"

"That they clearly have no taste." I try to joke, but the serious look on his face tells me it's not the time to be an asshole. He takes a step closer, his expression as serious as ever. Is it bad that it's kind of turning me on? Oh my god Persephone FOCUS.

" It means they were after you. Which means you lucked out by not being here when it happened". Great so I really am in trouble. Somebody should remind me to thank those girls who dragged me into a pointless argument over Zade Meadows .

"It's also why you should be thanking me for sending someone to watch you." Wait, watching me?

"SO YOU ADMIT TO STALKING ME. THAT'S IT. I'M NOT LEAVING WITH YOU. WE AREN'T EVEN FRIENDS, IN FACT I BARELY KNOW YOU. WE DON'T EVEN HAVE EACH OTHER NUMBERS."

" YES YOU ARE. IT'S CLEARLY NECESSARY SINCE YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT YOUR OWN SAFETY. AND I WOULD'VE GIVEN YOU MY NUMBER THE MOMENT YOU ASKED." Well, I didn't expect that. Has he been waiting for me to ask for his number this whole time? Why didn't he just give it?

"WELL YOU COULD'VE ASKED TO." I yell back without realizing.

Out the side of my eye I can see Nick snicker while slowly backing into my bedroom.

"While you two finish your weird foreplay, I'll just start grabbing some clothes for her." I swear if Nick didn't seem like a golden retriever I'd throw this broom at his head. "DON'T YOU DARE."

"Don't worry I won't look at your extra private stuff" he says with a wink. Suddenly I hear Rocky growl.

"Nick, I swear to god watch it or you will die here tonight." I always thought a man growling would only work in books. But tonight I've been proven very wrong. Damn I might really be down bad for this man. He turns back to me, capturing my gaze. His hand comes up and holds the side of my face.

" Look either you come with us willingly or so help me. I will throw you over my shoulder and toss you in the car. Either way I'm not leaving you here to get hurt or worse." The look in his eye tells me to listen. That everything he's saying is true. And for the first time tonight I decided to just give in.

"Okay i'll go help Nick pack up a bag or two. But, I hope you know a suitcase of books will be coming too."

I see his shoulders finally relax as he says "Whatever it takes, sweetheart."

"So are you going to tell me what you do for a living?" Shaking his head he says, "Go." nodding his head towards the door.

Yea. I'm so screwed.

What have I gotten myself into?