Heavy Wears The Crown

Forty Seven

"Into you, I just keep crawling you're the best kind of bad something, 'Cause we keep on coming back for more. You get under my skin more than anyone's ever been."

---------- Rock Bottom - Hailee Steinfeld ----------

                "You should really start checking who it is before you open the door." Nolan suggested wedged his foot in the way to block me from shutting the door on his face when I realized it was him who had knocked.

"Get out of my doorway!" I demanded not willing to admit he was totally right. This was twice now in the same week I had opened the door for someone and immediately tried to shut it after.

"We could get a little peep hole put in for you?" He suggested. "It would probably only take a few hours to install."

I groaned and vigorously slammed the door on Nolan's foot, he didn't react at all.

"Steel toes." He explained casually. "You could even just take a peek out the window?"

"Move your foot and I'll give it a try." I growled.

"Come to dinner." He said frankly.

This time I was so furious I stepped back pulled the door almost completely open and threw it into his foot, it bounce of the steel toed boots and came back and hit the wall. "No! I don't want anything to do with you right now Nolan, what part of that and so hard for you to understand."

"The band and I are extending our tour." He continued, completely ignoring my theatrics.

"So?"

"So I don't know when I'll see you again."

"I don't want to see you."

He leaned forward, for the first time more than just a foot crossed the threshold into my house, though he didn't take a step in. "Something about seeing you lie so flawlessly always turns me on. Such a goodie two shoes doing such a vile thing. Be still my beating heart."

Warmth rushed through my chest and up my cheeks but I didn't bite.

"The band likes you, they want to see you. Don't hold them responsible for something I started."

"Something they were all in on. Do you realize how stupid I look right now? How stupid I feel? Like this entire time everyone was just laughing behind my back that you and I were just-" I stopped and his brows raised almost all the way into his sloppy hair.

He hadn't washed it, I could tell. He didn't look like he'd gotten any sleep either, the area around his eyes were dark and I knew if I brought my soft hands along his jaw it would be scratchy. I was half concerned he'd gone on a binge the last two nights since the hospital but I didn't asked. "You and I?" Nolan repeated in a low voice.

"There is no you and I." I muttered letting my confidence falter for a minute to feel something else. Something a lot like hurt.

"No, finish what you were going to say. That you and I were what Carter?" He brought his other foot through the doorway and I shirked away. I brought my cheek between my teeth and refused to look up to meet his burning glare. "You and I were what?" He yelled this time and in a glare my eyes rose to meet his.

"A joke."

"That's what you think?"

"I think you should leave."
"Or what? You don't have a vase or a lamp to throw at me, you've slapped me before and I can say from experience it was weak."