Stone Heart

Chapter 23- Pink-aniel

We left Nathaniel in his room so he would be able to rest his wounds. The arrow missied his lungs by an inch and luckily, no wolf bane covered the arrow. Images of Henry's torn body flashed in my mind and that faint smile on his lips invaded my mind. A shiver ran down my spine.

"Hey, you alright?" Daniel asked as he wrapped his arms around me. His thumb and fore-finger lifted my chin up to meet his worried eyes. "What's wrong?" He asked quietly.

"I just can't stop seeing his remains. They're fresh on my mind and his eyes just pierce through an-"

"Hey, hey, hey. Shhh... I'm sorry you had to see that. I should've thrown him into the woods first so you wouldn't have seen it. I'm sorry," he apologized.

"No, Daniel. Thank you. I would have been always on the alert, watching my back because of him. I love you, Daniel," I wrapped my hands around his neck and stood on my tippy toes to peck him on the lips. He smiled and held me tighter.

"Don't be thankful. It was my job to keep you safe from the moment I saw you on that cell floor. Loving you comes with all sorts of conditions that I am more than willing to agree to. I would give up everything I have ever worked hard for and run away with you if I had to. I love you, Chloe. Don't you ever forget that okay?" I nodded my head and kissed him.

"You do know I can hear you right?" Nathaniel called from the other side of the door and I laughed.

"Good," Daniel replied and lead me to our room.

"Daniel?"

"Yeah?"

"There's something I've been meaning to ask you."

"What's that?"

"Why do you have a room full of spiders?" I furrowed my eyes in confusion. He turned to look at me.

"It's used as a room to scare trespassers or traumatize them," he responded and then squinted his eyes. "After all that time and you ask me now?"

"Better late than never right?" I replied with a cheesy smile and a shrug of my shoulders. He shook his head and smiled.

You do know I'm getting back at you for that right? But how?... I mischievously thought.

"I'm going to take a quick shower after I assign a guard and a nurse to Nathaniel," Daniel said once we got to our room.

"Make her a hot nurse. Just so Nathaniel moves on to someone else," I said with a shrug. Daniel thought about it for a moment.

"Good idea. I'll be back in a minute" he said as he ran his fingers through his hair and walked out. Hair.

Bingo.

**

"CHLOE WATERS WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO TO MY HAIR?!" I heard Daniel roar from the shower. I shot up from the bed and stared at the bathroom door. The shower was shut off and Daniel walked out with a towel wrapped around his waist as his now pink hair dripped with water.

"What are you talking about? I didn't do anything," I replied innocently.  Unfortunately, my laughs couldn't be held down and I burst put laughing like a retarded seal. My eyes were teary and my stomach started to hurt.

"You think this is funny? I look like the Strawberry Short Cake doll."

"A very hot Strawberry Shortcake doll indeed," I replied as I stepped back.

"Was that supposed to make me feel better about it?!"

"Calm down, Lava Girl. It'll be off before you know it."

"How do you know?" He asked. I grabbed the bottle of dye and read the label to him.

"'Cause it says that it's only temp-" I read the label again and again and turned to look at Daniel with wide eyes. "Uhh-err. Hm." I pursed my lips and looked around the room.

"What? What does it say?" He snatched the bottle from my hands before I was able to run. His eyes skimmed through the words and he turned to look at me with wide eyes. "PERMENANT?!" His face was priceless and I laughed hard again.

"I'm just kidding, Daniel. I switched the bottles so you would get an extra scare," I replied after I took in some air and came close to peck him on the lips. "Hopefully."