Downtown Boy

c h a p t e r 18

🎵My uptown girl🎵

-Billy Joel

Sierra's pov:

I'm not going to be used again. I'm not vulnerable anymore.

I'm not a child, I'm older now.

Yet I still got slapped on the face by reality when Leo used me.

I won't be used again. Right? He won't throw me....away when he's done.

Right?

This isn't just a- a one sided thing. Right?

He said that he wants us to work out. He said that he wants to give us a shot. Granted, not official but exclusive? Am I looking into this too much? This is new to me just as new to him, I've never been through this before.

When my heart beats fast. When I get fluttery like a 12 year old teenager. When my palms get sweaty.

I've only ever felt this when I was scared.....when- when Sebastian was still...here.

But I like this feeling because I'm not scared and I want this to keep going on and on and on. I want him to stay beside me. Grip his hand so tightly that he's incapable of leaving me. I sound like a fucking creep.

He said he liked me. Like me? Him? Me?

How the hell did I even attract him? My annoyingness?

"What's wrong? Did a bee get up your nose?" Lacey yawns from beside me as she laid on Hunter's back.

Oh God, what would his family say? That I'm nice to them just because I want to get with Hunter? That kid from the cafe, he said- and Lacey- but she- and Hunter. Fucking snickerdoodles.

"I think the bee blocked both her ears instead." Hunter whispers, loud enough that both Lacey and I could hear him.

I give him a look and then look at Lace, smiling as I shake my head,"Why would you think I have a bee up my nose?"

"Because you were scrunching up your nose weirdly. Are you okay?" She asks, laying her head on her brother's back. Poor child must be tired, she didn't have her nap in the evening.

"I don't know why I was doing that, I guess it must be cause your brother smells really bad. Doesn't he sweetie?" I wink, pretending to swat the non existent small away. Hearing a little giggle, she does the same, her eyes almost half closed.

"Yeah, he does smell stinky."

"I'm still here you know? I could easily push you off me Lace." This seems to wake her up as she tightly clings onto her brother's neck, "Hunter, you can't punish me for stating facts."

Gasping dramatically, I shove him gently- reminding myself not to push him hard enough to make him fall down. "Threatening a child? On her birthday of all days? Well thank the Lord I'm here now, did he always bully you like this Lacey?"

He pouts as he hitches Lacey higher on his back as he tries taking out the key with one of his hand, "But what about my being the victim when I'm bullied by her?" Good Lord, have his eyes always shone like that?

So sparkly. So happy.

Snorting, I pull Lacey off of him as he fishes out the keys to open the door. "You're an big guy, you can take some hits."

Lace barely stands up, leaning herself against me as she closes her eyes, "Of course I can little girl." He nibbles onto my ear and mumbles softly, sneakily pressing his lips against my cheek as well.