Belonging to the Bad Boy

Chapter 13

I found myself sat on the end of Ranger's bed, a glass of water in hand and sobriety finally arriving. My head hurt, throbbing in pain from the events of the night. That and the possibility it was a hangover.

The house is small, two bedrooms, a small, attached kitchen-lounge and one bathroom. I can see from Ranger's bed the small back yard through his window, an old, rusted swing sitting alone in the corner. He has a small porch at the front of the house with a white bench underneath the lounge window and a couple of potted plants on the other side. I thought about how nice it must be to sit on during the hot days and watch the world go past; watch the children play, the adults talk, the smell of barbecues everywhere.

"What's on your mind?" Ranger asked as he walked back into the room, now holding various items. Under his arm was a first aid kit, in his left hand a bowl with a warm liquid inside and in his right hand a stack of cotton pads. I snapped out of my daze, glancing at him again before looking around the room.

It was relatively small, a double bed placed in the centre, a large closet in the corner of the room. There was a small clothing chest in the other corner and a couple of shelves above it with trophies and other things scattered across them. I sigh quietly, sipping at my water as I watch him step closer.

He kneels in front of me, placing the bowl on the small bedside desk and the first aid kit next to me on the bed. He dips some of the cotton pads into the liquid, pulling one out and bringing it near. Before I could ask what was going on I winced in pain, recoiling slightly. Ranger mimics me, pulling his hand away slightly and looking up at me. "Sorry," he whispers, before dabbing my knee with the cotton pads again.

I felt myself wince again, less this time. "Thank you," I mumble, chewing my lip in pain. It subsided for a couple of seconds but returned when he got a clean pad and began cleaning my right knee this time. 

He dries off my knees gently with a soft, dry towel which he pulled from his back pocket. "Let me see," he speaks, his voice gentle and quiet. He reaches out for my hands, placing my glass of water on the desk next to the bowl. It isn't until he turns them over that I see the left hand torn up, gravel and dirt mixed with dried blood. Ranger sighs, frustration evident in his voice. "This will hurt."

I brace myself, but it was more than a sting this time. I felt the pain rush through my entire hand and racing up my wrist. I squeal quietly, squeezing my hand shut. This only trapped the pad inside of my hand. I went to release it, hoping for the pain to stop, but both of Ranger's hands close gently around mine, holding them closed. I felt the water and alcohol run through the gaps of my hand and I squeezed tighter, wincing and whining in pain.

He strokes his thumbs across my knuckles, his eyes pouring into mine. I stare right back at him, the pain fading away slowly the longer I looked at him. His emerald green shine met my steel grey one, reassuring me with his touch and gaze. I felt his hands move from mine, allowing me to open my hand. I felt his left rest on my thigh as his right pulled out the cotton pad, reaching for a new one and gently wiping the, now loosened, dirt away.

When he was done he moved everything out of the way, placing a bandage around my hand. I continue to watch him, entranced by every move he made. He looks up at me, softness gracing every inch of his face. He reaches his arm up, his thumb gently tugging my lip from between my teeth. "It's swollen now," he hums, raising an eyebrow at me.

"I've had worse," I joke, pursing my lips to feel the damage. There's a small cut that had stopped bleeding and the whole bottom lip was swollen, but it was true, I had had worse. He chuckles lightly, shaking his head at me. He makes to move, but I grab his hand again. "Thank you," I whisper when he stayed, holding my hand in his with a grin.

"You owe me," he jokes. I smile, feeling his relief and happiness washing over him, in return making me happy. I couldn't help it. I began to lean in. I saw the hesitation on his face but I was too far gone, too determined to do what I wanted to do in front of everyone on the football field. I forgot about everything. I close my eyes and press my lips against his. He immediately reacted, pressing himself further into me, the kiss deepening.

He slowly began to stand, never breaking the kiss and he hovered over me. I reached up as far as my neck would allow me. One of Ranger's arms held my cheek gently but pointedly while his other wrapped around my waist, beginning to push me further into the bed. He knelt on the bed, one knee between my legs and the other on the left side of me.

My heart raced as the kiss deepened, our lips moving faster, more desperately. My arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer. He pulled back just an inch, our lips separating. We both breathed heavy, our chests rising and falling rapidly as we fought to catch our breaths. "I like you, the real you," I whisper, my palm resting on his cheek and my thumb brushing against his cheek bone.

He smiled sadly, resting his forehead against mine. "I like you too, the real you," he whispers back, causing me to chuckle. A grin replaced the sadness, making me smile in return. "But really, you kick ass." We both begin laughing, our chests moving together as the vibrations from his laugh bounce around the room and through my own chest.

"Hey, I've been thinking about it all night," I mumble happily once our laughter died down. Ranger tilts his head, looking at me curiously, a bright sparkle in his eyes. "The bench out front," I mumble, and before I finish I'm being pulled up from the bed, now stood steady on my feet.

"Let's go then," he says, dragging me through the house by the arm. We stop in the kitchen, grabbing a couple of snacks and two bottles of water. Next stop was the living room, where Ranger wrapped a thick blanket around my shoulders. I take the two edges in my hands and hold them close against my chest. Ranger scoops up the rest of the blanket that was hanging on the ground, using it to pull me to the front door, through it and closing it behind us.

I adjust the blanket, turning it length ways and sitting down, holding open the excess for Ranger to sit in. He sits close, pulling the blanket over his shoulder, reaching over to pull the other side of the blanket around my shoulder to make sure I as snug. I happily take the packet of chips from him and break them open, taking a handful before offering them to him.

"Thanks for offering me my own snacks," he teases, laughing as he grabs a handful of chips. We sit in silence for a while, enjoying the snacks, the company, and the impending sunrise. "How is it going to be from now on?" Ranger's voice breaks the silence, and I turn to find him staring at me.

"What do you mean?" I ask, frowning a little.

He sighs, his arm moving to rest around my shoulders. He leans back, takes a breath and begins to speak again. "At school, between us. Alone, in public. Is this what you want, because I am more than this."

I sit quiet for a moment, thinking about what he said. I then remembered what had happened tonight. What had happened between Flynn and I, and how I got here in the first place.