Belonging to the Bad Boy

Chapter 22

"What were you thinking?" My dad asked as he looked down at me. It turns out Damon had called my dad to ask me something because he assumed my phone was dead. My dad put two and two together and now here we are, I'm getting a lecture when all I need is a nice, long sleep.

I'm curled into Ranger's side, a blanket wrapped around my shoulders and another across my lap, Ranger's arm around my and a hot cocoa in my hands. "I needed to be alone," I mumble, barely having regained my voice. Ranger rubs my side reassuringly, looking down at me with sadness.

My dad sighs, sitting on the coffee table in front of me and putting his head in his hands. "I was so worried. I didn't know where you were," he mumbles into his hands, his words barely audible but his tone clear as day. Subsiding fear and consistent sadness. "I just..."

"I know dad, I know you didn't want what happened a few years ago." I finish for him, moving away from Ranger. It was substantially colder, but worth the cold to hold my dad. I place my mug on the table next to him and wrap my arms around him. He holds me tight. "I promise I won't fall that deep again. I just needed time, time to remember her. I couldn't go any longer ignoring her."

He sighs, his head resting on my shoulder. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry you miss her so much," he whispers and I nod, not interrupting his thoughts. I know she's been on his mind today and I feel awful that I made him feel the same as me.

I pull away, holding his shoulders as I look at him. "She'd be proud of us," I say, smiling softly at him. He smiles sadly back, nodding his head. "Proud that we've survived. Proud that we're still loving each other unconditionally. Proud that you're finding happiness again."

He looks at me, worry in his face. "I like Jemma, a lot. I'm just worried you think I'm trying to replace your mother."

I chuckle quietly, shaking my head. "No, of course not. I just hope to meet her soon, too."

-_-_-_-

"So you're the one who made her hit her head a couple of weeks ago?" My dad asks Ranger. The mood had lifted considerably in the last couple of hours. We ordered Chinese food and were all sat in the living room, a random movie playing in the background as we all spoke. I had showered and felt much warmer.

"You told him?" Ranger asks in disbelief. My dad cracks me a smile, and I can't help but laugh.

"Of course not, the blabber mouth who always gets me in trouble did."

"Damon," Ranger grumbles, shovelling rice into his mouth. I laugh and roll my eyes, taking a bite of my duck pancakes. This was officially the first time my dad had met Ranger, and it seemed to be going pretty well.

I put my plate down, feeling filled to the brim. If I ate anymore, I may explode. "It's alright, because Alex seems happy and that's all that matters to me." I smile at my dad, averting my eyes to Ranger to see a gleam in his eyes.

We all finish our food, and my dad goes to his room preparing for bed. I snuggle back into Ranger's side, his arm instinctively wrapping around me. "So, you're happy huh?" Ranger asks, grinning down at me and wiggling his eyebrows playfully at me.

"Are you not?" I retort, raising my eyebrows at him. I was so tired, my eyes barely able to stay open, but I wanted to spend as much time in Ranger's arms as possible.

He contemplates for a moment and I hit him on the chest, pouting because he had to think for so long. "Chill, Ally, of course I'm happy." My heart warmed completely. Ranger Jones felt something other than anger and sadness, and I did that for him. "You scared me tonight though," he grumbles, his arms tightening around me as he said it. "I never planned on it, but," he pauses, frowning as he stares at the television.

"Neither did I, but I'm glad I do," I speak, taking the pressure away from him. I knew it was a struggle for him to say; it was all new for him, but that was okay with me. I feel him shift, and he effortlessly pulls me into his lap, and I fall to be straddling him.

He looks into my eyes, his hands holding the small of my back so that I don't move. "I need to tell you," he says seriously, his green eyes flickering, worry showing obviously but also a small glint in them. "I care about you."

I smile widely, unable to believe he said it out loud. This big, bad boy who terrorises everyone at school just admitted a feeling he may never have known he could feel. "I care about you too, Ranger." My words full of truth and emotion I could barely hold back tears. It was a strange feeling, falling for someone who seemed so unlikely. Feeling strongly for someone who wasn't family, who hadn't been there forever. His smile matches mine, if not bigger if possible. A genuine, happy smile. No smirk or grin, no teasing or malice, just genuine happiness. My heart felt like it was going to burst.

"Please, speak to me. Don't ever scare me like that again," he almost demands, but I could hear the plea in his voice. I drape my arms over his shoulders, shuffling closer to him.

Resting my forehead against his, I let out a quiet breath. "I promise," I whisper before pecking him on the lips. He nods, satisfied with my answer but he leans in again, reaching for my lips with his. I happily oblige, leaning in to meet him, and he smiles slightly against the kiss, making me smile in return. It was quick, it was tender and gentle and caring, but it was exactly what he said he felt and it only solidified that I knew I'd made the right decision. I lay my head on his shoulder and cuddle close, only for the world to fall black quickly as I got the sleep I very much needed.

-_-_-_-

I wake up, stretching my arms and legs out only to realise I was now in my bed. "Watch it," I hear Ranger grumble angrily and I realise I had nearly hit him in the face. I see him look down at me and his face changes from irritation to admiration. A smile creeps onto his lips, and it's so infectious I cannot help but smile back. "Sorry," he whispers, pulling me closer to him.

"I almost hit you, I think I should say sorry?" I question, raising an eyebrow at him as he rubs the sleep from his eyes. "How'd we get here?" I ask, pulling the sheets closer to my body, wanting to stay in this warmth forever, never to see the outside world again.

Ranger turns to his side, resting his head on a hand as the other arm lazily drapes over my waist. "I carried you," he hums with a slight shrug. I feel a blush raise onto my cheeks as I realise I was far to tired to make it to bed and Ranger carried me here. He didn't leave me once he bought me to bed, he stayed.

I bury my head in his chest and listen to the melodic noise that was his laugh, butterflies in my stomach at the noise. After a few moments I feel coldness wrap around me as Ranger moves and gets out of bed, standing next to it as he stretched. I watched his muscles ripple and contract as he did so, now glad he never wore a shirt to bed. "Come back," I whine as I watch him, taking in every movement of his body.

A laugh escapes him and I savour the sound. "First off, stop staring," he teases, glancing over his shoulder at me. I shrug and grin, my blush deepening as I try to keep my cool. "Secondly, you're still miss good grades, never miss a day, and since you did miss yesterday we're going to school today."

He leans down and pecks my lips before heading to my bathroom. I hear the shower running and sigh contently, happily.