Chapter 82


    The day rolls by in an oddly familiar way. Arrick reappears after lunch when he hears the buzzer from


    the food ce I ordered from, and I guess the smell of it, considering he eats like a horse and is always


    hungry. I’ve been sensible for once and picked an organic food deli that does sd and wholesome


    food spreads, knowing he’s still supposed to be on a strict eating regime andtely he’s been eating


    really badly, mostly because of me. I really can’t cook, so my attempts at making him anything ‘Tasha’


    style would probably result in food poisoning or a serious bout of indigestion at the least. I know my


    limits, and making food is definitely not one of my skills. I also let him off with the sundae search,


    feeling guilty that he’d be breaking a food rule just for me.


    We y Xbox for two hours, fight over games, controls, and squabble over the fact he’s a huge cheat


    who never lets me win at anything. I make him eat pillow a few times, and then he sits on me because


    he cannot have a girl beat him at mortalbat type games as it hurts his male ego. I swear he reverts


    to a ten year old kid when he thinks there’s a chance of losing at Mario Kart, and being smothered for


    daring to pass him ends up with me throwing the controller at his head, Sophie tantrum style.


    We dump the game and opt for a movie to rx, which is another argument, seeing as I want to watch


    ‘The Labyrinth’ and he wants to watch ‘Die hard’ because he is clearly a man who has a fetish for


    action movies and not in touch with his inner child or feminine side at all. I win … I always win at movie


    time! Arrick just has to listen to me huff and whine for like thirty seconds about how much he is ruining


    my life by denying me the pleasure of ‘The Labyrinth’ and he always caves. Still got that little puppy


    wrapped around my ‘little Sophie’ fingers it seems.


    So, we watch it, with a huge bowl of sticky popcorn, which really cancels out the healthy lunch I got


    him, and way too many cokes for a guy on a junk food ban. I swear, maybe I’m a seriously bad


    influence on him as all he ever eats when Tasha is around is strictly what’s on his diet list on the


    refrigerator. She takes immense pride in mothering him and making disgusting high protein ‘healthy’


    food and snacks, while I obviously do not care enough. I pretty much rely on him making his own food


    choices, expecting him to take care of feeding me, and not vice versa. Maybe that’s something I should


    change, if I want him to think I might be worth more than just a sidekick.


    The movie is nice though,id out together on the couch. We end up cuddling up, no awkwardness or


    me getting all weirded out for once about it, and just seeing it for what it is; us of old. Me in his arm with


    my head on his chest as, he rests his feet on the coffee table, and we share the bowl on hisp in


    complete silence. We have the ckout blinds down and the whole apartment in darkness.


    A couple of hourspanionable quiet, as the guy who didn’t want to watch my ‘cheesy, shitty, girl


    flick’ is seriously engrossed and even chuckles along at the funny parts.


    It’s been a normal ‘Sophs and Arry’ of old day. Like we’ve put everything aside for just a few short


    hours with a silent agreement, returned to some sense of us and gave ourselves a break from the


    reality of our mess for a while. I needed it; I guess he did too, judging by how much of a great mood


    he’s been in all day.


    ***


    “You ready yet, brat?” Arrick knocks on my door, not waiting for a response as he saunters in, dressed


    in a navy button down and sexy jeans. He looks every bit the rich yboy like this, and the color of the


    shirt seems to enhance his own natural coloring. He has his leather jacket in one hand. I admit, I give


    him a second look and have to stop the pantybusting wave of ‘oooh’ that hits me out of nowhere. I


    really need to get a hold on what this boy makes me feel nowadays, I cannot keep having these crazy


    hormonal reactions to him if I’m to survive in his presence.


    “I can’t pick a dress.” I frown his way; hair and makeup already done and sexy underwear in ce. I’m


    draped in a robe and fiddling with the ties while I stare at the sea of dresses I’ve pulled out and hung up


    along the wardrobes. It looks like a new season collection of cocktail dresses, and I cannot choose.


    “Any of these, they’re all pretty and you would look good in a sack, Sophs.” Arrick meanders along the


    line of dresses, picking one up and turning it around to see what the back is like; he puts it back when


    he sees just how low it’s cut at the rear. Risky low and maybe a little obscene if you don’t wear


    matching underwear. I stifle a giggle at the look of disapproval that crosses his face. He shoves aside


    two more and then turns to the wardrobe and opens the door where I have a couple more hanging.


    “What are you doing?” I watch himzily, standing with one foot on top of the other in my bare feet, like


    a child. Rxed with him again. After our day together I feel more like we used to.


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    “Taking away your choice and looking for a dress.” He pulls out a ck one and does the same thing,


    turns it to check the back, holds it out in my direction and squints with one eye to picture it on me. I can


    only guess he is visualizing if it’s too short or not. Sometimes he’s worse than my dad, and I shake an


    indulgent head at him.


    “You do realize, I’m allowed to expose a little skin? It can still be ssy with some on show you know.” I


    point out, moving past him to hook the plum dress he bypassed twice, and hold it against me while I


    turn to the long wall mirror to my side. He looks me over in the reflection, face taking on that deadpan


    expression of his.


    “I have no issue with you dressing in any of these, but I’m still trying to get used to the fact it’s okay to


    see you dressed in any of these.” He throws me a grimace that is both endearing and yet frustrating;


    that look that just reminds me he is one confused cookie.


    “That’sme.” I retort, breaking into a smile because he does too. Somehow killing that tiny tension


    which has arisen. He nods at the one I’m still holding.


    “That one... It’s sexy yet cute, and the color goes with the dark hair.” His eyes run over my locks and I


    catch that little twinge again. He’s done this like fifty times today and admitted to me more than once


    that he likes my hair, but he really hates it dark. I guess I look a little too Natasha’esque like this, and


    maybe the fact Arrick has dated a lot of blondes in the past is a sign he swings more to my natural hair


    color.


    Good to know.


    “Out. If you want me ready fast, then move, so I can strip.” I pull mauve shoes from the space under


    the bed, with high ck heels that are a couple of shades darker than my dress, but I think they’ll work.


    “That’s supposed to encourage me to leave?” Arrick grins at me as I straighten back up to face him,


    cheeky and suggestive with an eyebrow raise. That teen Carrero on disy with his good mood still


    bubbling around. It wasn’t unknown for him to make jokey sexual innuendos in the past, but we have


    been missing them since this whole messy love thing came between us.


    “Stay if you want, but you’re the one trying to stay tonic with everyone.” I throw back with a raised


    brow and sarcastic smile. His brow dips in an unamused frown that is still boyishly cute, and walks out


    of the room, closing the door softly behind him. I’m not sure that is the reaction I want, but I’m in too


    much of a hurry to ponder.