Love Songs

Chapter Fourteen

Shay - Sunday, 12:30pm.

Jessica gave me a bewildered yet disapproving look. "Why did you tell him to go, then?"

I smiled. "Come on, Jess. You're not that stupid."

Reaching over to her, I took both of her hands in mine, then pulled her back on top of me. She did her characteristic "Shay!" half-yell, half-giggle, that she always did when she was trying to protest but undoubtedly wanted me.

She stopped centimeters from her face and shook her head. "We can't," she said, like always.

"Why not?"

"Because, yesterday, when we were leaving, Darius gave us this look, and...I can't explain it."

I literally felt my face fall, the previous day coming back. "I can," I said, deflated.

"What?"

I let go of her hands and sat up, though she was still in my lap, facing perpendicular to me.

"Yesterday Darius started questioning me, about us."

"What?" she asked again, her face denoting total shock.

I exhaled, knowing that she'd in fact heard me. "Yeah."

"What did you tell him?"

"Well, originally I told him to fuck off and mind his own business, but when that didn't work I told him not to tell Allie."

"But what if he does?"

"He won't," I said, confidently.

"How do you know?" 

"He loves me," I stated. "And besides, he knows I could kick his ass."

"Just like you kicked Bella's ass?" she challenged.

"Okay, I did kick Bella's ass," I argued. "I just kicked my own in the process."

"Whatever," she said, not wanting to concern herself with that right now. "So you're not concerned about Darius?" 

I shrugged. "What's done is done."

"What is this, Shakespeare day?" she derided me, smiling.

"Mhm," I decided. "Love is a smoke raised with the fume of sighs; being purged, a fire sparkling in lovers' eyes."

"Romeo and Juliet," she noted. "I told you you were a romantic deep down."

"You're smarter than I thought you were," I analyzed, impressed that she'd identified the quote.

"Nah," she dismissed, not wanting to take the credit. "I just read a lot."

"So then, what quote did you give to Matthew?"

She inhaled, preparing to recite. "Silence is the perfectest herald of joy," her lips began to form, but I cut her off.

"I were but little happy, if I could say how much."

In that moment, neither one of us said anything. Inhibitions gone, I kissed her, absolutely wordlessly.

_________

Allie - Sunday, 12:30pm.

I figured that, since I'd excommunicated Jessica from our bedroom, the knock on the door was Shay. Who else, I'd figured.

I hadn't figured Matthew.

"Hey," he said, overly enthusiastic, making himself right at home on a chair in the corner, but also keeping his distance.