Skins & Needles (COMPLETE)

Just Tonight Part 3

Charlotte

I tried to jump out the other side of the bed, but an arm on my waist stopped me.

"No!" I shouted, and tried to kick back at the intruder, but I froze when I felt stubble at my ear.

"You should really lock your door," a familiar voice rumbled, and I twisted in Arsen's grasp to face his golden eyes.

"You scared me half to death!" I told him, clutching at my chest. "For like, the twelfth time now!" Honestly, I was shocked that I had left my door unlocked, but I'd been too distracted by my ridiculous emotions.

"It's my new favorite pastime," Arsen said with a light smirk. One that didn't quite reach his eyes.

"What's wrong?" I asked, and readjusted myself so that I was propped up on my elbow. I was painfully aware of Arsen's arm draped over my waist, but I wasn't prepared to ask him to move.

"I should be asking you." He lifted a hand to brush some leftover tears from my cheeks. "Don't cry over me, Charlotte. You deserve better than all this."

"It's not just you," I said with a painful sigh. "It's a lot of things. I just don't have..." I trailed off and looked away from him. I didn't need to tell him how alone I felt. How I didn't have anyone to lean on at the end of the day, and how I was thinking about moving. It would be too easy for one thing to lead to another, and then he'd know my whole story. The thought of telling him— and the realization of just how easy it would be— scared the shit out of me.

"I couldn't leave," he told me then, sounding almost pissed about it. "I know I should. Logically, I should have never come here. Never done a lot of things."

"Logically, I shouldn't be crying over someone who's made it clear we can't spend time together," I shrugged.

"It's not so much that we 'can't' as much as it's... dangerous for me to spend a lot of time with you. Risky. God, I need to shut the fuck up."

Sounds like we both have things we can't talk about...

"Then why'd you come back?"

Instead of responding verbally, Arsen pulled me into his arms, and I found myself curling up against his chest. We fit so well together. I almost said it out loud, but didn't want to make this any heavier than it already was.

"Just tonight," Arsen said decisively after a moment. "I'll only stay tonight."

"For sleeping?" I clarified.

"Yes, Charlotte."

Okay, but what if I... took my clothes off?

No, inner skank. Not today.

Fine.

"Just tonight." One small allowance, but it didn't feel so small. My heart kicked into overdrive as I adjusted to face away from Arsen and wrap around my feather pillow, and about jumped straight up my throat and out of my mouth when Arsen's arms went around me.

Yet, even though my body was a plasma ball beneath his touch, I was somehow the most relaxed when I was in his arms. Like there was no longer a single cell of tension in my entire being. And when Arsen began gently stroking my arm up and down, up and down with nothing but his fingertips, I was out in minutes.

I slept better than I had since... well, probably since the last time Arsen and I had slept like this, the last night I was in his house. And I didn't stir once till morning.

I awoke to warmth, with a perfect beam of sunlight shining through my curtains and across my magenta comforter. Arsen was still there, bringing me a sense of utter peace, and I pushed back into his soft warmth.

My reverie lasted about six seconds, before I felt something not-so-soft pressing between us. Did Arsen carry a gun or... He couldn't be...

"Oh," I gasped softly, but before I could shift away, Arsen's hands were on my hips, holding me in place.