Gangs Aren't My Style (A Black Death Novel)

Chapter 61 - One Blessed Moment

Gangs Aren't My Style

Book I of the Black Death Trilogy

PART THREE :: Cast Your Armor Down

Chapter 61 - One Blessed Moment

Kyle held the movie above his head, looking down at Ally's pleading face in disbelief. "Why did you make me buy you this movie anyway?"

"Because I saw the preview on TV and thought the guy that plays Wren was hot, duh." She jumped, her hand reaching for the movie but Kyle moved away in time. Huffing, she attempted to grab his sleeve and pull his arm down but still, she did not succeed.

"This is entertaining shortie," Kyle taunted, yawning as he leisurely stretched his arms above his head.

"I'm not short," Ally defended, making yet another grab for the movie, "you're just really abnormally tall."

"Mmhh."

She slapped his shoulder, glaring at him, but there was more laughter than anger behind her gaze. "Stop mocking me."

"Hey, that could've hurt!" Kyle complained, holding his shoulder as if it was wounded.

"You're right," Ally replied, raising one eyebrow, "it could've."

He leaned forward, lowering his voice. "Are you threatening me?"

"Yep." A mischievous smile spread across her face and she snatched the movie from his hand. Kyle's eyes widened in surprise, only then realizing that he had lowered his arm while they were bantering.

Lifting his gaze back up to the feisty female, Kyle saw Ally already kneeling before the TV, placing the new DVD into the player. "That's cheating," he complained, moving to sit down on the couch.

"All is fair in the game of love and warfare, baby."

Kyle shook his head, leaning back and pulling the blanket laying on the floor up onto his lap. Ally closed the player, grabbing the remote and getting comfy on the other side of the couch. Shivering, she drew her arms around herself in an attempt to warm up. Blowing out on her hands in frustration, she turned to Kyle. "Can you turn the heat up?"

"Nope."

Ally huffed, scowling at the smirk on his face. "You just want me to have to snuggle up to you for warmth," she mumbled.

Kyle shrugged, lifting up the edge of his blanket. "Plenty of room in here."

"In your dreams," she shot back, bringing her legs up and remaining resolute in her decision to sit on the other end of the couch.

Turning his gaze back to the TV, Kyle watched the opening screen come on, knowing that sooner or later she would end up right beside him. But until then, he would enjoy the movie that she'd wanted to watch so bad. Only having been the new Footloose movie, her choice could've been much worse -it could have been a chick flick.

The title menu flashed across the screen then, paired with the repeating sound of loud music. As Kyle picked up the remote and hit the play button, tired of hearing Blake Shelton singing 'Footloose', the blankets covering him moved. Whipping his head around in surprise, he found with satisfaction that a shivering Ally was climbing under the covers with him. Wrapping an arm around her waist, Kyle drew her in to rest against him, her head falling onto his shoulder. He didn't say anything, but it didn't escape his notice that she'd only lasted through the previews before moving to sit beside him. Slowly but surely, she was coming back to him.

Ally let out a shriek of excitement as the bus door opened on TV screen, a pair of legs laced in black boots jumping out. The camera moved up to reveal a young man casually holding a leather jacket, black sunglasses set on his face. "It just got hotter in here," she said breathily, leaning forward slightly.

"Um, I'm pretty sure the reason it got hotter was that you're under my b-"

She cut him off, yelling at the TV, "Little girls, get away from my hunk! His arms should only be around me!"

Kyle leaned his head down so that his breath would hit her ear as he spoke, knowing he was playing dirty, but not liking being ignored. "All the hunk you need is right here."

"Go away, I have a hottie to stare at."

Kyle let out a long breath of air, noticing how she shivered despite being covered by a thick blanket. "Are you saying that guy on that screen is hotter than me?"

"Yep, that's exactly what I'm saying. Now move, if he takes off his shirt while working on this car and I miss it, I'm going to be mad."

"Come on!" he complained, glancing back at the screen before leveling his gaze with Ally's. "There is no way he is hotter than I am!"

"Well get used to it, because he is."

"I think you're lying, you just don't want to admit how much you like me to my face," he reasoned, the easy joking coming back easily, almost as if it had never left.

"Yeah, sure, I just sit around all day thinking about how much I need you," Ally replied sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "But hey, whatever helps you sleep at night."

Kyle smiled widely, turning back to the movie only to find that he had absolutely no clue what was going on. Watching for a few minutes but finding no explanation for the current scene, he decided to simply watch Ally's expressions and reactions as the movie progressed.

He laughed, noticing how focused and intently she was staring at the screen, obviously already into the movie. She shot him a withering glance in an attempt to make him stop laughing, as if interrupting her movie was a federal offense.

As the garage door closed behind the main character and her boyfriend, the first chords of a guitar sounded. A distinct sniffle came from beside Kyle as the singer began with, 'Where have all the good men gone and where are all the gods? Where's the street-wise Hercules to fight the rising odds?'

"Are you kidding me?" Kyle demanded incredulously. "Her boyfriend is an idiot that pressured her, so what? Do you really need to get emotional over that?"

"Yes, it's sad that she'd so off track she doesn't know what a good man is anymore. Now shut up, I love this song."

Rolling his eyes, for once Kyle gave in and raised his hands in defeat.

She nodded in thanks, not even sparing him a glance as she watched the guy in the movie setting out a picture of his mom that died of Leukemia. She began to sing along to the song then, her voice carrying the soft lyrics to Kyle's ears as he watched her sing.

"I need a hero. I'm holding out for a hero 'til the end of the night. He's gotta be sure, he's gotta be soon, and he's gotta be larger than life." She let out a breath, ceasing her soft singing but still staring at the screen. "Wren, you can be my hero anytime you want."

Kyle growled in annoyance, hating when she got so into a movie that she ignored him, staring at a guy on the screen when he was right beside her. Gritting his teeth that her most annoying habit was back, he stood up and placed himself between her and the TV.

"Hey, move out of the way!"

"Nope, all's fair in the game of love and warfare, baby," he taunted, using her previous words against her. She simply huffed, scowling at him.

Leaning over, Kyle placed his hands on Ally's waist, whispering, "I'll be your hero."

She laughed, pushing him away so unexpectedly that he stumbled on his feet, fighting to regain his balance. His feet caught on one another and he hurriedly grabbed onto Ally's arm but instead of steadying himself, Kyle only managed to bring her down with him. He landed heavily on the floor with Ally on top of him, a leg on either side of his waist. Flipping them around so that he was on top, their legs a tangle of limbs, Kyle supported his weight with his arms on either side of her head. He looked down into her eyes, their gaze never breaking as the air crackled with energy.

Getting lost in her emerald eyes, Kyle found himself leaning down. She wasn't stopping him. His heart caught in his throat and his eyes closed at their own accord. His face was close enough to Ally's that he could feel her breath fanning onto his cheek as her breathing grew heavier. Anticipation laced with his blood, shooting through his entire body as he felt their lips meet, and for that one blessed moment, everything was perfect.