When Perfect Meets Crazy

35 - Why are you still following me?

"Okay," Ian sat up, "that wasn't as bad as I thought it'd be. Also, Isabelle is hot."

I rolled my eyes and moved to close the laptop. We had just finished watching the first season of Shadow Hunters.

"I see what you mean though," he said a few beats of silence later. "You and your sister are a bit like Alec and Isabelle but..., you know, the watered down version."

"I think I'm more like Isabelle than Alec. Not normal Isabelle though. Isabelle when she was trying to be serious and upright so their mom could get off Alec's back."

At his confused frown, I added, "You haven't gotten there yet."

"Oh." He nodded slowly as he helped me clear up our mess. "Why were you on me to watch it anyway? You kept making snarky comments about everything they did. Mocking them."

I paused, pursing my lips as my brows furrowed.

"I wasn't mocking," I replied, picking up what was left of the popcorn while he folded the afghan. "I wasn't mocking. It was more like constructive criticism. I like the show. It's like.. My way of showing affection."

"Well, your way of showing affection involves lots of insults and backhanded jabs," he informed me.

I shrugged.

"Hang on a second." He straightened up, eyeing me with a mischievous glint. "If that's your way of show affection, am I to infer that you being abrasive to me is bec--"

"No." I cut him off as soon I realized where he was heading. "No. Not even a little. That is a different circumstance."

"You just said--:

"I also just said no." I turned my back to him, effectively ending the conversation while pretending I had things to do on this side.

I had nothing to do.

"If you say so," he chirped.

Asshole.

"Anyway, are we done here?" I asked, putting away my laptop.

It was phrased as a question but it was more of dictate. I was telling to him it was time to leave.

"Why?" His eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Hot date?" He pinned it on jokingly to ease the accusation as though he only just remembered he no longer needed to be suspicious of me, that we were past that stage.

I faced him, placing one hand on my hip.

"Why are you even still following me around? By now, you have to have figured out that I'm not going to blow your cover and that I'm not involved in your drug trafficking syndicate."

"Maybe but I'm not the only one involved and you know more about it now than ever. I can't just let you go." He shrugged. "Anyway, it's Townsend's call, not mine. He's not going to let you off just because you seem harmless."

Something about the way he said it didn't seem like the full truth but I didn't have the time nor the inclination to pursue it.

"I'm not under arrest." I rolled my eyes, dismissively walking to my closet.

Honestly, it'd be weird to not having him around. I was used to his constant presence. He had grown on me. A lot more than I would like to admit. It'd be quiet without him and while I liked quiet, his presence wasn't such a bad tradeoff.

"Party," I divulged, pulling out a pair of barely ripped jeans that only ever see the light of day when my mom is away. One could hardly see my thighs through them unlike the one Olly got which was as ripped as ripped jeans went. It showcased blocks of her thighs but her argument when we secretly bought them was 'go big or go home' since it wouldn't matter how ripped it was if our mom caught us. We'd be in big trouble anyways so according to her, we might as well embrace the wild side.