Aftertaste (Sin #2)

XXXVII.

"Come on. It's just for this night."

"No. Let's not make her get used to it because she's not stepping a foot in this room."

I cross my arms over my chest, giving him my best pleading look. That big eyed, pouty look always works with him.

His eyes narrow. He knows exactly what I'm trying to do. "Gabrielle, the answer is still no. Stop giving me that look," he says. I can just feel his willpower slipping from his hands and his wall crumbling down. I should feel bad sometimes for learning all the tricks and using them on him when I want something, but, hey, it's always for a good cause.

I step away from the door, still looking at him and sighing. "Okay, let's just leave her out there, completely alone and scared, then. Like heartless bastards that we are," I mumble.

Alexander rubs his face with his hands, his patience running thin with me today. "You can leave the door open, but she's not coming in," he mumbles grudgingly.

I feel like this is as far as I'm going to go with him today, so I take it. "Okay!" I say, jumping on the bed so he bounces. He just gives me a look. "Grumpy, aren't you?" I bump his shoulder. "Let's just ... sleep," he mumbles.

I grin.

But as soon as we turn the lights off and settle in the bed, Alexander suddenly sits up. "Motherfucker!" he bellows, turning the light on.

"What?" I ask, lifting just my head.

"Can you get this cat off me already?" He's looking at Lady Macbeth with disgust while she's sitting on his chest, looking at him. They're having a staredown and I have to hold back laughter.

"Just let her stay here tonight, Alex. She's scared. And she obviously likes you."

He gives me a wide-eyed look. "She's not sleeping with us in the same bed, Gabrielle!" he growls in frustration. He's not even moving an inch, acting as if there's a tiger sitting on his stomach. Jesus Christ.

"Well, tell her that. It's between you and her, apparently," I say and just turn around, putting my head on the pillow again. "Just turn the lights off, okay?"

"Are you actually serious?" Alexander asks. "Gabby," he says, nudging me a little when I don't respond him. "Oh, come on," he mutters to himself.

All the time, I'm pressing my lips together, fighting the urge to burst out laughing.

"Oh, fuck me," he mutters and I feel him shifting in the bed. "You better not make a sound and you better stay where you are," he says, talking to the cat. "I'll just take you back to the shelter tomorrow. Unbelievable." He turns the lights off and makes himself comfortable. He probably has to sleep on his back since Lady Macbeth stayed on top of him and so he can't touch me.

When I'm dozing off, I still feel him shifting and sighing to himself, but he doesn't move to take the cat off him, either. I take it as a huge progress and a sign that he cares about the cat more than he shows.

˙˙˙

Next morning, I wake up before Alexander. I turn and look at him sprawled on his back, his hand resting on his stomach. I contemplate just leaving him sleep because I know he had a restless night because of Lady Macbeth. I know that once, he had to take her to the litter box because I heard him.

She's nowhere to be seen now and I have a chance to do my end of the deal we made. I remove the covers so I have more space and I sit on his thighs. He stirs a little, but doesn't wake up.

I lean down, placing a kiss on top of his chest and continuing my way down, removing his arm from his stomach so I have a free path downwards. Alexander groans and as I look up, I see his eyebrows are knit together, but his eyes remain closed.