P.

XXXVIII.

    "I could be here. With you. For you," he stated, pulling the ice cream from her lap. "And don't tell me what I'm playing with. I know. I've been playing with this so called fire for a long time now. I'm not afraid to get burned."

    "You sure are about to, if you don't give me my damn ice cream."

    "Language."

    Jamie cocked a brow. "My house."

    "Still..." he snatched the spoon from her other hand. "Is it safe for me?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "It's non-dairy ice cream."

    Prince dove into the ice cream. "Not bad," he muttered as he passed it back over to her. "So, wanna tell me what happened?"

    Jamie shook her head. "Not really, but I know you won't let up."

    "You're right. I'm not letting it go. Not this time." He picked up the remote and paused the movie. "Talk to me."

    Jamie folded her legs onto the couch. "When I came home, they were fighting. Really going at it." Jamie fumbled with the spoon in the tub of ice cream. "I wasn't gonna intervene, but when he hit her–I just couldn't sit there. I couldn't."

"I uh–I ran up behind him. I was just trying to pull him off of her," she shook her head. "He tried to hit her again. So I to jump on his back. He managed to shake me off like it was nothing. I don't know what was going through his head at that moment but when I ran up on him that third time. He hit me. He just hit me," she shrugged.

"When I hit the floor, something shifted. He came running to me apologizing. Saying he didn't mean to." Jamie ate a bit of ice cream. "A part of me knows he didn't mean it either."

    Before Prince has a chance to counter her statement she continued. "I'm not making excuses for him P. As much as we don't like each other, I just know he didn't mean to lay hands on me. But it doesn't excuse the fact that he put his hands on her."

    "What did your aunt say?"

    "She made him leave last night. Told him that that was the last straw."

    Prince studied her bland expression. "You don't believe her do you?"

    Jamie shrugged. "Yes and no. His stuff is still here, so we'll see what happens by the end of the week."

    "Until then, stay with me."

    She knew that suggestion was coming. "No, I think we should just lay low for a while. I'm good here."

    "Yeah. You're idea of good is written all over your face."

    Jamie threw him a death glare. "Don't. I told you what happened. Now, leave it alone." Jamie snatched the remote and pressed play.

    "What's this?"

    "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind."

"Your favorite movie, right?" He quizzed, getting comfortable beside her. "The one you told me I should see?"

"Yep. I can start it over. It's only about ten minutes or so in." Jamie clicked to chapter one on the remote.

"It's a love story right?" He watched as she nodded. "Are you gonna cry?"