No Strings Attached

Chapter 18: Bulletproof and Tired

He's wise, mature, and responsible. And despite being the son of two wealthy parents, James isn't arrogant or greedy.

I liked the way he puts his arm around me; how James didn't berate people for their reckless mistakes.

Whenever I look at him, I keep wondering why James would want to kiss me.

Even though I do not regret that moment, I was desperate to ask James if he meant every word he said.

But unfortunately, James and I both promised we wouldn't say anything to Marco and Aria.

Speaking of Marco, he finally gets up from the couch and observes the closed curtains.

To him, my house is like a haunted mansion-wandering around abandoned halls for any signs of paranormal activity.

Letting out a surprised whistle, Marco joked, "wow, and I thought my grandmother was paranoid."

I gave him an annoyed look. "Paranoid?"

He switched his gaze at me. "Yeah, I mean, no offense Nadine."

Crossing my arms, I snort, "I'll take that as a compliment."

Marco squints his eyes at me. "Are you being serious, or are you being sarcastic?"

"Both," I replied.

On the couch, James is giving Aria a sweet hug and thanked her for sharing her thoughts.

Looking at me, he asked, "so, what's with all the closed curtains and doors?"

"Yeah, " Marco sniggered. "Were you girls watching Netflix or playing D&D?"

I let out a tired sigh.

Believe it or not, when I was a kid, I used to be a huge fan of medieval roleplaying games. After school, I would challenge my parents and friends.

Sometimes I win, but other times I let others beat me. But by the end of 2nd grade, I stopped playing D&D and found excitement through a Chemistry textbook.

A low chuckle escaped from my lips when I said to Marco: "You do know, I have stopped playing D&D, right?"

"Okay, okay. " Marco laughed. "So what's with all the barricades?"

"We're making sure that those assholes don't return," I explained.

James left Aria for a second then peeked through the glass cautiously.

"Really?" he asked. "Because before we went to your house, Marco and I didn't see their cars anywhere."

"But what if they are stalking us?" I ask. "What if they bugged the rooms, or called the SWAT team?"

Setting himself down on the second couch, Marco rolls his eyes.

"My God, Nadine." he sighed, "You and my grandma should definitely grab Starbucks sometime."

Subtle, I flip Marco off, but he didn't notice my middle finger.

He only strolled over to the front entrance, then asked me: "You only locked this door?"

"Nope, " Aria shakes her head. "We locked all the doors and covered the windows."

"Wow, " Marco remarked in an impressed tone. "You girls must be very busy."

"Yeah, " I bobbed my head. "We have been on edge since-"

"Nick Fury and Arnold Schwarzenegger stopped by?" James guessed.

I nod quietly.

"Well, I don't blame you girls, " James sighed. "Truth be told, I would have done the same thing."