Caged Byrd

Chapter 9 - Hello Darkness

 Hello Everyone! Adeline here. This is a shorter chapter, and something I'm toying around with. Would you prefer weekly updates with chapters this length, or the usual length every 3-4 weeks? It usually takes a few writing sessions for me to finish chapters at their current length, but at this (shorter) length, I can meet my word count goal in one session. Let me know here!

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As we ate dinner, we chatted about the greenhouse and the plans I had made for planting. I gave Alex a list of the plants I would like to add to the garden. The undertone of tension grew as the sun sank lower. As the final tendrils of light and color faded, my posture grew stiff. Alex seemed to pick up on my body language. He let the conversation die as he picked up our dishes and carried them over to the dishwasher, loading them.

Would he let me sleep with a shirt tonight or demand I strip naked?

"Do you want to watch a movie or head to bed?" he asked, eyeing my rigid stance. Relief flooded my senses.

"A movie would be great," I said eagerly.

"Do you want to watch it in the living room or in the bedroom?" he asked with humor in his voice. Was he teasing me?

"We haven't spent much time in the living room," I said cautiously. Plus, the sectional would allow me to keep my distance.

He chuckled as he closed the dishwasher. "I'm not going to bite, you know," he said.

"I'm not worried about you biting," I muttered under my breath. He didn't reply to my comment but flashed me a wolfish grin.

"What do you want to watch?" he asked as he walked into the living room. I stood, following him.

"Comedy?" I suggested.

"Really? You usually pick romance when it's your choice," he said, sounding surprised.

"Well I'm not usually being held captive by someone that... uh-" I stuttered as our eyes met. I didn't want to vocalize it. Acknowledging it made it more real.

"Loves you?" he asked, holding my gaze. My heart clenched at the word.

"No... uh-" I said, stumbling over my words again. "Someone that thinks things will head in that direction."

"I'm already there, Jamie," he said, breaking eye contact as he fell back into the thick cushions of the couch. "If you'd rather watch comedy because you'd be more comfortable, that's fine. We can watch a romance though if you want to. I won't touch you unless you initiate it."

"That's never going to happen," I sputtered.

"Then you have nothing to worry about," he said, turning to flash me a smile. "Pick a movie."

I took my time weighing the options before me, making sure my choice had no sex scenes or romance. After making a selection, I loaded it into the DVD player and headed back towards the sectional, content to sit on the far edge.

"No," he said as I started to sit. I flashed him an anxious look.

"What?" Tension leaked into my tone.

"Come sit with me," he said. Although phrased like an order, he spoke it like a question. I glanced at the spot beside him before meeting his eyes. "Please."

I took a deep breath, trying to steady my heart. It was just a movie. Just a seat. But it felt like so much more. I wanted to keep my distance but found myself wanting to keep in his good graces. To save my energy for the battles worth fighting.