Book 1: She's A Little Runaway (Izzy Stradlin)

Thirteen

● Reyna ●

Steven’s words whirl through my mind. I know he’s right. We all make mistakes. God knows where I’d be if Rob hadn’t given me multiple chances when I’d fucked up at work. Izzy deserves a second chance. I know he’s a good guy.

However, I am way too tired to go talk to him now. All of this can wait until tomorrow.

I climb up the stairs that lead to my apartment. I pull the keys out of my back pocket and go to unlock the door. 

“Reyna,” A voice says from the shadows.

I jump, nearly throwing my keys. Instead, I just drop them. I grab the two by four plank of wood that I’ve been meaning to throw away. I hold it up like a bat, ready to beat the shit out of the perpetrator, when Izzy comes from his hiding spot. He has his hands held up in surrender and a very nervous smile on his face. 

“I-It’s just me, Rey! I didn’t mean to scare you!”

I feel myself relax, throwing the wood back where I’ve left it for the past six months. “Goddamnit Izzy! It’s too dark and you made me drop my keys!”

“I’m sorry,” Izzy chuckles. “I just wanted to talk to you. I thought you could see me.”

Izzy sounds the most sober I’ve ever heard him be since I met him. He also sounds worn down and tired. “How could you possibly think that I could see you, you dillhole! You weren’t exactly standing in the light, now were you!”

“No,” Izzy says, a mischievous smirk on his face. “But you should’ve seen your face.” He begins to laugh.

The sound warms my heart, making me smile as well. “Oh, haha. Laugh it up, pretty boy. I’ll get you back for that.”

Izzy stops laughing as he leans down and grabs my keys. He hands them to me, a smile adorning his perfect lips. I unlock the door, fully aware of his stare boring into my back.

“You’re not mad at me anymore?”

The quietness of his voice shocks me. I haven’t heard him be this quiet since we first met. After he got comfortable with me, he became a loudmouth.

I purse my lips. I push open the door to the cramped apartment. I gesture for him to go inside, a smile taking over my lips.  

His grin grows wider and my heart does a backflip. He walks into the apartment, taking in the surroundings he’s only seen once before. Let’s hope he doesn’t lie to me like he did that night. I want tonight to just be filled with truths. And maybe a kiss.

I watch as Izzy sits down on the worn out couch. I take my jacket off and set it on the chair I have by the door since I can’t afford a coat stand. He looks up at me, rubbing his hands on his thighs. If my eyes don’t deceive me, he looks nervous. I smirk, sitting down on the coffee table  

“Well?” He says, looking into my eyes. 

“No, I’m not mad at you anymore.”

I see Izzy physically release the breath he was holding in. He lays back against the cushions, looking up at me with a grin.

“What made you change your mind?”

I lean forward, resting my elbows on my thighs. I clasp my hands together with a smile on my face. “My little brother talked some sense into me.”

“Thank god for Steven Adler,” Izzy laughs.

I laugh too. When we finally quit laughing, I make myself look serious. “I’m sorry for getting so angry. I was just hurt.”

Izzy’s smile fades. “I’m sorry too. I should’ve just told you that I hadn’t broke it off with Alex yet. I was just too much of a coward, I guess. But,” He says, leaning forward. He grabs my hands in his. He looks deep into my eyes. “I can promise you that it’s all over now. I’m all yours.”

I narrow my eyes. “You said that last time, Iz.”

“This time I really mean it.”

“I know,” I grin. “So, we on good terms again?”

“Of course,” Izzy laughs. “I’m just glad you didn’t beat the shit out of me with that piece of wood. Why do you even have that?”

I shrug. “I found it on the ground one day and never threw it away. Good thing I didn’t. I just found a use for it.” I giggle, looking down at Izzy and I’s intertwined hands. 

He rubs small circles on the backs of my hands. His fingers are all calloused up from playing the guitar so much.

“You’re so beautiful,” Izzy blurts.

I look back up at him, my cheeks flushing. “Oh shut up.”

“It’s the truth!” He exclaims. He tugs on my hands, signalling for me to stand up. Once I do, he pulls me down onto his lap, wrapping his arms around my waist. “And you’re mine.”

I roll my eyes, wrapping my arms around his neck. “And who says I’m yours?” Izzy’s facial expression deflates. I try to hold back my giggle at how put out he looks. “If you want that, Mr. Stradlin, I’m afraid you’re gonna have to take me on a date.”

“I think I can do that,” Izzy grins. “And it will be the best damn date you’ve ever been on.”

“I doubt that,” I tease. “I’ve been on some pretty good dates.”

Now that right there was a lie. Nikki was my first boyfriend, and his idea of a ‘good date’ was taking me to a strip club or getting high in the bathroom at the Whiskey. Let’s just say, neither of those dates sat well with me whatsoever. Why would I possibly want to watch my boyfriend watch half-naked chicks dance on a pole?

“I bet I can top all of ‘em.”

I bite down on my lip, looking at the beautiful man in front of me. I can’t help myself, he’s just. . .perfect. He doesn’t make me do drugs with him. He doesn’t even shoot up in front of me! I’m so thankful for that. If I saw him doing that, I might lose my self-control and shoot up with him. That’s not a road I want to go down again. I barely made it out the last time. 

He’s also the sweetest man. I’ve never even heard him raise his voice. Sure, when we were going through our fighting phase he said some pretty nasty things. But, he never actually yelled at me.

“I know you can,” I say with a smile on my face. 

Izzy grins back, pulling me closer to him. I rest my head on his shoulder and cuddle into him. He rubs my back. He hums a song that I’ve never heard.

I can get used to this.