Page 73 of Unleashing Chaos
“Desi is protective about the things we share. Naturally, she’s left her mark on the home she and I have created.” I brush my thumb over Desi’s knuckles. We may be putting on a show, but that’s true. My house is different because of her.
“I better get back to Zack. It was good to see you, Jace,” Hannah says, pointedly ignoring Desi.
“You as well, Hannah. Tell Stoner Zack that he should get the situation with his ears checked out.”
“Yeah,” Hannah says, turning on her heel.
Desi snorts a laugh before turning in her chair and calling, “Nice to meet you too, Hannah!”
I sink into my seat and release a long, audible breath. “Shit.”
Desi lets go of my hand to cover her face with her palms, and I immediately miss the feel of her skin against mine.
No. That’s not—she was just a comforting presence in a time of high stress. That’s all.
“I’m sorry if I was too harsh. You don’t grow up with six brothers who are the embodiments of the other deadly sins, a father who is Chaos personified, and a mother who might be the most dramatic creature who ever existed without retaining a little piece of each of them,” she says, her voice muffled behind her hands.
“You have nothing to apologize for. If I was as brave as you, I would have said all the things I was thinking. You held me together through that.”
She spreads two fingers and looks at me through the space between. “You thought I was brave?”
“I think you are many things. All of them are good. I’ve grown to have an appreciation for even those flaws I listed earlier. But I admire your bravery the most.”
She drops her hands and tilts her head to the side, studying me.
“You were amazing,” she whispers, taking my hand and bringing my knuckles to her mouth and kissing them, casting a quick glance over her shoulder to see if Hannah is still looking—which she is. “She didn’t even deserve one word from you, and you were so put together and mature.”
“Thank you, Desideria.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Do you mind if we ask for to-go containers and get out of here? Stoner Zack doesn’t have the best table etiquette, and I’m ready to be alone with you again.”
Desi doesn’t answer me. She just waves at the server and tells them we’re ready for our check. After a slight argument over who’ll pay the bill, I win and we’re walking hand in hand out the door. I don’t miss the way Desi wiggles her fingers at Hannah as we pass, making a show of us leaving. Desi wasn’t kidding about inheriting dramatics from her mother.
The ride home is quiet, with only music playing in the background, and my thoughts linger on Hannah for a short time before wandering to Desi. She stares out the window with her hand resting on the console between us. She wiggles her fingers every once in a while, like she’s tempted to touch something. I’m tempted for her to touch something too. I miss how soft and warm her hand was inside of mine.
With a mental pep talk and several false starts, I find the courage to overcome something that terrifies me. I take Desi’s hand and place it in the center of my thigh. She watches me with wide eyes as I press her hand down, wordlessly telling her not to move it before I grip the steering wheel again.
“Is this okay?” I ask.
“Yes,” she whispers, palming my thigh and running her fingers along the seam of my joggers. “It’s more than okay.”
Keeping my eyes on the road, I shake my head and smile. “Behave yourself, Desideria. I’m driving and I tend to get turned on by the smallest things you do. Don’t make me regret this.”
She laughs and says, “All right, but this is the second time I’ve been stopped from turning you on today. Am I going to get a chance to try again when we get home or . . .” I’m not even looking at her, and I can see the little smirk that’s crossing her lips right now.
“Don’t worry. Your drawer of toys is on hiatus until further notice.”
Twenty-three
DESI
When Jace and I get inside the house, I lean against the counter after tugging off my boots and socks. “Don’t judge me, but my body hurts from going up and down those hills so many times.”
He removes his beanie and neatly folds it before sliding it into his jacket pocket. “You took it like a pro today. I think you deserve a treat.”
“Do I?”