Gio

The stubborn little shit sneaks out the next morning.

I have no idea how she escaped while I was asleep on the couch. I woke up at 7 AM and my bedroom door was open.

On the bright side, her luggage is still here, which means she went to school and probably didn't want to drag it with her all the way there. It is quite a walk... forty minutes or so.

I call Marilyn to find out what time she finishes her class and where I can find her. Thankfully it's around noon and Ari won't be home. It also gives me time to look after the plants. Trimming, feeding, begging them not to die.

Luna seems alright. She's sleeping most of the time in Ari's room. She purrs and closes her eyes when I pet her head, bet she misses cuddling. I tell her she'll be able to soon then go to pick up the other cat from school.

It feels awkward to park my truck outside. Going to college was never an option for me. My dad didn't have the money, plus he needed me in the auto shop. That was probably the reason he was convinced to adopt me in the first place. Adopt a teenager, win a free employee.

Marilyn told me Alex had to get stitched up after Celia's assault, so I hope he's not here. If he is, he better turn the other way. I don't want to end up in jail. Ari needs me. Now Celia needs me too.

Around noon, students emerge from the buildings with dreadful expressions and huge backpacks. I spot Celia among them, in white sneakers and denim shorts, with a red top and a little bit of makeup on. Talking to someone on the phone and smiling.

"Celia!" I yell.

Her eyes go wide and she stops walking, then says something over the phone and hangs up. She then glares at me and stomps my way.

"What..." she yells then lowers her voice, "are you doing here?"

"Picking you up," I scowl. "Isn't it obvious?"

"Go home," she says in a clipped tone and steps aside, going down the street.

"I am going home," I say after her. "And so are you."

She flips me off without turning around. I sigh and lock the doors of my truck, striding after her.

"How'd you sneak out this morning?" I ask, catching up to her.

"Through the window."

My mouth falls open then I laugh. "Of course..."

"I already put up the job posting around school and got a call. She's twenty-one and has two brothers, three dogs. She's the oldest and her mom is a doctor, so she has experience—"

"Hey." I step in front of her. The trees above block the scorching sun and thankfully most students are headed in the opposite direction.

"What? I told you I'd help. You can interview her today and if you don't like her—"

"I don't want a new babysitter."

"Well, you need one, don't you?" She crosses her arms, leaning on one leg. "You have the pot house to take care of and I won't be available."

"Said who?" I pace into her personal space, making her stumble back. "Hm? When did I say I need one?"

Her face flushes red. She glares at me, raising her voice. "Fine! If you don't need one then I'll tell her the job is no longer available because the father is a prick who doesn't care!"

She tries to storm away, I grab her wrist and stop her. She slowly turns to me with an evil smile.

"Gio, we're in a public place. I'll kick you in the shin, then knee you in the nuts, then I'll whip that same knee and break your fucking nose."

"Try." I let her go and beckon. "Please, go ahead."

"Yeah?" She raises her brows, voice threatening. Does she not realize how tiny she looks from where I'm standing?

"Give me your worst," I smirk and watch her hands clench into fists. If she were a tea kettle, there'd be steam coming out of the top of her head.

"You asked for it." She shakes her head and without hesitation, kicks her foot to my balls.

I catch her foot and don't let go, making her wobble to keep her balance. "What now?"

She drops her bag on the ground and bends the leg I'm holding to push me back. I lift her leg higher, expecting her to stumble, but she doesn't.

"I'm flexible, bitch," she sneers and tries to kick me in the fucking face.

"Go on, try again," I chuckle, letting her go.

"You're so fucking annoying!" she snaps.

"If you can punch me once, I'll let you go," I tell her. "Fair?"

"Yeah?"

"Promise."

She cackles, backing away a couple of steps to brace herself. This girl is delusional... I should teach her how to punch though, because she might need it later—

She yells some sort of a battle cry like an angry cartoon character then sprints my way. I just stand there, curious what she has planned.

She raises her fist and I scowl, because if she hits anything like that, she might break her wrist.

By the time she reaches me and whips her punch, I bend down and throw her over my shoulder.

"What?" She squeals, shocked for a moment, then starts thrashing around. "Put me down!"

"You failed, sorry." I pick up her backpack and go back to my truck.

"Gio, put me down!" She screams, slapping my back, kicking her legs. "Help! Help!"

I glance around and realize people across the street are stopping to stare at us.

"Celia, shut the fuck up," I warn her quietly and shift her higher, making her grunt out of breath.

She snakes her hands inside my shirt and yanks my briefs high, making me jump.

I smack her ass. "Stop it."

"Did you just smack me?" she gasps.

I roll my eyes, thankful to reach my truck. I unlock the passenger door, then flip her down and sit her inside, amused at her shocked face.

She doesn't talk to me the whole ride home and I wonder what the hell I'm going to do to calm her down. Her grandma wasn't kidding when she said I might need to tie her up...

I predict that the instant I park the truck, she'll dash down the street, but instead she heads towards the gate.

Okay, I guess that's good...

"Let's sit down and talk this out, okay?" I tell her as I unlock the door.

She pushes past me and enters the kitchen, then starts rummaging through the cabinets.

"What are you looking for?" My eyes widen when she pulls out a bottle of whiskey, opens the cap and chugs it down.

By the time I rush up and take the bottle, her face is red and a couple of shots are down her system.

"You want me to live with you?" she smiles, catching her breath. "I'm going to make your life living hell."

"What?" I scowl. "What are you, Ari?"

"No, baby. I'm worse." She backs me against the counter and pushes her body against me.

She stands on her tiptoes and whispers against my neck, acting tough when she can't even reach my ear. "I'm going to make you regret the day you thought you have control over me."

"Celia..." I put my hand on her hip and pull her back, looking at her seriously. "I'm not trying to control you. I'm not your dad."

Her smile fades and something else flashes in her eyes. Sadness? Fear? I can't tell. But it's the first crack to her real emotions since yesterday and I don't want it to slip away.

I cup her cheek, lowering my face to hers. "You're safe, you don't need to fight with me. I'm not going to hurt you. I just want you to be okay."

She pulls her lip into her mouth, her eyes big and watery. "Fuck you..." she whispers and steps aside, striding towards the door to get out.

"You're going to be drunk in a few minutes. I suggest you don't get out in the sun," I follow after her and push the door shut as she opens.

She remains still, facing the door. "Let me go."

"Look at me."

She hits her palm against the door, no doubt hurting herself. "Open the door!"

I grab her hips and twist her around. She gasps, tears about to spill. Her eyes burn with rage, lip curled with contempt. Her grandma's words about a traumatized animal play in my head.

What do I do? I don't know...

"Celia, please... " I rub the back of my neck.

"I don't want to be here, don't you understand?" Her voice cracks. "I bring trouble. I bring harm. I don't want to be a curse to you and Ari!"

"Celia..." I whisper as she hides behind her hands and breathes heavily. Her shoulders curl in and she yanks through her hair, pulling from the roots as if to distract herself.

I'm scared to touch her. Scared of making things worse.

She speaks again, in a tearful voice behind her hands. "When Aram pulled the gun on you, I thought..." she breaks into sobs. "And it would be my fault, it would be because of me!"

"No, it wouldn't. You are not responsible for someone else's actions," I tell her slowly.

She shakes her head and slides down the door, crying and curling her knees to her chest.

My throat tightens as I kneel in front of her. "It's not your fault... you didn't do anything wrong."

"Why did you come for me? What if something happened to you? What would happen to Ari?" she sobs, digging her fingernails into her arms.

"Hey..." I pull her hands away, frowning at the red lines they left behind. "Please, stop... Celia, nothing happened to me. I'm right here..."

"I can't put you in danger again, I don't care!" She lifts her head and looks at me, her face in pain and tears. "I'd rather stay in that house and take a beating than put you in danger again!"

I scoot closer and put my hands on her hips, lowering my forehead to hers. She's a curled ball in my arms and with any other person, this would be awkward. But not with her.

"The way you feel right now..." I murmur, brushing my palms up and down the sides of her thighs. "The fear you feel for me is what I feel for you. That's why I don't want you to leave."

She lowers her forehead on her knees, whimpering. "I don't deserve for you to care for me. You don't need any more issues, any more problems—"

"As if you do? Hm? As if you need to care for me when you already have so much going on?" I put my palm on her head, stroking her hair. "But you still care. Because you're a kind person."

"Did you just compliment yourself?" she says with a stuffy nose.

"No..." I chuckle. Okay, I guess I did.

She doesn't lift her head, but her crying stops. Maybe if I try to lighten the mood...

"I know you can't help it..." I sigh. "I'm this mysterious, tall, dark and handsome guy—"

She chuckles. Or giggles. I don't know what that sound is, but I want to hear it more.

"Stop being so hard on yourself, yeah?" I murmur, stroking her hair. "Don't take responsibility for other people's actions. We all have a free will. I chose to come after you. I'm responsible for the consequences. Not you."

"And I'm responsible for mine," she says, looking up. She leans against the door, eyes tired and sad. "I can't bring my problems to your family."

"You think I didn't have problems before you? If I tell you, you'll run out not because you don't want to bring your problems to me, but because you wouldn't want my problems brought to you."

"I highly doubt it..." 

"Okay," I challenge her. "I was left in the hospital when I was born because I was too sick for my parents to deal with. I spent thirteen years in a shitty orphanage, fighting and scraping for food. Then I got adopted by a woman who just wanted company on the couch and a man who needed an employee. I didn't talk much until I met Oscar and Chase. They helped me get with my wife, who left after my dad stole everything I had."

Celia stares at me, stunned to silence. Her eyes search around my face, thoughts hidden.

"Everyone always leaves," I tell her. "I've learned to expect the worst, because it's better to be ready. So I understand, on some level, why you'd want to run away. I understand why you shut down and push me away, because I do the same. But just like you told me..."

I cup her face, brushing my thumb across her cheek. Her eyes brim with new tears and she looks so vulnerable as she looks at me. My voice lowers into a raspy murmur and I lean a little closer so she hears me clearly.

"Just like you told me, I'll tell you the same," I say slowly. "You deserve the world. You deserve to be loved and you deserve to be happy. So fuck you, Celia, for trying to convince me otherwise."

"Come up with your own lines," she snorts and her lips curve a little.

"Why, I did it better," I smile, biting my lip.

Her gaze softens and she slowly blinks at me.
I graze my thumb across her cheek and she leans her face into my palm, closing her eyes briefly.

"Are you okay?" I ask quietly.

"I'm so drunk right now."

"Are you?"

"I don't know, maybe."

I stand up, opening my palm. "Come."

"Where are we going?" She takes my hand.

I lead her to the kitchen and open the fridge, grab a bottle of water and twist it open, handing it to her. "Drink some water."

"No..." she grimaces at it.

"Drink." I raise my brow. "It wasn't a question."

She pouts at me but brings the bottle to her lips, taking a sip.

"Good," I smile, turning on my heel. "Follow me."

"To the bedroom?"

"To the bathroom," I deadpan, opening the door and turning the faucet on. "Wash your face, it's smeared with makeup from all your crying."

"Wash your face, it's all ugly from being you," she retorts, but bend anyway and does as I say.

"Don't lie to yourself, we both know you find me handsome."

"What can I say, I have bad taste and low standards," she sighs, lathering her face.

I bite my tongue and ignore my itching palm. No matter how close it is to her ass right now.

"If you loosened up a little, you'd be a lot more handsome," Celia says after drying her face with a towel. She rakes her eyes over my body then back at my face. "Don't get me wrong, this strict attitude works too..."

"Really?" I raise an unimpressed eyebrow which only makes her smile wider.

She bites her lip and steps closer, craning her neck up at me. "You have no idea..."

I scoff and walk out of the bathroom.

"Are you scared of me?" She follows as I sit on the couch and grab the remote.

"Can you get out of the way?" I ask, glaring when she gets between my legs.

"No," she says and fucking straddles my lap.

"Celia." I lean my head back and tense all over.

I try to ignore the way her legs spread in those tiny shorts. I try to ignore the warmth as she pushes herself down on me. My gaze falls where we're connected, then trails to her dainty waist and perfect breasts. She smirks at me, cat-like eyes hooded either with arousal or intoxication.

"You are afraid of me," she giggles and wraps her arms around my neck. Her fingers play with the back of my hair, sending goosebumps down my arms.

"Can you get off of me," I say in a clipped tone, looking over her shoulder.

"Please. If you didn't want me on your lap I wouldn't be on it right now," she says cheekily. The slope of her neck hovers in front of my mouth as she brushes her cheek against mine, humming quietly. "You smell so nice..."

I grip her hips to stop them from moving. "Stop."

"Or what?" she smiles, staring at my lips then into my eyes, inching closer.

I swallow, mouth dry. My leg wants to bounce, but I stay still. I tighten my hold on her hips to pick her up, but she grinds against me, catching me off guard and almost making me groan.

"Make me," she giggles, eyes sparkling with trouble. She rolls her hips again, biting her lip when I clench my jaw. "You can't stop me?"

She snakes her arms around my neck and leans for a kiss, but I take her wrists and twists them behind her back. Before she can say another word, I grab her throat and stand up straight.

Her thighs instinctively clench around me to hold her body up so she doesn't choke. I stare at her with a bored, cold expression, though her helpless reaction makes me want to smirk.

I squeeze her neck and tighten my grip on her wrists, then step forward and slowly walk to the middle of the living room, not saying a word.

As expected, her legs give out and untangle from my waist. I gently set her down and watch her dissolve on the floor, knees folding by her sides.

She looks up at me with a red, flustered face and I can't help but chuckle before going to my room.

~ A/N ~
Hope you guys liked this emotional and bratty chapter! I discovered that Celia is my brattiest MC so far hehe

This chapter is dedicated to @amannn03 for her ALL CAPS excitements over these little moments when she should be focusing on work! :P hehe thank you for your support <3