𝑀𝓎 𝑀𝒶𝓃#1~When Love Lasts

We have been sitting in silence for several minutes. His truck smells like him, musk and leather. When I say musk, I don't mean the stinky kind; I mean the manly mankind that makes your head spin when it hits your nose.

I decided I'm tired of sitting and silence and bring a hand to the radio, turning it on. The sound of a rock beat suddenly hits my ears, and before I can even listen to five seconds of the song, he turns it off.

“Why did you do that?” I swung my gaze toward him, frowned, and demanded an explanation. It was better than sitting in silence, for fuck's sake.

“I don't want it on.” He says.

That's it?

He doesn't want it on, so it can't be on?

Ugh, fine.

Damn, my legs are hurting from all that dancing. I take my shoes off and raise them so that they settle on top of the dash. They just need to be straightened out.

“Feet off.” He growls.

Jeez. His in a mood.

“What's up your ass?” I grunted and crossed my arms.

“I don't like feet on my dash.”

“You need to relax,” I advise him while digging through my purse, dug my phone out, and wrote Anna a message.

Me- Your brothers, an asshole. Did I tell you that?

Her reply was instant.

Anna - Once or twice. Lucas is in a shitty mood, too. Not even talking to me.

Ain't she lucky?

I inform her just that.

Me- Well, I wish Cedric would stop speaking to me. Can't listen to music. Can't put my legs on the dash! Bla. They hurt!

Anna - Yeah. That's a rule. He never lets me do that, either. He is so uptight.

“Who are you texting?” Cedric asked suddenly, making me almost drop my phone.

Was he watching me?

“None of your business.” I snarled, and shoved my phone back into my purse.

He must also be a neat freak. He has no trash, no empty cups sitting in the cup holders, no trash on the floorboards, nothing. He doesn't want to look inside my car. I still have yet to clean my car out from the drive here. I took the old cups out and the old food that I had left in there, but there was still a bit of trash on the passenger side floorboard.

Oops.

I despise cleaning out my car, I really do. Like how some women detest doing the dishes or the laundry. It's the car for me. I loathe it with a passion.

“Did you have fun?” Cedric asked, dragging me out of my thoughts.

Small talk I can do.

“Yeah I did. I'm glad I met Anna. She is really sweet.” I whispered, a smile playing on my lips as I think of my new friend.

“My sister is annoying” He laughed before adding, “Sometimes.”

“I find her funny.” I inform him with a shrug and turn my head towards the window and watch as we pass the shops heading out of town.

“My mother told me you're going to the barbecue tomorrow.”

Shit. I had forgotten about that.

“Um. Yes. I tried to get out of it, but your mom didn't give me another choice but to tell her yes. Sorry if that bothers you.” I whispered.

He probably doesn't want me to go to family cook outs. I don't even blame him if he did. We don't exactly get along.

“Why would it bother me?” He asked, turned his head towards me and waited for my answer.

“Oh-”

“It doesn't.”

“Are you sure?” I questioned.

Surely, it would bother him. All we do is fight. Well, not full-blown fight, but we definitely don't get along.

“Avery. It doesn't bother me. You're my sister's friend anyway.” He says with a shrug of his shoulders.

“Mkay.” I mumbled and dropped the subject as my neighborhood comes into view.

As soon as he parked in my driveway, I opened my door and started to climb out. “Thanks for the ride. I appreciate it.”

Instead of saying you're welcome or just driving off, he kills his truck. Yes. Killed his truck. Which surprised the hell out of me. Why would he do that?

“Um, what are you doing?” I demanded as soon as my feet hit the rocks. I put my hands on my hips and narrowed my eyes on him, trying not to allow my still drunk body to sway.

“Making sure you get inside safe.” He said as he gets out the driver side door without another word and heads towards my door, leaving me, opened mouth staring at his back.

“Oh. No need. I'm good. You can go.” I stuttered as I rushed to keep up with his long legs. Damn, he moves fast.

“Open the door” He sighed, stepped aside, crossed his arms and waited.

“Really, I'm good-”

“Babe. Open the door.” He repeated.

“Stop calling me babe.” I snapped and opened the freaking door. Maybe now, he will go away like I want him to. “See nobody here” I say, waving my arms around. “You may go now Night, Cedric.”

“Where are your blankets and extra pillows?” He asked, and I almost passed out when I heard him.

“Pillows?”

“Yeah”

“Blankets?”

“Again babe yeah.” He smirked.

What does he think he is doing?

“Why do you need pillows and blankets?” I asked, puzzled. Did he run out of gas ? If so, he can just call Lucas or his parents to come get him.

“I'm sleeping on the couch.” He informed me and headed into my living room again, leaving me behind in my kitchen.

What? I screeched inside my head and then out loud, “What?” I whispered, confused out of my mind and maybe too drunk to thoroughly understand what he was talking about. He can't possibly be saying he is going to sleep in my house.

“I'll sleep on the couch.”

“My couch?” I asked, staring at him, eyes wide.

“Do you see another couch?" He grinned.

“No. Hell no. You're not going to sleep on my couch. You got me inside safe. Your job is done, Officer. You can go now.” I snarled and headed out of my living room, back into the kitchen and to the front door, ready to hold it open for him.

I looked back, expecting him to have followed me, but he didn't. A frustrated sound left my mouth as I marched back into my living room to see him digging around my cabinets.

“What the hell are you doing?” I snarled, rushed towards him and slammed the cabinet doors closed.

“Looking for a pillow and a blanket.” He mumbled. “I'm tired as shit.”

“You're not sleeping here.” I informed him.

No way. He was not sleeping here tonight, or any other night for that matter. I don't care how hot this man is. He is still a damn jerk.

“I am” He shot back.

“Cedric. You're not.” I snarled and crossed my arms.

Babe. I am.” He smirked, and I wanted to smack that smirk off his cute face.

Ugh.

"I'll call your mother. I have her number. She texted me about the barbecue reminder?” I threatened and pulled my phone out of my purse that was still hanging over my shoulder.

“You're going to call her this late? She is going to wake up scared thinking something happened to me or Anna.” He scolded.

Damn. I didn't think about that.

“Fine. I won't if you get out.”

“Fuck it, I don't need shit. I slept on worse than this while on a stakeout” He grunted and made himself at home on my couch, jerked his shoes off and laid back.

Laid back on my couch.

“How well liked are you at the police station?” I asked, making sure I sounded innocent.

“Everyone loves me there.” He said and closed his eyes.

“So let's just say I call them. Report that a man refuses to leave my home. What would they do?” I questioned.

His top lip did a little tip up, like he was trying hard not to laugh as he opened his eyes and set them on me. “You trying to get me arrested?”

“Maybe” I mumbled.

“Go to sleep, Avery.” He smiled before closing his eyes again.

Ah. Fuck it. I give up. He isn't going to leave, and I doubt if I were to even call the police, they would even do anything about this.

I turned around and headed towards my bedroom, stomping my feet to make my point. My point being, I was not happy to have him sleeping in my house. I almost made it into the hallway when I heard him chuckle and call out “Night”

The nerve of him.

I head into my bedroom, slam my door, and head straight to my closet to change. I really need a shower, but I'm too tired. I'll shower in the morning. I just need fresh clothes and to brush my teeth before I pass out.

Cedric's P.O.V.

I heard Avery slamming her bedroom door hard. She doesn't want me here. I understand why. I haven't been the nicest person to her. At first when I had seen her at my parent's house I thought she was doing like every other bitch was doing.

Using my sister to get to me. It happened too many times than I can even remember. Anna has lost so many friends, all because of me. They could get close to her, come over for family events, make a move on me, and I'd shut them down. They would be upset that I shut them down, and they would stop being friends with my twin.

Such bullshit.

Women could be so fucking petty.

The reason I am here, though, is today we got a call. Someone broke into a woman's home, and she was missing. We spent hours today combing over her home trying to find a clue as to who did it, but we didn't recover anything, and we have yet to find her.

I know I said I didn't think anyone broke into Avery's house, but I wasn't okay with her sleeping alone tonight after learning that it happened to someone else. If anything happened to her, I wouldn't forgive myself.

She annoys me, she gets under my skin, and I won't even lie. She is gorgeous. So damn beautiful. When I first met her on the road, she took my breath away as soon as she rolled down her window. Hell, I even thought about not giving her a ticket and letting her go, but I'm a clean cop. I don't let anyone go. Not friends. Not family and not this new girl who moved into town that, for some reason makes me feel funny things.

I didn't want to tell her the real reason I wanted to sleep here tonight. Anna had let it slip that Avery was going out with her tonight, so I packed a bag. I already knew I was going to sleep here before I even went to the bar.

I should probably tell her the truth. I know I should, but I don't wish her to be scared for no reason. We don't have any reason to believe that the two cases are matched and made by the same person, and until then, I'd rather keep her in the dark so that she can sleep peacefully.