"OKAY, tell me, how many fingers am I holding up?"

"I see, um," I hummed, squinting my eyes. "One asshole. I count one asshole."

Reese dropped his hand and shot me a deadpan look, clearly unimpressed as he crouched in front of me. I merely threw him a cheeky grin in response.

The moment we'd stepped out of the car, Reese had grabbed a hold of my wrist and dragged me over to his porch. He'd pushed me down, ignoring every word of protest I had (which were many and graphic). While Savannah and Tyler stood watching intently behind Reese, he'd been interrogating me bad-cop style for the past ten minutes, skeptical of my answer that I was most definitely totally okay and that he was being ridiculous and goddamn just let it go, Reese.

Admittedly, there was a bump gradually growing to goose-egg status on my temple, a nice compliment to my bruising chin, but it was barely anything compared to the poison ivy fiasco I'd endured before. This was child's play.And while the dull throbbing continued, I didn't think Reese's overbearing panic was warranted, especially considering he was acting as if he had personally pulled me from the brink of death.

I was pretty sure the waiter was more irritated with the turn of events that I had been, honestly.

In all, I really just wanted a shower. I still hadn't decided if the beer or wine was worse, but being drowned in beverages was not something I liked in general, I'd decided. Would probably like to not do that in the future.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Savannah asked, peeking out from behind Reese's shoulder. "You don't want me to stay over?" Her brows pinched in worry.

I waved off her concern, as I had for the umpteenth time since the restuarant, shaking my head. "No, seriously, guys I'm fine. Reese is crazy. I'll go to sleep, wake up, be fine. It's nothing."

"Sleep?" Reese balked at my words, as if I'd personally admitted to murdering thousands of puppies a day. "You are not going to sleep, Stella. What do you think this is?"

I sighed. "A free country?" Reese's stern face looked less than impressed with this answer.

Tyler poked out his head from the right, a sheepish smile on his face. "I think Reese's right," he admitted, scratching the back of his head. "I know you feel fine, but you might have a concussion. I think you should stay up, just in case. Better safe than sorry, and all that."

I rolled my eyes. "You guys are being so overdramatic."

"Would it be overdramatic if you died?" Reese's patronizing stare was unrelenting.

Crossing my arms over my chest, I scoffed. "You guys are seriously siding with this guy?"

Savannah was chewing her lip, crystalline eyes searching mine and an unsure expression written across her face. "Stells, seriously, I can stay with you. It's no problem."

I waved her off again, not even bothering to entertain the idea. "You've got to get up early tomorrow to go to your aunt's, don't you? It's fine, seriously, it's like you guys are forgetting that this is me. I've seriously gone through so much worse."

She nodded her head, although her face betrayed that she still wasn't entirely convinced. Regardless, as everyone's eyes continued to bore into me, analyzing my every moment, I felt a flicker of irritation inside. I knew that they all meant well, but I still felt that their constant gazes were making me uneasy, feeling like an ant underneath their magnifying glasses. Especially Reese, who I would have figured would be taking the largest of pisses at my misfortune, was watching me with the aura of a mother bear.

"I can give you a ride home then, Savannah. Reese looks like he's got a handle of things here, I trust he'll take care of her," Tyler said, shooting a smile towards the boy in question, who was too busy examining my every breath to take notice.

I bristled, a frown twisting on my face. "I can take care of myself, perfectly capable of staying alive, have a seventeen-year track record backing me up," I drawled, but apparently my words were the only thing they didn't care about.

Savannah was still radiating a palpable apprehension, but reluctantly agreed, bidding us one final goodbye before following Tyler back to his car. Somehow I wasn't even surprised that my night was ending with Tyler and Savannah driving off into the sunset, and I was stuck with Reese.

When the car turned the corner, I turned to Reese, wrinkling my nose. "Well, this is goodnight, as expected, your presence is still the worst, your plans suck, and you still hold the title of worst person in the world, so see you never."

Lifting to my feet and brushing myself off, I pointedly ignored Reese's gaze, and took a step towards my house. Only one step in and the taste of hope on my tongue, Reese had grabbed a hold on my wrist and was dragging me up the porch steps, ignoring my struggles and protests, as he always happened to do.

"We're not having a sleepover, goddamnit Reese, let me go!"

"We're having a slumber party, Sandavol. Suck it up and not-slumber with me!"

I groaned, wrenching my wrist out of his hold, and hovered in the doorway. "Seriously, my house is right there! Just let me go home!" I pointed desperately in my house's direction, but there was a fire of determination flickering in his amber eyes.

The boy turned, skeptical gaze narrowed on me with arms crossed over his chest. "Either I pick you up and bring you inside-"

"That's kidnapping, I'm pretty sure. Illegal, nonetheless."

"- or we can go to your place, and I will sleep in your room, location means nothing to me-"

"Breaking and entering."

"Or we can do this the easy way, and you can just come inside, because Stella, we are having a slumber party. You can't run from this. I'm going to win."

I paused for a moment, feeling the weight of his unyielding gaze, watching a small smirk dig into his cheek as he registered my wavering resolve. As much as it pained me to say it, I knew that he was as dumb as he was determined, and escaping from him proved to be an impossible cause. And I didn't want my brother catching wind of a boy in the house, because there would probably be blackmail, and Reese had already ruined enough of my life.

I swallowed. "I need to shower."

"I do have a working shower, you know," he said, capturing my gaze.

Heaving a sigh, I pushed passed him and trekked inside, my willpower crumbling in ways that disappointed me. I once used to be frightening to people, and here I was, backing down to Reese Powers. Apparently stupidity won over might.

"I can't wait for you to braid my hair!"

I growled. "I'll be braiding your limbs together if you tell anyone this ever happened!"

Reese had followed me upstairs and piled a mountain of towels, sweaters and sweatpants into my arms, before turning my shoulders and pushing me into the bathroom. I paused for a moment, among the foreign tiles and pale blue walls, then felt the beginnings of a blush creep up my neck.

"Powers, wait," I called, squeezing my eyes shut.

"You want me to go in there with you? Stella, I'm shocked, I never knew you felt that way, but if you insist-"

"Oh shut up, I need you to unzip me and then go die." My arms tightened around the clothes.

I heard a chuckle resound behind me, too close for comfort, and then Reese's distinct presence by my back. Despite how ridiculously impersonal it was, I couldn't calm the heat that was ravaging my cheeks, and so dug my face into the mountain of cloth as Reese slowly unzipped me. I cursed myself for wearing a dress in the first place.

"All done," he mused, a little too close to my ear, and I could hear the smirk in his words.

Without looking back, I stepped further into the bathroom, kicked the door shut, and dropped the abundance of clothes. My very virgin skin was still burning, and I cursed Reese for hovering so close. I blamed my lack of experience in all things romantic and turned my nose toward the shower, already forgetting it ever happened.

It wasn't a Reese thing; it was a boy thing. He just happened to be a boy Satan, that's all.

When I'd finally rinsed out the last of the wine from my hair, feeling fresh and clean in all the best ways, billows of steam rising up around me, I sighed contentedly. The anxiety of being in someone else's shower had dissipated with the red, and my muscles were feeling the best kind of relaxation. The haze of bliss continued to cloud my vision as I dressed in the black hoodie and grey sweatpants Reese had left me.

Padding down the stairs, I continued rubbing my dark hair down with the towel, following the light to find Reese in the living room. I was surprised to find that both the couches had blankets thrown on them, with Reese lying on the shorter one, and a movie playing on the television.

"You're really taking this slumber party thing to heart, aren't you?"

Reese looked up, a grin tugging on his lips. "I'm sleepover royalty, okay? You better believe this will be the best sleepover of your goddamn life. Look, I got popcorn."

I rolled my eyes as I dumped myself on the free couch, holding out a hand for the freshly made popcorn that was sending delicious wafts of buttery air in my direction. Reese grinned and passed it over.

While shoving a handful of popcorn in my mouth very lady-like, I turned to Reese. "Why doesn't Tyler love me?" I groaned, popcorn dribbling out of the corner of my mouth.

As I caught the pieces with my hand, Reese barked out a laugh, shaking his head. "Beats me, that was the sexiest thing I've ever seen in my life."

Swallowing the rest down, I sighed. "Getting you to fall in love with me would be so much easier, damn. Why do you have to be so awful?"

Reese shot me a look, mouth parted in shock and a hand slapped over his chest. "Did you just call me easy? I'm not easy."

I eyed him with absurdity, eyebrow cocked. "Oh yeah, you're so tough to crack. It's not like I've seen you get slapped multiple times in the hall way by a multitude of different girls. The only thing easier than you is breathing."

Reese gasped, the edges of his mouth quirked up in the beginnings of a smile and his amber eyes glistening in amusement. "You really think I'm that easy? I swear, I haven't even flirted with a girl in weeks- weeks! I've basically reverted back into a virgin!" he insisted, causing me to laugh in bewilderment.

I scoffed. "A month! That's like no time at all!"

"Forever! That's like forever!" he asserted, waving his arms wildly. "At this point I think my dick might fall off from lack of use!"

I made a face, pinched brows and a wrinkled nose. "Gross, Powers! I don't need to know this! Keep this to yourself."

"It's been really hard, Stella. You don't even know; I've had to say no a lot lately, it's not something I'm used to," he explained, casting me a look that asked for compassion, which I sent back none of.

"That's... the definition... of easy?" I tilted my head to the side, blinking and confused.

"Sandavol, you're going to hurt my feelings. And after all I've done for you. Staying awake with you tonight, sacrificing my own sleep, all for yo-"

I took this moment to grab one of the throw pillows and smash it against Reese's face mid-monologue. He huffed, disgruntled, and shot me a narrowed glare. I couldn't stop myself from bursting out into a round of laughter. "This is the thanks I get?" he groaned. 

I shot him a look, still smirking. "I literally came out of this covered in wine. I don't know about you, but that's not exactly a win in my book," I drawled, heavy disdain dripping from my words.

He threw his hands up in innocence. "You've gotta take some responsibility, I was even gonna say in two weeks Tyler's having a Halloween party and you should come, but I don't know anymore. Apparently I'm useless," he mused, but judging by the faint smile he shot me, he knew my interest was piqued.

"Let's not throw up this time," I advised, and he laughed, grabbing a hand full of popcorn. "And also, I'm not going as sexy-anything."

"It's cute how you keep thinking that you have any rights whatsoever," he said with a grin, all teeth and mischief. I didn't even want to begin to wonder what was going on in that head of his.

It was strange to think about, how it would almost be two months since the entire fiasco had begun, since Reese had barged into my life and irritatingly set up home. To the point where I had begun to expect him showing up, from throwing pebbles at my window to texting me pointless things in class. I would have never even believed anyone if they'd said I would be at Reese's house, wearing Reese's clothes, and having a sleepover.

I wasn't sure if it was something that even crossed his mind, since he had that ridiculous way of making himself so comforable everywhere he went, and somehow he'd decided my life was one of those places. But he did that with everyone.

It was even stranger to think that Tyler and I had been talking so much more lately, and that soon, Reese and I would go back to acting as if the other person didn't exist. Wyatt, too. Maybe we'd share a knowing glance in the hallway, but it was going to be over.

And I didn't know how that made me feel.

Swallowing, I poked me head up and searched the house for any hint of human presence, finding, as per usual, that we were totally alone. "Is anyone home? Your brother or anything? There's no hoses inside but I feel pretty confident in my skills using a sink."

Reese chuckled, shaking his head. "Parents are at my uncle's, also they kicked Trey out. Apparently kicking the golden child's ass is enough to get exiled around here." There was nothing telling in his voice, other than hints of sarcasm, that caused me the knit my brows.

"So you admit that you got your ass kicked? Also, golden boy?" I echoed, arching a brow.

He flashed a grin my way, but there was no heart in it. "Well compared to him, I'm the only one that has a chance. I didn't come home on the brink of death and high on coke all the time. But I got pretty good at cleaning him up, not that he cared. I might be able to pull off the sexy nurse thing, though."

There was a trigger in my mind and I was transported back to when I had stumbled through Reese's door, all battered and bruised, and was surprised by how expertly he had bandaged up my wounds. I hadn't given it much thought then, but it made more sense now that I was gaining more of the pieces, fitting them up against each other. It was another one of those peeks into Reese, a different one than the boy who sauntered down the school hallways.

I paused for a moment, feeling the weight of the moment dawn on my shoulders and my throat tighten. There was a look in Reese's eye that was all too familiar to me, and a sigh fell from my lips. "Disappointing family members, am I right? Mine's a dad that decided to have a whole new family across the country. But who needs them, right? Who needs Trey or any of them? They clearly suck, and we're better off without them."

There was a beat of silence where Reese searched my face, something a little too earnest in his expression, and then a grin broke out. "They're definitely not invited to our awesome slumber party."

A smile similar to his flashed across my face involuntarily, and I nodded, gathering up the blanket closer to me. "I agree, even if I was kidnapped to be here. The popcorn makes is kind of better."

"I am the popcorn god, basically. Now watch, we're missing the third Fast and Furious movie and my favourite character is in this one. I know that I'm a thrilling conversationalist, but I'm going to need you to shut up for a bit," he demanded, a cheeky grin dancing across his face.

I rolled my eyes but listened, moving my gaze to the television, where Reese was rewinding the movie back to the start.

In a couple weeks time, this would be a memory. Reese would be chasing down Savannah, I would be holding hands with Tyler, and we would both return to being less-than-friendly neighbours, acquaintances, almost-strangers. We'd no longer need each other. We'd no longer be forced to be in each other's lives.

Still, I buried myself in the blankets, stealing a glance towards the boy in question idly watching the television oblivious, I thought to myself, I might actually miss this.

***

phew! that was a long one! sorry if you guys hate long chapters, i just have so much to say and not a lot of time left! less than 10 chapters until the end!

(also sorry for being a day late, i was a la stella chapter 20 yesterday and could not leave my bed, ahaha)

anyway, i hope you guys like this chapter! i'm actually pretty happy with how it came out, so i hope you guys like it too! it getting a little deeper than usual but i think i'm okay with that. c:

also #6 in humor? single digits guys? let me love you!?!?