Bad Decisions

Crowned

Micah

Sounds of the girls giggling echoed in the house, announcing their arrival home.

It was nice, hearing her laugh like that. Relationships didn’t come easy for Kassie after what happened to her parents. She shut out all possibilities for friends, other than me. And no doubt if we met after what happened, she would’ve shut me out too.

I had encouraged her to go. I knew if she gave Crystal a chance—a real chance—she would grow to like her. I mean, she didn’t even have a legitimate reason to dislike the woman. She was just a stubborn ass.

I couldn’t say I was much better. I avoided people like a plague. People tend to be too terrified of me and I didn’t care to prove them wrong. It wasn’t worth my time. Most people were scum anyway. Kassie was all I needed.

With nothing to do, I left in search of Kassie. I intended to ask her how it was and tease her that I was right.

I didn’t expect to find her standing right outside my door.

She looked up at me, her long black lashes framing her green eyes. Eyes that were full of mischief.

“Hey,” we said in unison, followed by, “jinx.”

She clicked her tongue, making a cute little “tch” sound, and rolled her eyes.

Grabbing me by the arm, she tugged me forward and said, “Come.”

I followed obediently, but couldn’t help but notice the baggy long sleeved shirt that was too long on her. The sleeves left just a little bit exposed of her fingers and the bottom hem covered up what I could only assume was shorts underneath, leaving her creamy legs exposed.

Legs that hours before had been pressed up against me, so innocently, yet so…

I needed to stop right before I crossed a line I couldn’t return from.

But I just couldn’t help it.

Just the way she looked in that oversized shirt, her long still-damp hair from her shower cascading down the back…It had my head spinning.

…And the thought of what she would look like in one of my shirts, covering those delicate curves. Or what she would look like out of it.

On that note, I was officially a creep.

She’s my best friend, I reminded myself. Control yourself.

But I couldn’t help it. After seeing her collapse from a bloody gunshot wound to the gut, I was petrified. I couldn’t lose her. And the moment she walked into the room with that tiny nightgown, I couldn’t stop noticing everything about her.

The way she smiled. Or laughed. The gleam in her eyes, even when it looks like she’s plotting arson. That tight little body…

And you can’t forget when she’s being sarcastic. That was just downright sexy all on its own.

“Where are you taking me?”

“To the bathroom.”

My mind instantly went in every different direction, and none of it was innocent.

“Why?” My voice was full of suspicion.

She turned enough to give me a look. I could only assume she was mentally calling me a dumbass.

“I’m going to cut your hair.” She sounded like it was the obvious and only answer there was.

We’re obviously not on the same page…

I guess it’s a good thing she wasn’t a mind reader like her father was because otherwise I would be screwed. She would never let me live it down. She would remind me for all of eternity how much of a pervert I was.

She pulled me into the bathroom down the hall and sat me down on a chair she must have brought up from the dining room.

When she was content I was in the proper placement, she leaned over me to grab the comb and scissors.

I couldn’t help but take in her smell. Fresh soap from her recent shower and…and…

“Were you out drinking?”

“Yep.”

“You’re drunk right now?”

“A little bit.”

“And you’re about to cut my hair?”

“Yep.”

I grabbed her arm as she pulled away from the counter with the scissors. “No, Kassandra, that’s a terrible idea…”

She leaned over to look me in the eye. My concern was quickly forgotten. The act of her leaning forward was enough for the shirt to reveal a bit more of her skin. But what I really wanted to see was still shrouded in shadow.

“Okay, and what’s your point, Micah? I’ve done this hundreds of times, and probably 98% of those times were while drunk.”

I had nothing to counter that, mostly because my mind was still in the gutters.

“And besides,” she smirked. “I do my best work while drunk.”

I wondered if “work” only referred to cutting my hair…

“So you’re just going to sit there and do what you’re told.”

And there was another thing.

Assertiveness.

Also very sexy.

“Fine,” I grumbled. I still didn’t like it, but anything to get her out of my face, because I was seriously at risk of doing something I was going to regret. Mostly because she would probably claw my eyes out.

“Good,” she said cheerfully and started combing out my hair, snipping away as she saw fit.

But I had to look down at my hands. I couldn’t trust myself. Especially when she had come around to stand in front of me. That didn’t stop my hyper-awareness of her, despite my best efforts. Besides, her silky smooth legs were still in my line of sight unless I closed my eyes. s**t, I probably should’ve closed my eyes.

I didn’t notice that I started fidgeting, until she yelled at me to stay still and look up at her.

I hesitated and she ended up hooking a finger under my chin and forcing my head up and my eyes on her.

Fu.ck.

The act was enough to make my facade fumble and shatter.

I grabbed her by the wrist, scissors still in hand, stopping her in her tracks.

She looked down on me with those big almond eyes full of confusion. I didn’t give her a chance to say anything.

I stood up quickly, knocking the chair backwards.

I didn’t care. I barely even noticed.

“What are you--?” I cut her off by grabbing her by the nape of her neck and pulling her close to me. I brought my lips down on hers.

She was surprised at first but melted against me after a few seconds, her lips softening under mine. She moved her lips in perfect synchronization, answering my every touch. A small moan escaped her into me.

It was fuc.king electric, and I needed more. So much more. Nothing in my life had ever compared to the sweet taste of her lips on mine. But it was all short-lived. Painstakingly so.

When she froze and went rigid against me, I knew immediately that I had messed up. Badly.

She found herself loose from my grip and pushed me with all of her force.

I went backwards, caught off guard, tripping on the fallen chair. I barely recovered by reaching out and steadying myself on the wall.

“What the actual f***k, Micah?” She slammed down the scissors onto the bathroom sink. “Cut your own fuc.king hair,” she seethed, before storming out.

Fu.ck.

What the hell did I just do?

Her reaction wasn’t the worst part.

The fact that she actually kissed me back was.

It…complicated things.

I sank to the floor in the bathroom. In the process, I realized my arm was wet.

I looked down and saw that she had cut me with the scissors. Probably either from when she broke free of my grip or when she pushed me.

I let out a soft chuckle. I was in complete shock.

Kassie was the impulsive one, the one who made the bad decisions, not me. But here I was, ready to receive my crown for King of Bad Decisions.

And yet…I couldn’t bring myself to regret it. Not one bit.