Hunting the Fairy Tale

Chapter 126 - Brotherly Love

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"Seriously? You're going to hang around all day babysitting me?"

Coach hasn't given me a moment of peace since he came back from the gym after his morning exercises with Ash, Gina and a few other regulars. Actually, I had to force him to go all together. Telling him that Paisley, Jake, Hunter and Asher would starve if he didn't give the cooler bag to Ash at the gym and that I would lie naked in his bed, sulking all day if Molly didn't get her quiches finally persuaded him to go.

He said he was fine with me sulking in bed all day if that kept me off my feet, but he really needed me to wear some pants if all that spectacular sulking was going to happen in his bed. That was the only reason he was going to deliver the food like I was—according to him—demanding.

He didn't stay away long. He dropped off the bags and arranged with Ash and Gina to cover for him today. I've told him a billion times now that I just need a safe place, far away from anybody who could get hurt, to hang out and rest. This is that place. I feel completely safe here. I don't need specialised care, and I don't need him hovering over me like I'm a mouse and he's a hawk.

Well, if tucking them into bed and feeding them vitamins are what hawks do with mice. Maybe hawks pamper their prey to death... who knows?

"Yup, that's the plan," the dude tells me, giving me that look he always gives me when he wants me to shut up and just do the push-ups he told me to do. He is sitting on his kitchen counter, stuffing his face with salted caramel popcorn from a massive bag (why does he have so much of the stuff) while I'm pouring melted chocolate into tiny teddy bear moulds I've painted with a thin layer of white chocolate dyed in different colours to make it look like they're wearing clothes.

"Look, Coach," I try again, this time with feeling and sincerity. "I didn't come here to muck up your daily routine and get in the way of your social life. Really, I appreciate everything you've done for me, but I'll be fine. Honestly, I'm not just saying that to get you off my back."

Satisfied that I've filled all the moulds, I set the bowl aside to mix with the icing later and gently tap the trays to release any bubbles I might've trapped inside the bears.

"Please go about your Monday the way you always do," I beg him, peeking up at him from under the fringe of hair I know I need to trim as soon as possible or go mad. Last week, during rugby training, Coach Sanders threatened to braid my hair and put ribbons in it if I didn't cut it soon. 

I invited him to try. 

I was being serious! I think it will look awesome and keep it out of my eyes. Hell knows why he made me run two extra laps around the rugby field in response!

"This is making me really uncomfortable," I inform the man, still stuffing his mouth with popcorn, while he watches me make my pretty bears as if it is the most fascinating thing he's ever seen. 

It's not! 

He's seen Hunter trying to figure out how to twist and fold a beach tent back into its bag. We all needed popcorn watching that disturbing performance.

"This is what I usually do on Mondays," Coach tells me, gathering another handful of white puffs from the bag to pop into his mouth one at a time like he's playing a carnival game where he's the clown that needs to be fed to pop a balloon.

"Right," I scuff, giving him a dull look. I would love to pop his friggin' balloon for him.

"Usually, I watch TV," he explains matter-of-factly. "Today, you're the TV."

"You're so full of shit," I laugh, putting the chocolate moulds aside to set while I gather mixing bowls. There's no way the guy sits around all day watching TV; he has too many ants in his pants to sit still that long. Unless he's reading, and even then, he tends to travel all over his seat in weird positions, annoying the animals that are making him their bed.