Bad idea (1)

CAT

In what universe is this flimsy thing considered a nightgown?

I glance at the little black piece of fabric that I can easily fold into the size of a handkerchief. Did Luna do this on purpose? I know she was put in charge of making sure I have enough clothes to wear.

Just as I suspect, I rummage through the closet for a more decent nightgown only to find none. She took all the others away. Well, I'll be sleeping anyway, and I dont have to leave my room until after I have showered and changed tomorrow morning.

I hear a knock on my door before I can change into it and pause.

"Who is it?"

"Who else would it be?" Nico chuckles on the other side.

I let out a sigh of relief. For a second, I feared it would be his brother—though he did nothing to indicate the possibility of coming in here tonight or any night for that matter. I shove the nightgown back into the closet.

When I open the door, he walks in carrying a giant bucket of popcorn, with the biggest grin plastered on his face. "Movie?"

I hesitate. I still want to be friends with him or at least make him believe it for long enough to gain his trust, but I can't be so sure after his brother reminded him of the fact that we shouldn't be close.

So I shake my head but make it a point to look troubled. "I appreciate it, Nico. But William said…"

"I know what my brother said." He places the popcorn on the table and nudges me over to sit on the bed. I see the edge of what I assume is a remote control peeking out from his pocket and blink a few times. There is a humongous TV screen in my room but I know I'm not allowed to watch it. The De Santis don't want to risk me stumbling upon a 'wanted' commercial of myself.

They probably think I'll steal a phone from one of them and call the number on the screen.

Or worse, one of the numerous staff in the house might betray them for the reward money.

They will not be wrong, not really. If I saw my face on the screen and a phone number at the bottom, I would find a way to collect the reward money before letting the search party know it's me.

I'm still thinking about this while staring at Nico's pocket, making him laugh. "It's not a phone, Snow. You will not gain anything from hitting me in the head and stealing it."

My cheeks flush. "I wasn't…" Fine. I did think about it for half a second. I shuffle to recline against the headboard. "Nico,"

He rakes his fingers through his hair. "Why do I have a feeling you're about to ask for something impossible?"

"Only a little difficult." I smile up at him. "Can I write one more letter?"

He thinks about it and blows out a breath. "It was supposed to be a one-time deal."

"Just one more." I adjust myself and kneel. "Please, Nico."

I see his answer before it even leaves his mouth. If I have a hard time believing Nico is as heartless as his brother, that's because he makes it hard to see him as a villain. Aren't villains supposed to be heartless pieces of crap? They shouldn't be bringing their victims gifts and offering to watch movies with them, much less being so easy to convince.

Sure enough, he relents. "This is the last one."

I rein in the urge to throw my arms around him. "Thank you."

"Do you want to watch something on your own?" He asks, probably noticing how uneasy I am.

I think about it and nod. It would help if I have something to keep me busy aside from gazing out the window. I only realize what that implied when I see the disappointment in his eyes.

"It's not that I don't want to watch it with you…"

"It's alright." He leans down and kisses me on the cheek. I'm so shocked that I'm still sitting in the same spot, staring into space by the time he selects a movie and stands to leave. He chuckles at my reaction. "It's just a peck on the cheek. What century do you think this is?"

I am not touching that comment with a ten foot pole. Why am I starting to get the feeling I may have bitten off more than I can chew?

I glance up at the movie he selected only to find it's a super long series. "Seventeenth?"

"Eighteenth." He shoves the remote control back into his pockets. "I'll bring…" He is still speaking when his phone rings, so he takes it out of his other pocket and grins at me when he answers it. He must have forgotten to leave it in his room before he came here and I was staring at the wrong pocket. He fishes into his pocket again as he speaks and takes out a much smaller remote control.

It only has three buttons; two to adjust the volume and one to pause and play. I didn't even know that was a thing. How long have they been planning my abduction?

I press the play button so I don't appear to be listening in on his conversation. I hear a man's voice but I can't make out his words. It sounds urgent though, and sure enough, Nico leaves as soon as the call ends.

I wait until I can't hear his footsteps anymore before I pause the movie and pad down the hallway to listen. A few minutes later, I hear his car roar to a start and know he's leaving.

Well, I guess I'm not getting that chance to write that letter again. Unless… I glance at the straicase that leads to Will's office as my heart begins to race.

No. I can't.

But even though the right thing should be to go back to my room, watch a few episodes of the movie and go to bed, I can't make my legs move. I keep staring up and pondering.

What harm could come of it?

The worst that could happen is Will saying no, right? I know he read my letter to Rico and hasn't said anything about it. If he was so much against it, he would make sure that letter never got to my brother and he would taunt me about ruining my plan.

After standing in the hallway, thinking for so long that I suspect Alma will appear from nowhere to ask me why I'm creeping around, I run back to my room—to get changed.

Don't judge. It isn't often that I use my body as a weapon either. But this is the nightgown Luna wanted me to wear anyway. I didn't come up with the idea myself.

Scratch that. Luna didn't expect me to leave my room wearing this. She wanted me to sleep in it. But I remember the way Will looked at me the last time I went up there. He was practically undressing me with his eyes.

If I want him to agree to something like that, I can't have him thinking straight. I need him focused on something other than my words. So I slip my clothes off and replace them with the flimsy nightgown. Even when it's on my body, I feel naked. Am I really going to his office dressed like this?