"Apples. You smell like apples." He admitted, his voice deepening and roughening "I ate five today."

"You ate five Ella's?" I shrieked in horror.

Another chuckle left him as he tried to order sternly "Go to sleep, Medusa."

I smiled in his direction. I let my smile grow wider when I remembered that he could not see me in the dark.

"You have so many things to tease me about now, Lurch." I mentioned.

His fingers intertwined with mine and I held onto his hand.

"We will be back to being acqenemies the next time I see you, but I want you to know that I am grateful for tonight." I delivered softly "Thank you."

"You never need to thank me for anything." Stone returned gently yet firmly.

I felt my smile grow in size.

"I'm just glad I got to see Medusa's lair." The gravelly voice added.

I let the side of my face fall onto my pillow when I teased him "Are you not going to stay and give me a bedtime story?"

A few minutes later, he cleared his throat and grumbled faintly "There once was a girl with puke coloured hair—"

"It is not puke coloured!"

"Who said it was about you?" He rebutted with a hint of amusement in his tone before he continued "She lived in a tower where she left her key under the doormat. She was not the most sensible girl."

I interrupted him "You are so terrible at telling a story."

He let out a husky laugh "What were you expecting? A fairytale?"

"No. I am not." I breathed out a sigh "It is okay though. I never really wanted a Prince Charming."

My eyelids grew heavier. I let my eyes shut and bathed in the comfort that came with knowing he was there.

"I can't keep you in my lair forever." I whispered again into the dark "You can go."

The room went quiet for a minute or two. The silence stretched on and on until it shattered.

"I don't want to leave you." The low raspy voice delivered "Not ever."

As the sound of footsteps went quieter and quieter until there was nothing, I convinced myself that I had imagined him saying that. I told myself that it was part of my wildest dreams.

Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

"I hate you." I sneered at Stone over my shoulder.

The reason for my hate was his grade on the essay. I had shown him my A-plus in large red writing and he mimicked my action by showing me his paper. He had gotten the same result as me and he looked very smug about it.

"Who did you even write about?" I asked while I turned around in my chair in defeat.

His monotonous voice was filled with a hint of triumph when he replied "Lady Macbeth."