into the room. Sitting up, I see Chad walking towards us. I pull my legs up and make room on the couch for him to sit.
“There’s a room at the end of the hall that’s free if you want to take that, Shilah,” he says.
Shilah smirks, “Sure.” He gets up and leaves and my heart starts beating a little faster.
“Hey,” he says. I just nod my head. “How are you going? You doing okay?”
“Why does everybody keep asking me that like I might crack at any moment? I’m fine.” It comes out a little less than fine but I can’t help my tone.
“Yeah. Sounds like it,” he mutters.
“So where’s Drew? Not escaping, is he?”
“We wouldn’t want that now, would we,” Chad replies sarcastically, slouching down on the couch further like he’s pissed off. “He’d be stupid to try. We’re a day, day and a half’s walk away from anywhere in every direction. Even if he was to get out, we’d get him before he’d even reach the Institute or civilisation of any kind.” He laughs, “And I locked him in his room.” He still seems annoyed, but at least the arrogant smirk that I know so well is present.
“Are we ever going to be able to have a conversation without an angry undertone ever again?” I ask, looking at the fire and not him.
“I hope so,” Chad replies. “I suppose you’re angry now because I kept your dad from you?”
“Well I’m not any angrier at you, but yeah, still kind of angry.”
“What if I promise that from this moment on, I will completely tell you the truth? About anything,” he says.
“Complete truth?” I ask turning to face him.
“There’s no reason for secrets anymore. I’ve got what I wanted.”
“And what’s that?”
“You, me, here,” he says reaching for my hand.
Our hands find each other in the dark as a small smile crosses my lips.
“And Tate?” I ask, glancing back towards the fireplace.
“What about Tate?”
“Aren’t you going to cover yourself now by saying it’s what Tate always wanted?”
“Did you mean what you said in the car before?” Chad asks, ignoring my accusation.
“I said a lot of things in the car. You might need to be more specific.”
“When you found out Drew thought I was dead. You said I was just your friend. Is that what you want?”
I hang my head. He chooses now to have this conversation? At 3:45am?
“I didn’t think calling you my friend was all that shocking, but I guess it was considering Shilah brought it up and now you. What else was I meant to call you? That’s what we are, aren’t we? Friends? Or do you just see me as some kind of assignment?”
He lets out a sigh, throwing his head back to rest on the couch. “I’ve never seen you as an assignment.”
“Then how do you see me?” Damn my shaky voice.
He sits up and moves his head closer to mine. My heart skips a beat as he cradles my head and pulls me in close. His eyes pierce mine and my breath catches in my throat. Bringing his mouth down, he presses his lips gently and briefly against mine. “Does that answer your question?” he asks, breaking away just an inch. He doesn’t give me a chance to respond before he takes my mouth with his again.
Is this actually happening? Yes, I’m definitely kissing Chad. His tender touch becomes firmer when I start kissing him back. I kiss him harder and he holds me tighter. My heart races and I wonder if he can feel it too. Months of avoiding taking this step has led to this; pawing at each other in hopes of squashing any residual sexual tension between us. Pulling myself onto his lap without breaking our lips apart, he wraps his arms around me, embracing me. His hands slide down the middle of my back and rest firmly on my hips. All I can think is, Why haven’t we been doing this the whole time? I want more .
He pulls his mouth away from mine and starts tracing kisses down my neck. I arch my back, pushing myself into him harder.
“So beautiful,” he murmurs against my skin.
“Your room?” I ask,
“There’s a room at the end of the hall that’s free if you want to take that, Shilah,” he says.
Shilah smirks, “Sure.” He gets up and leaves and my heart starts beating a little faster.
“Hey,” he says. I just nod my head. “How are you going? You doing okay?”
“Why does everybody keep asking me that like I might crack at any moment? I’m fine.” It comes out a little less than fine but I can’t help my tone.
“Yeah. Sounds like it,” he mutters.
“So where’s Drew? Not escaping, is he?”
“We wouldn’t want that now, would we,” Chad replies sarcastically, slouching down on the couch further like he’s pissed off. “He’d be stupid to try. We’re a day, day and a half’s walk away from anywhere in every direction. Even if he was to get out, we’d get him before he’d even reach the Institute or civilisation of any kind.” He laughs, “And I locked him in his room.” He still seems annoyed, but at least the arrogant smirk that I know so well is present.
“Are we ever going to be able to have a conversation without an angry undertone ever again?” I ask, looking at the fire and not him.
“I hope so,” Chad replies. “I suppose you’re angry now because I kept your dad from you?”
“Well I’m not any angrier at you, but yeah, still kind of angry.”
“What if I promise that from this moment on, I will completely tell you the truth? About anything,” he says.
“Complete truth?” I ask turning to face him.
“There’s no reason for secrets anymore. I’ve got what I wanted.”
“And what’s that?”
“You, me, here,” he says reaching for my hand.
Our hands find each other in the dark as a small smile crosses my lips.
“And Tate?” I ask, glancing back towards the fireplace.
“What about Tate?”
“Aren’t you going to cover yourself now by saying it’s what Tate always wanted?”
“Did you mean what you said in the car before?” Chad asks, ignoring my accusation.
“I said a lot of things in the car. You might need to be more specific.”
“When you found out Drew thought I was dead. You said I was just your friend. Is that what you want?”
I hang my head. He chooses now to have this conversation? At 3:45am?
“I didn’t think calling you my friend was all that shocking, but I guess it was considering Shilah brought it up and now you. What else was I meant to call you? That’s what we are, aren’t we? Friends? Or do you just see me as some kind of assignment?”
He lets out a sigh, throwing his head back to rest on the couch. “I’ve never seen you as an assignment.”
“Then how do you see me?” Damn my shaky voice.
He sits up and moves his head closer to mine. My heart skips a beat as he cradles my head and pulls me in close. His eyes pierce mine and my breath catches in my throat. Bringing his mouth down, he presses his lips gently and briefly against mine. “Does that answer your question?” he asks, breaking away just an inch. He doesn’t give me a chance to respond before he takes my mouth with his again.
Is this actually happening? Yes, I’m definitely kissing Chad. His tender touch becomes firmer when I start kissing him back. I kiss him harder and he holds me tighter. My heart races and I wonder if he can feel it too. Months of avoiding taking this step has led to this; pawing at each other in hopes of squashing any residual sexual tension between us. Pulling myself onto his lap without breaking our lips apart, he wraps his arms around me, embracing me. His hands slide down the middle of my back and rest firmly on my hips. All I can think is, Why haven’t we been doing this the whole time? I want more .
He pulls his mouth away from mine and starts tracing kisses down my neck. I arch my back, pushing myself into him harder.
“So beautiful,” he murmurs against my skin.
“Your room?” I ask,
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