Run Bad Boy Run

Epilogue

"I can't believe it's been five years since we've been to this place."

"I couldn't either, but you've said it about thirty times in the past half an hour, and now I totally believe it."

"Rude!"

"Bite me!"

I recline against the wooden railings of my favorite apple grove a few states away from our hometown, tucking my hands into the never-ending pockets of my favorite pair of sweatpants, and smirk at the boy across from me with utmost amusement. It's the same mischievous, deep curl of the lips he's used on me countless times before.

Five years since the craziness that was my senior year of high school.

Where does the time go?

"Gladly," I say to him.

It goes everywhere. It goes from walking across the stage at graduation to going to law school, to moving into a new home with your ex-nemesis, now fiancé, in Cleveland.

Across from me, Hayden shifts his body so that his long legs sit on either side of my hips. "It's an expression, babe."

"So you don't want me to bite you?"

"I never said that, Emmy."

"But I'm not going to bite you," I continue with a stern look.

His partial smile disappears and the twenty-two-year-old pouts worse than an eight-year-old who can't keep his Halloween candy all to himself. "Why not?"

I lean back on my hands. 'You're too far away."

He leans forward. I lean further back. "Ember," the breathless hiss of my name says that he either wants to laugh or punch a hole in the wall.

"Hey! You told me you have a cold sore so I can't kiss you."

"Out of all the times I've told you to do something you decide to listen to me now?"

"Well, aren't fiancés supposed to do that?"

"No!" he counters. Hayden pushes his sleeves up and rests his elbows on his knees. "You're supposed to do the exact opposite of what I say. You're supposed to go left when I say right and laugh when you're right about which direction we're supposed to be heading in. You're supposed to get on my nerves and then deep-fry them with just one touch. You're—you're supposed to—"

He tenses in surprise when I silence him with my mouth. The brief moment of astonishment is short lived and the spine-tingling pressure of his lips pushing closer to mine follows. When I pull away he looks as exhilarated as I feel and grins.

"You could've just told me to shut up."

"That's not fun."

Hayden wets his lips and lifts a hand to his hair, pausing before he can rake his fingers through his light brown locks the way he always does. "I'm not just a piece of meat, Ember!" he jokes.

Nodding my head, I answer sarcastically, "Oh sure you aren't. You're—" I bite my finger trying to find the right words. "You're—you're..."

"So sexy when you bite your finger like that," he finishes with a low voice. I drop my hand. Hayden barely catches my wrist between his fingers and kisses my palm.

"You're not allowed to do that," I say."I was the one teasing you."

"I do what I want. I'm a bad boy, remember?" he jokes, remembering the title I gave him so long ago.

Gaining my composure, I fold my hands in my lap and take a deep breath. Though appearing relaxed, every muscle is tight in preparation for attack and I smile. "So you're a bad boy, huh?"

Hayden is sure that something is wrong now. He stands up and says cautiously, "Yes...?"

I stand up, pulling him with me, and move in front of him to tiptoe my fingers up his chest. Hayden inhales slowly, sharp eyes watching my every move. The scent of his cologne and cigarettes float around my face to create the high I crave so much. Damn him for being this way. Hayden's hands rest heavily on my hips.

Bringing my lips so that they touch his, I whisper, "Run."

He tilts his head for a kiss. "Hmm."

The kiss is out of reach.

Wrapping my arms around his neck, I arch into Hayden in a way that drives him crazy, and he looks at me like I'm insane.

Which, I might be.

"Run," I repeat.

"What?" he breathes against my mouth.

"I'll give you a head start, Cross. I promise not to kick your ass too much."

Hayden unlatches himself from me and takes long steps back. Nervous and unsure, he repeats my words with a chuckle. "Are you being serious?"

The seriousness on my face confirms his allegation and a look of horror crosses his features.

"Oh come, Ember it was just a—"

"Run, bad boy." I charge at him. "Run!"

* * * 

Thank you so much for coming on this journey with Ember and Hayden. :) I hope you enjoyed the wild ride. :)