On the run

Twelve

I was in that weird state where you're half awake and half asleep. Not exactly sure what is real and what isn't. Not sure what time it is, where you are and when you fell asleep. All I knew is I was beyond comfortable. More comfortable than I'd ever been in my whole life. The mattress below me was hot and hard, beating. Wait.

Shit.

No. No. No. No. No. No.

I tried to sit up but the hand around my back pressed into me, keeping me still as I panicked.

"Slow down Pops. You're okay." I couldn't move. Alex's words speaking into my hair. I wasn't supposed to fall asleep. I just shut my eyes for a second. Shit. How long had I been asleep? "Breathe. It's just me." I stopped, calming down as he moved the laptop off his lap and onto the floor, moving down until he could hold my face just a few inches from mine. "See. Just me." I closed my eyes as he laid down, not letting go of my face but settling me down beside him. "That's it, nice an easy Pops."

"You shouldn't-"

"I shouldn't be here. I know. You've told me that before. I'm still here though."

"You're going to get yourself killed. You need-"

"Why would I get myself killed Poppy?" He stared into my eyes a little deeper. I knew how blue his eyes were, they'd been haunting me all week, every time I closed my eyes, every time I looked at him. This baby blue was the only thing I saw. Like staring at a cloudless early afternoon sky in June. The perfect shade of blue that somehow made me feel insanely secure. "Poppy? Darling?"

"Sorry. I- uh- nightmare." I broke the contact for a second, looking away and settling down into the pillow.

"You're a terrible liar."

"I'm not lying." He raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Pops. I get if you don't want to tell me but you are lying. You've got 3 locks on your door. You don't tell anyone anything about yourself, you won't let me ring your buzzer, I can't talk to you or about this outside of your place. I wanted to take you out today but I have a feeling you're going to tell me there's not a chance I'm allowed to go anywhere outside this flat with you, not even my place. You go by Penny by everyone else and I'm not even allowed to use Poppy around other people, you dye your hair, go to the gym at stupid o'clock, use an alias at your other job. And then you wake up from a nap and tell me I'm going to get myself killed. You're hiding from something."

"No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are Poppy." He scooched closer. "I was looking around for some work document you sent me last week on your laptop. You look good as a red head." Uh oh. "Like, really good. You're stunning as a blonde, don't get me wrong. But ginger? And some of the outfits you wore?"

"You shouldn't have been snooping."

"I know, I was just looking for that report."

"You could have waited." I tried to pull out of his hands but he held me tighter, moving down and kissing me until my head was spinning and I had forgotten why I was mad. He didn't even try to make a move. Just his lips moving on mine and my breathing on pause.

"Who are you running from Poppy?" He pulled back, speaking his words and kissing me harder before pulling back.

"No one." He did it again, kissing me until I couldn't breathe before pulling back, leaving me gasping for air.

"I can keep going baby. Just tell me."

"No." I shook my head.

"Fine. I'll put more on the line Poppy." He flipped me onto my back, thighs on either side of me, his hands still holding my face as he kissed me again, teeth tugging on my lip until I arched my back, my breath covering his face. "Who are you running from?"