Sixty Seconds

Chapter Fifteen

Jessica

My phone beeped in the darkness, I groaned and rolled over. Feeling through the darkness with my fingertips. Something vibrated under my fingers and I grabbed it, pulling it towards my one open eye. The time display on my phone read just after nine. I opened the text.

For some reason I feel the urge to buy you hot chocolate. Starbucks at ten?

The number was added to my contacts list as Alex while I tumbled out of bed. Only he could ask me that and make me want to go. I pulled on some clothes and did my make up. The smell of burnt bacon met my nose. Then the fire alarm went off.

I sprinted into the kitchen, Carter looked hopeless, trying to waft the smoke out. I pulled open a window and the smoke began to clear. Switching the fire alarm off I turned to Carter, who looked sheepish.

“I can't cook” He told me, shrugging his shoulders, holding the black bacon out for me to see.

“I noticed.” I slipped round the side of him and dug around for money. There was a slight clatter as Carter dumped the grill into the sink.

“Where are you going?” He inquired, eyebrows raised slightly as I grabbed a twenty from his wallet.

“Out” I told him, grabbing my combat boots and lacing them up.

“Where and with who?” He asked, becoming all professional, well professionally annoying.

“Starbucks and none of your business.” I said, straightening up. I chucked my phone into my bag.

“It's with Alex isn't it” He sighed, leaning against the counter. He looked tired. It was only a few nights since my birthday and he had suddenly become protective of me.

“Possibly”

“I can't be bothered to argue why you shouldn't be going out alone” Carter said, yawning and running a hand through his unusually messy hair.

I bit my lip slightly “Okay then, see you ” I turned to walk out the door.

“Just don't get yourself killed.” I heard as I slammed the front door shut.

***

I spotted Alex waiting outside Starbucks, looking cold and slightly worried, probably wondering if I'd show. I walked up to him.

“Jesus, It's cold” I said, puffing out white mist.

He looked behind him quickly as if looking for someone. He turned back to me, looking confused. “Last I checked I wasn't Jesus...”

His face broke out into a grin.

“That was a crap joke” I told him.

“Ah well, worth a shot.” He told me, Opening the door to Starbucks. He motioned for me to go in first. I slipped in, the sudden blast of heat made me breathe in deeply. My nose regaining it's feeling. I felt Alex come in behind me, his muscular frame shadowing mine. “I'll order, you find us a seat”

I nodded. “Hot chocolate” I couldn't wait for the sweet cocoa to heat my chilled body.

I manoeuvred round the collection of seats and tables, coffee mug rings implanted in almost all of them. Finding a table in the corner, I sat down. Waiting for Alex to arrive with our drinks. I looked round at the mix of people scattered about the place. Two kids were fighting over the last bite of muffin a few tables away, a business woman was gingerly sipping her coffee as she typed on her laptop. It was easy to guess what type of coffee she had. Semi-skimmed milk, no sugar and no cream. She just looked like that kind of person. I looked past her. A man stared back at me. Head tilted sightly to the side, as if trying to place me. I turned away, looking for Alex, who seemed to have disappeared. I began to feel nervous.

The man stood up and left a tip, pushing his chair in he began to make his way towards me. As he got closer I noticed things about him, military manner, Black heavy looking coat, unsmiling lips and cold hard eyes. There was a slight bulge in his pocket in the shape of a gun, my palms began to sweat. I looked again for Alex, who seemed to be no where in the coffee shop. The man was only meters away now, part of his gun showing under his coat as he reached for it. I reached for my phone, planning to make a desperate call to Carter.

“One hot chocolate and I bought you a muffin too, you look starved.”

I looked at Alex's green eyes, then looked behind him, the man had vanished. Alex followed my gaze.

“Something wrong?” He asked, looking concerned.

“No, It's nothing.” I told him, smiling slightly. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a heavy black coat round the corner of the shop.

“Okay” Alex smiled. “So, I never asked, Why the hell did someone try to kill you?”

“It's a long and slightly unbelievable story.”

“Try me” He said, leaning forward and taking a drink.

“It's a really long story.” I countered, watching him as he put his mug down on the table.

He leant back in his chair, stretching “I have time”

I smiled slightly. I decided it wouldn't hurt to tell one person...

***

“You have no idea how fake that story sounds” Alex told me as we crunched through the very late snowfall. It had lightly dusted everything, turning the world a beautiful shade of white. It was beginning to get dark, the red and pink shades patterning the sky. “But it also makes perfect sense. You're a lunatic”

He grinned and put his arm round my shoulder. “A very cute lunatic” He corrected himself. I smiled , looking at my feet. “But I believe you”

I looked up at him, his eyes were light and dancing, I couldn't help grinning back. We began to make our way through a park, it was deserted. “You do?”

“Yeah” We walked a few more steps before he stopped. “I'm about to kiss you, please don't slap me”

He leant down, his lips meeting mine, they were nearly blue from the cold, but soft. Not unlike Carter's. I quickly pushed that thought out of my head. Alex's head tilted to the side slightly and he broke the kiss,

“Well, Shit” He muttered under his breath. I turned away from his lips and turned to the source of his swearing

“Try to run, and I will shoot you without pause.” The man with the heavy black coat was back.

AN: Please vomment!! I'd really appreciate, and as always constructive critisism is appreciated.