Code Blue

Lexi vs. Parental Guidance

                  

I couldn't feel anything. Not my legs, not my arms, not the weight of my body sinking into the softest mattress ever. I felt weightless, like I was floating above the earth and my limbs were filled with butterflies, lifting me up and carrying me away.

Until my eyes fluttered open and the sunlight blinded me and then suddenly, it was as though every muscle in my body was on fire. Groaning, I lifted my head from the pillow, squeezing my eyes shut and opening them once more to see that the other side of the bed was empty.

Flipping over, I pushed the covers off my body and slowly lowered my feet to the floor, wincing as I stood up straight and trudged towards the bathroom. Resting my hands on the counter top, I lifted my head to study my reflection in the mirror and immediately cringe in disgust. Despite having slept solidly for...well, I wasn't actually sure how long, I looked like I'd just risen from the dead. Turning on the faucet, I splashed water in my face and dug through Max's drawers to find a toothbrush so that I could brush my teeth and a few minutes later, I felt a little more human.

"Morning."

I jumped at the sound of Max's voice, but found myself smiling when I turned to see him emerging from his closet, buttoning up a green collared shirt, his eyebrows furrowed in concern. "How'd you sleep?"

"Okay." That probably was an accurate description. I'd tossed and turned a bit, but I'd had worse night sleeps. "Did you sleep at all?"

He had changed his clothes and his hair was shiny and stuck to his forehead from being wet, indicating he'd already showered as well. Which meant he'd probably been up for a while, waiting for the arrival of his father.

"A little," he shrugged, pushing himself off the doorframe and taking a step towards me, his lips kinking into a crooked smile. "I liked having you in my arms."

"I liked being in your arms," I replied automatically, though I realized about ten seconds later that it was actually true. It had been a long time since I'd been held the way Max held me last night; like I was the thing he cherished most in the world and he didn't want to lose me. Stepping forward to meet him in the middle, I flattened my hands against his cotton covered chest and leaned in to press a soft kiss to his lips, wanting to kiss him as many times as I could before it was no longer an option. I couldn't help the smile which brightened my face when we pulled apart, but it wasn't long before it shifted to worry when I realized I'd been out of contact with Evan for far too long. "What time is it?"

Lifting one hand from my waist to dig his phone from his front pocket, he checked the time. "Almost ten-thirty."

"Shit. I was supposed to meet Evan at 10 for breakfast," I said, stepping around Max to go find my phone in the bedroom. That was a lie, but I had a habit of debriefing to Evan after every date with Max, so he had to be worried that he hadn't heard from me in more than twelve hours. I found my phone on Max's bedside table and checked the lock screen. "Yep, eight missed calls."

"Call him back," Max replied, pausing for a moment before continuing. "Can you do me a favor, though? Can you not tell him what happened? I just want all the facts."

"You want me to lie to my brother?" Those words sounded extremely offended coming from the lips of someone who was going to end up telling Evan the truth either way. Not reporting the fact that I'd been tied up and interrogated was a serious breach of protocol.

"Just for now," he pleaded. "For me."

I supposed I could decide later how much to tell Evan. "Fine."

"You're the best," he grinned, leaning forward to press a kiss to my cheek before turning towards the door. "I'm gonna go see if I can scrounge us up some breakfast. I'll be right back."