Hide (Sequel to RUN)

Chapter 17

Lansing opened the door, still in his pajama pants and no shirt. I stood sheepishly in front of him, soaked from the rain and clutching Maki's hand with white knuckles. I braced myself for an onslaught of yelling and a whole lot of hits to the abdomen.

I wasn't prepared for Lansing to nearly strangle me in a hug.

It took me a second, but I wrapped my arms around him as well.

"Promise me something," Lansing whispered in my ear, hugging me tighter.

"Anything."

"Don't run off like that after an argument. Or at all." I nodded into his shoulder.

Maki coughed awkwardly beside me. I pulled away from Lansing, "Maki's here." Lansing shook his head, smiling crookedly before stepping out of the doorway.

"Sorry we're dripping," Maki apologized as I made a beeline for the couch, discarding my soiled shirt and shorts. I plopped myself onto the couch in my sports bra and underwear, grabbing the lone blanket hanging off the side of the couch to cover up.

"Are you warm?" I glanced over to see Aaron sitting next to me on the couch. I wrapped myself up tighter in the blanket, that same feeling of control washing over me. Aaron came closer to me on the couch, wrapping his arm around me.

"You know I'm sorry about what I said earlier, right?" I nodded. I understood. He'd been under a lot of stress. Those guys weren't exactly model citizens.

"The poker game just got me really excited, you know?" he scooted even closer to me and brushed his lips against my hair. "I would never do that to you. I love you, Beautiful." He brought his lips down my face, kissing me in all the way down to my jaw. When he reached my neck, I knew exactly what he wanted. I yearned to give it to him.

I was just reaching over to bring his lips to mine when a hand placed itself on my shoulder. I jumped, taking my emotions and my control back. Lansing stood behind the couch, looking at me with concern.

"You okay, Sweetheart?" he asked, squeezing my shoulder a bit. I looked over back at where Aaron had been a few seconds ago. Like the other times, he was gone.

"Yeah," I lied, focusing on the coffee table in front of me. "I'm just really sorry."

"I'm sorry too," he admitted, coming around the couch and sitting where Aaron was. "I probably could've handled that better."

"You handled it fine. I handled it like a stupid teenager."

"Good thing you're a teenager, then," Lansing replied, wrapping one arm around me. Like with Maki, I was taken back to the bar in a flash of strobe lights. I came out of it quickly, though. No scream escaped my lips, but I did tense up. Lansing mistook my tensing up as a reaction to his 'teenager' comment.

"But you don't usually act like one," Lansing amended, kissing the top of my head.

"Except when you don't," Maki chuckled, wrapping his arm around my shoulders from behind the couch. I thought for a brief second that he was going to try and strangle me, and I reached up to grip his forearm. Luckily, I caught myself in time. I relaxed quickly when I realized he was simply kissing my cheek.

I brought Maki's hand to my lips, taking pleasure in the shiver that ran through my body and ignoring Lansing's glare.

"Do you have any coffee made?" I asked Lansing as Maki came around the couch and sat on the other side of me.

"Yeah," Lansing replied shortly. I made a move to go and get it, but Lansing put a hand on my knee. For a second, I thought he was going to fight me on it again. I was torn between submission and another fight.