Don't Play With Death (on indefinite hiatus)

Chapter 16

 “Can I get you something, chestnut?” asks Chason half-jokingly, but he still sounds concerned.

 I let out a shaky laugh. “Chason, why do you call me chestnut?” I’ve always wondered, I just never thought about asking him.

 He chuckles lightly. “Because that’s your eye color.” He stares into my eyes intensely. “Chestnut brown,” he whispers, more to himself than to me. Then he shakes his head. “When we first met, remember? You ran into me while I was in the shower.”

 I smile. Oh boy do I remember. His dripping, well-built…smoking hot… body isn’t something I can forget easily. “Technically, you were done showering,” I point out, my cheeks burning.

 He rolls his eyes. “Whatever. I didn’t know your name by then, so I just decided that that would be your new nickname. But I did it mostly to annoy you.” He cracks a radiant smile.

  “I have chocolate brown eyes, not chestnut. And why did you feel like annoying me?” Part of me was wondering because I really needed a distraction, but another part was genuinely curious.

 “Hm, no, I’m pretty sure it’s chestnut,” he replies. Then his smile grows wider. “And you were a real pain in the ass at that time.”

 I throw my pillow at him, but he avoids it ridiculously easy. “Was not.”

 “Yeah you were. A grumpy, irritated and snappy chestnut you were.”

 “Well, I had just found out that I would have to participate in the big Odium Games and that I most likely had one more month to live, so what did you expect? That I would jump around and sing happy and cheerful melodies?” I try to make my voice sound sarcastic, but it cracks at the end, which totally ruins the sarcasm. I don’t sound nonchalant, more like I’m about to burst into tears again at any moment. Well, that’s how long that distraction lasted.

 Chason stops smiling abruptly. “Runa?” he asks, his brow furrowed with worry.

 “Can we just – not talk about this?” I ask quietly, wrapping my arms around me knees, holding them there tight against my chest to stop the aching pain from taking over.

 “Sure, we don’t have to talk at all if you don’t want to.”

 I nod my head, grateful that he understands. I start crying again now and then, but Chason’s strong arms are there to comfort me. Once again I find myself being utterly confused over this. We’ve known each other for two weeks, and yet, it feels like I’ve known him for years. It feels strange to have him so close to me, his warm body literally making contact with mine. And I’m not even protesting. I find myself…enjoying his company. Far more than I should. I feel a twinge of guilt as I think about Cato, and his current tragic state, but it passes rather quickly.

 I don’t know how much time have passed before I’m drifting off to sleep.

 I wake up late next morning, and skip breakfast to visit Cato in the hospital. I’m supposed to have training, but I doubt anyone will miss me. Besides, my best friend’s well-being is much more important than throwing knives at a stupid dummy. In a moment of stupidity, I even ask Chason if he wants to accompany me, but I’m a little relieved when he declines my invitation.

 “I need to train,” he tells me, though I have a feeling that that’s not the entire reason. He sighs when I raise my eyebrows skeptically. “Okay, I don’t think you, he and I should be in the same room at the same time and especially not when he’s almost d – I mean, when he’s almost awake.”

 I cross my arms over my chest again, waiting for the pain to hit me. “You’re probably right,” I manage to breathe out, and pretend like nothing, even though we both know what he was really saying.