Searching For Snake Eyes #Wattys2016

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"We were best friend several years ago, but one night at a sleepover, he changed. His eyes went weird, like he was possessed, and he attacked me. It was in self defense when I plunged a knife in his heart. Ever since then, he hasn't left me alone."

I drew back at this. How horrible had his life been? A possession?

"Like a ghost?"

"Yep." He said, popping the "P". "He only attacked you because he didn't want you finding out."

"Finding out what?"

"About him, Wolf, me..." His voice trailed off.

"Who's Wolf?"

"My cousin, well, sort of."

"Sort of?"

"His aunt adopted me."

"You're adopted?"

"Yep." There was another pop sound.

"Oh."

"When I was little, I watched my parents get murdered in front of me. It was my fifth birthday, and my mother and I had gone to the bank. Suddenly, a bunch of men in black suits came in and surrounded us. Mother seemed to knew who they were and tried to hide me. You see, my father was a top secret agent."

This surprised me. Agent? Really?

"For who?"

"The Russians."

The Russians? What the crap?

"Russians? Like the Soviet Union?"

"Yeah, but he didn't work for them.He worked against them. Father was the most trained and skilled man at fighting in all of Russia. These men in black wanted him dead. They asked Mother where he was, and when she refused to tell them, stated killing one person in the bank every thirty seconds. I remember all of this exactly as it happened. Mother wouldn't give Father up, though, so they turned to me. They said if she didn't tell them, they would kill me. She would have told them, I knew she would have. Luckily, and unluckily, Father entered that very moment. The men killed my mother in an instant, with me still holding her hand. Father put up a real good fight, but they came from behind, and I was orphaned.

I ran. They chased. I got away. I was sent to America to be adopted by Adelaide. Wolf was Adelaide's nephew, and we immediately became best friends. You have to meet him sometime."

This was unbelievable. Could something like this really happen? I snuggled closer to Snake Eyes.

"Scarlet, it's not safe for you..."

I ignored him saying that, just urging him to continue with the story.

"Okay. The Russians have never stopped looking for me. I have the skills of my father, and because of that, am a huge threat to them. More than once they've found us. I usually bloody a few of them up real good, and then me and my family moves. They're always after me, Scarlet, and they've killed almost everyone I love. I can't let them get to you."

"Shut up. I don't care." I sat up, pushing against his chest. The thought of losing him was excruciatingly painful. "I'm not going to run away from this."

"I'm not saying...but what if something was to happen to you? I could never..."

"Then why'd you do it? You were the one who came to my house and pursued me. I didn't plan any of this!" I was crying. Was he telling me I had to leave him?

"I'm sorry, Baby. I just don't want to hurt you. I was attracted to you, but I never expected you to find out. I didn't mean to explode your phone." I gave a short laugh.

"So what? You can explode things with your mind?" He laughed with me. I broke out in goosebumps.

"No, but Stoney can. It's really complicated."

I leaned against Snake again.

"Scar..."

"Shh, I just want to hear your heartbeat."

We sat in silence as he played with my hair. I loved the sound of his heartbeat...loved knowing he was there beside me.

"I love you, Scarlet. This heart, it's beating for you you know." He said it so quit, I had to strain my ears to hear.

"But Snake, how could a heart like yours ever love a heart like mine?"

I felt his breath on my neck as he whispered, "Because your heart is the best heart I've ever known...and felt."

"Felt? What does that mean?"

"Why do you think you woke up all those nights with me in your bed? I like feeling your heart beating in rhythm with mine."

I leaned up and kissed him.

"But Snake Eyes, to me you're the universe. But to you, I'm just a star."

"But the most beautiful star I've ever seen. And as long as you're a star in this galaxy, your universe well always protect and care for you."

His words were so beautiful, like poetry.

"Just hold me tight...and never let me go."

We sat like that for hours. We could hear when the graduation party finally ended, we could see the sun beginning to rise over the horizon. Still we sat there, feeling each other's heartbeats.

Neither of us noticed when we fell asleep.

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I awoke later with Snake kissing me. What a good way to wake up.

"Good morning, Baby. Happy birthday." I had forgotten my birthday was the day after graduation. Crap.

"Thanks, Baby." I kissed him as I sat up. I was sure I looked like the waking dead, but I didn't care. I was with Snake Eyes, and that's all that mattered.

Snake Eyes. Snake Eyes. Snake Eyes?

I still didn't know his first name!

"Um, can I ask you something?" He looked at me with those eyes, and I melted.

"Sure."

"What's your real name?" I made a mistake. I knew it the second I saw the look on his face.

"Scarlet, I-I can't tell you."

"Snake...It's your name. What's going to happen if I know?"

"Scarlet, I wish you, more than anyone on this planet, could know. But, if I tell you, then I put you in even more danger than you're already in." His eyes were pleading, and I felt bad.

"I'm sorry, Snake. I shouldn't have pressed you."

He flashed me a dazzling smile. "It's alright, Babe. Now let's go home."

"Where's home?" I asked, confused.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you...your mom invited me to hang out with you guys on your birthday." Of course she did!

"Well...Then let's go home."

I kissed him as we walked to his black Porsche.