by Levi, Casey
“Reed?” He turned around and was almost knocked to the ground as Kristen jumped into his arms. Her body shook beneath his hands, and he gripped her tighter. He felt a thud in his chest as a familiar warmth feeling enveloped around his heart. “I’m so glad that you’re okay. I was getting worried.”
“I promised you that I would come back.” He held onto her tighter, and then let go. “We need to get going before the rest of those things come.”
“Where are we going to go? We don’t even know what’s out here.” Julie said as they piled into the car.
“Jesse do you know if there is another town nearby?” Reed said as he put the car in drive and sped away.
“There’s Baker. It’s about fifty miles or so.” Jesse leaned back in his seat and looked longingly out the window at the passing scenery.
Everyone was silent for a moment, but Kristen cleared her throat and he looked over at her questioningly. “Reed there’s something you need to know. We met a man at the store last night, and he said that he was a professor at some science facility in downtown Los Angeles…” Her voice trailed off momentarily. “I overheard him and this lady; the one who had helped us in the store. They were talking about heading somewhere, and then… then they were the ones who left the back door open. They were talking about leaving it open so those things could get in there because they couldn’t have anyone following them.”
At first Reed did not know what to say. He felt the anger rising inside of him for the people who was responsible for putting Kristen and his friends in danger. If they were willing to risk all the lives in the store to leave un-noticed, then what were they hiding? Why would they try to kill everyone?
He tightened his muscles as he squeezed the steering wheel. “Did you happen to hear where they were heading?”
Kristen shook her head. “No, but as far as I can guess, they are probably heading to the next town. Which is probably the same direction we are heading in now.”
He looked over at Kristen and noticed that she was biting on her lower lip and knew that she only did that when she was nervous. He reached over and took her hand in his and gave it a reassuring squeeze. He did not know if this really was the end or not, but he was not about to give up. He would keep fighting. He would find answers. He would protect Kristen and his friends, and he would not stop until he knew it was safe. Even if that meant he would die trying.
11
Chapter Eleven
* * *
Kristen had a challenging time keeping her eyes open, and she tried to focus on the passing scenery as they drove down the empty highway, but it was starting to turn into one big blur. No one had spoken since they left Barstow, and she knew that they were all tiring out. She could still feel the warmth of Reed’s hand in hers, and she looked down at their interlocked fingers. She could not help but trace the white scar above his thumb and wondered how he had gotten it.
Looking back out the window, she noticed a few houses coming into view. They must be nearing the edge of Baker. The town looked to be bigger than Barstow, and the houses were getting bigger. Kristen noted that the sun was beginning to set high in the sky and wondered how long they had been driving for. She knew it took more time to get here with all the abandoned cars on the highway, but surly it could not have been more than a few hours.
She turned in her seat and looked back at her friends. Jesse, Zac, and Julie had crashed, but Aran was staring out the window and looked like he was about to fall asleep. She looked up at Reed and could tell that he was getting tired as well. They were all exhausted from this morning to be honest.
“Reed?”
“Hmm?”
“I think we should find a place to stop so we can rest.”
“I’m fine. If you are tired, you should get some sleep.” He said without taking his eyes off the road.
“Reed you need to rest. We all do. Please?” She pleaded with him.
Letting out a sigh, Reed took the next turn off that led down a windy dirt road. There was a small farmhouse, and as they got closer, she noticed the faded white paneling, the light blue shuttered windows that lined the front of the house, and the small screened in porch. Next to the house was a little shed, and she could not help but smile at the warmth of the home. The familiar feeling of being back home with her family, but her smile quickly faded. She did not want to think about that right now, knowing the possibility of her family being gone.
Reed pulled up to the front of the house and killed the engine. After waking everyone up, they all climbed out of the car. Kristen closed her eyes as she took in the warmth of the sun on her skin. It sure felt a lot better than the cool night air.
“Do you think anyone is home?” Kristen snapped her eyes open as Julie finished asking the question. She had not thought about that. What if someone was home? Would they let them in? Or would they have to find somewhere else to stay?
“It’s hard to say, but only one way to find out.” Reed walked towards the front of the house, and they all followed.
Reaching the front door, Reed opened the screen and knocked on the door. They waited anxiously for someone to answer, but after a few moments, nothing. He knocked a little harder, but still there was nothing but silence. Shrugging his shoulders, he grabbed the door handle and turned the knob. The door slowly creaked open, and Kristen could feel her heart rate speed up.
“Are you sure this is a good idea?” She looked up at him with a worried expression.
“We have no choice…” He trailed off as he pushed the door open and stepped inside.
After they all entered the house, and shut the door, Kristen was instantly amazed by the home. In front of them was a large oak wood staircase that lined the wall and lead up to the second floor. The light green walls really stood out against the oak, and Kristen thought it looked genuinely nice. To the right of them the room opened into a big family room, and she could see a stone fireplace set up against the side wall in front of them. Walking in the room, the room was instantly lit up by four large sets of windows, and the room was filled with big oversized couches, an entertainment center with a flat screen, a coffee table of a chestnut oak wood, and a few lamps placed around.
“This place is beautiful.” Kristen mumbled under her breath.
As they continued through the room, she walked around the living area and through an arch that lead to an incredibly open kitchen as well. The back wall also had four sets of windows, and in the middle of the kitchen stood a deep burgundy oak wood island with a blackish-grey counter. She walked around the island- running her hand along the cold smooth surface.
“I have only dreamed about a house like this.” Julie said walking in behind her along with Aran and Reed.
“Jackpot.” Aran went straight for the fridge and opened it.
“Anything good?” Julie walked up behind him and peeked over his shoulder.
“Where do you think the owners are?” Kristen said as she continued to look around the kitchen.
“Who knows, but before we go and raid their house, we should finish checking it out to make sure we’re alone.” Reed pointedly said towards Aran.
“I think that’s a good idea.” Kristen made her way to the far left of the kitchen and looked out the sliding glass door.
The back of the house was massive, and Kristen could not see much beyond the layers of trees. The whole back of the house was fenced off, and a few hundred feet away stood an old barn. Letting out a sigh, she made her way through another arch that lead into a laundry room. The room was not as bright as the other two rooms were, but she was able to see a door against the left wall as she turned into the room.
Opening the door, it led her to a long hallway that lead back to the front of the house. As she reached the end of the hall by the staircase, she turned right into a small room. It looked like a den to her. The wall in front of her and the wall to her right had floor to ceiling bookshelves, and she was in awe of the rows and rows of books. To her left another set of four windows
lit up the room, and in front of it set a desk with a computer.
“Find anything?” A voice came from behind her, and she jumped in surprise. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”
She turned around and stared at the man in front of her. The brightness of the room lit up his blue eyes from under his raven hair as it fell lazily over his forehead. The stubble on his chin had grown darker since the last time she had seen him, and his clothes were wrinkled and dirty. The broadness of his chest stood out in his tank top, and his olive skin looked warm. She could not help but admire him, but in all honesty, he looked terrible.
“Do you want to check the upstairs with me?” Reed’s voice broke through, and she could feel her cheeks heat with embarrassment.
She nodded and walked out of the room towards the stairs. Reed took her hand in his, and they walked up to the second level. Reaching the landing, there was a big window that looked down to the front of the house. There were two sets of doors, one to the left, and one to the right of them. They looked through each room but found that no one was home.
“Well it looks like whoever lived here is long gone.” Reed said as he shut the closet door.
“Do you think they will come back?” Kristen said as she scanned the room again.
Reed shook his head from side to side. “I don’t think so. From the looks of it, they packed up and left.”
Kristen sat on the edge of the bed and looked out the window that viewed the side of the house. She did not know what was going on, and the only person who might know something was gone. She wondered if they would find Brady and Scarlett. She knew that he was hiding something, but what? A cold chill crawled up her spine, and she ran her hands up and down her arms. The bed dipped as Reed sat down next to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders.
“Reed?” She softly said as she placed her hand against his chest.
When he did not answer right away, Kristen leaned back to look up at him. He was looking down at her, and she could feel her heart begin to beat faster within her chest. She nervously bit her lip as his gaze went back and forth from her eyes to her lips. He slowly leaned down, and she closed her eyes as the softness of his lips brushed against hers. Reed invaded her mouth with his tongue, and the feeling of his tongue was warm and soft inside her mouth, and she welcomed the feel of it.
He gripped her around the waist, and slowly leaned her back so she was lying down. He rested his weight lightly on top of her and placed his hands on either side of her head. She ran her hands up his arms, his shoulders, and then his neck to his hair. Raking her fingers through his hair, Reed let out a soft groan. He pulled away from her, and Kristen could see the heavy set of his lids. She had always wanted him and being alone with him in that room sent a shiver throughout her body.
Reed leaned down and brushed his lips across hers, to her cheek, and then down to her neck. She arched into him, and she could feel the tremble of his body on top of hers. Reaching down, he grabbed her thigh, and pulled her leg up to wrap around his waist. She ran her fingers through his hair and pulled him to her mouth for a deeper kiss. He let his whole weight rest on top of her body, and the feeling of him on her felt amazing. She felt the heat burn in her cheeks when a certain part of him became hard against her core, and the fleet of butterflies began to swim in her lower belly.
Their kissing had become more urgent, and deeper. She could not breathe, but she did not want to pull away from him. She lifted her other leg up and wrapped it around his waist. The feeling of his erection was hard against her as he pressed himself against the thin material of her boxer shorts. She ran her hands down his body until she found the end of his tank top and pulled it up over his head. He leaned back over her, and she ran her finger down his spine, and his body shivered under her touch.
“Hey, we need you two downstairs.” Aran’s voice called through the bedroom door, startling them both. Reed slowly eased himself from Kristen and pulled his tank top back over his head. Taking in a deep breath, she slowly sat up next to him.
“Reed…” She trailed off because she was not sure what to say to him. She was disappointed that they were interrupted, but then again, she was relieved. She knew that she wanted this, but she was afraid. Looking up at Reed, she could see the hard set of his jaw. What happened? Things had been so intense between them only moments ago, and now it felt cold.
“I’m sorry Kristen. I didn’t mean to come on so strong.” He finally looked over at her, but his expression was unreadable.
Kristen swiftly stood up from the bed and fixed her clothes before turning to face him. “I’m not sorry.” She held her hand out to him. “Come on, let’s go before anyone else comes looking for us.”
* * *
Kristen sat on the porch swing, watching as the sun went down. Her bare feet brushing against the wood surface as she lightly swung back and forth, and for the first time in what felt like forever, she felt herself relax.
After her and Reed went back downstairs, they discovered Aran and Julie had found that the electric and water were still on. They had made a simple meal out of some soup and bread they found in the cupboard’s, and after they had all taken turns using the showers to clean up. After she had showered, she went through the rooms and found a pair of faded blue jeans that fit her surprisingly good, and a baggy hoodie. It was not much, but it sure did beat the boxer shorts and tank top she had been wearing. When she was done with that, she had gone downstairs to the den and found a book to read. Whoever owned the books had rather good taste, and an enormous collection.
Her eyes began to grow heavy, so Kristen set the book aside and finished watching the sunset behind the mountains. The sun casted rays of pink and orange across the sky as the sun began to fade over the multicolored sky. To her, the sky looked as though it was engulfed in flames, and she wished that she had her camera to capture the moment.
“Hey.” Kristen turned to see Julie leaning against the door frame. Her long blonde hair waved around her, and she noticed that she had found some clean clothes to change into as well.
“Looks like you found some clothes.” Kristen felt like she and Julie had not talked in a while, and now that they were not talking about what the plan was, it was nice.
“Yeah. They don’t fit very well, but it’s something.” Julie shrugged, and then took a seat next to her on the swing. “What are you doing out here alone?”
“I just wanted to watch the sunset.” She picked her book back up.
Julie grabbed the book from her hands and let out a snort. “Stephen King? Really Kris?”
Kristen did not say anything back to her friend, and they both burst into a small fit of laughter. It was the kind of laughter that made your cheeks hurt, and for a minute there, Kristen had completely forgotten the mess they were in. It had felt like ages since she had really laughed, and it felt nice.
“Well we better get back inside.” Julie handed the book back to her and stood up.
“Yes mom.” Kristen went to stand up, but then stopped herself. “Um, Jules? Can I ask you a question?”
Julie eyed her, and then leaned against the railing of the porch. “Sure. What’s up?”
She nervously bit down on her bottom lip and tried not to look at her friend. It was embarrassing enough. “Well-”
“Oh no! I know that look. What happened?” Julie went into best friend mode, and all joking left her tone.
“It’s nothing bad, but when Reed and I were upstairs-”
“Wait. Did you and him-”
“Jeez will you let me finish before you go and start assuming things?” Kristen threw her hands up.
“Oh, sorry. K, go ahead.” She could tell that Julie’s mind was going into overdrive with questions.
“Well nothing bad happened, but things did start to get a bit intense. If Aran would not have come up and interrupted us, I’m quite sure that Reed and I would have maybe… you know…”
Julie did not say anything for a moment, and Kristen was beginning to won
der why. She knew that it was stupid, this was her best friend. She was not exactly sure what the point of this conversation was, but she needed to confide in her friend about something that she had no clue on what to do.
“Do you want to have sex with Reed?” Julie abruptly asked.
Kristen did not have to think about that question. “Yes, yes I do.” It was the truth too. She loved Reed and has always wanted him in every way.
“Well, what’s the problem then?”
“I’m scared.” She finally found the nerve to look up at her friend, and there was no judgment in her eyes. “Does that sound dumb?”
Julie pulled Kristen up into a hug. “No honey, it doesn’t. It makes you human.” Julie pushed Kristen out at arm length and gripped her shoulders. “Kris if this is something that you want to do, and Reed wants to do, then I think that you guys should go for it. I know the timing between the two of you sucks, but in my honest to god opinion, it’s better late than never.”
“Thanks Jules. You’re the best.”
“I know. Now come on, let us get inside.” Julie let go of her, and they both headed inside the house.
Once they were inside, Kristen walked in the den and put the book back on the shelf she had found it on. She ran her fingers along the oak wood of the bookcases as she read the other titles. There were really so many books, books that she could find herself getting lost in for hours. Even days.
Turning away from the bookcases, she noticed that Reed had come into the room. “Hey.” His voice came out deep.
“Hey to you.”
She watched as Reed pushed off from the wall and walked across the room towards her. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against his chest. She took in the refreshing sent of him, and now thinking about it, he had smelt pretty bad. She relaxed her body into him as exhaustion took over her.
“You need to get some rest.” He kissed her forehead, and then took her hand in his and led them upstairs.
