Tension's Like a Fire

They had her on the couch of their small apartment trying to get her to talk.

“What’s your name?” Rian asked gently from his crouched position in front of her.

Alex watched from the barstools seated around the island that separated the kitchen from the living room. The apartment was basically one room that had four bedrooms and a bathroom attached.

Alex just watched the girl who shivered at a cold no one else felt with narrowed eyes. He’d let the other guys dote on her so he didn’t have to get attached.

Rian reached up and lightly touched her face. “She’s freezing.” He commented as he pulled his hand away.

“Alex come here and warm her up.” Jack said turning to Alex.

“We just saved her do you really want me to light her on fire?” He joked lightly as he got up.

Jack just shot him the “just shut up you know exactly what I mean” look.

Alex walked over to the girl slowly as he pulled his shirt off.

They all moved out of Alex’s way.

He stopped in front of her looking down at her still trembling form and reached down pushing her jacket off her shoulders, his finger tips barely brushing her skin and he just stared straight into her big emerald green eyes.

She felt the same warmth radiating off of him that she felt when he held her fresh to his chest when they saved her. That was the only time she wasn’t shivering.

“Why are you taking her jacket off doesn’t that just defeat the purpose?” Zack asked as he watched Alex’s slow and deliberate movements.

Alex sat down next to her pulling her into his chest, which she gratefully cuddled into appreciating his warmth. “Well my over muscled and under schooled friend, she’ll get warmer without it. Clothes keep your body heat in also holding heat and cold out.”

Zack just nodded his head ignoring Alex’s rude comment knowing now wouldn’t be the time to fight.

Rian moved closer to the girl again.

“So what’s your name?” He asked still speaking to her softly.

“Jazz. Jasmine.” She muttered against Alex’s chest.

Alex shivered at the feeling of her lips moving against his chest.

“Am I making you cold?” She asked in her soft timid voice as she pulled her face away from his chest.

He looked at her as she asked that and wanted to smile and laugh at her. He wanted to revel in how cute she looked peering up at him through her eyelashes.

But he couldn’t let himself.

He removed one of his hands from her back and moved away from her slightly.

She flinched back a little when his hand lit on fire right in front of her face.

“Do you honestly think you can make me cold?” He squeezed his hand shut snuffing out the flames and pulling her back to his chest not waiting for a reply.

“What did that guy want from you?” Jack asked being the only one who honestly knew it wasn’t just another mugging. Jack’s power didn’t end with telekinesis. He was also the psychic of the group.

She turned her head so she was facing them with her cheek pressed to Alex‘s chest. “I don’t know.” She spoke unconfidently.

“He was probably just trying to mug her.” Rian tried explaining the whole thing away.

“She doesn’t have any money on her. She’s in running gear. Women don’t carry money when they go out for a jog. Every mugger on the planet knows that.” Jack explained, easily dismissing that whole theory.

“Do you really want us to say what he could have wanted to do with her and terrify her more?” Zack asked referring to more sinister things she may have been subjected to had they not been there to save the day.

“She can’t go home, at least not tonight. It’s not safe.” Jack said resigning his argument. “Alex can she stay with you so she doesn’t freeze?”

Alex swore Jack was trying to make his life hell. It’s not just the whole world it’s his best friend too.

Which is worse?

“Do I really have a choice?” He asked hopelessly.

Jack smiled. “Nope.” Before skipping off to his room.

The other guys went off to their rooms too now realizing how exhausted they were.

“I can sleep here. I’ll be fine.” She felt bad, like she was being pushed on the boy who wanted nothing to do with her and was only nice to her because he pitied her. She pulled away from him. “I’ll be fine I’m nice and warm now.” Of course the warmth left her as she broke their contact.

He saw her start to get goose bumps all over again and knew she was just trying to make him feel like he didn’t have to help her.

He rolled his eyes and swept her up into his arms.

He put her down on his bed.

“Do you want something to wear tonight?” He asked with his back to her in his voice that fully informed her that he was keeping her at arms length.

“No my sweats are fine.” She responded back shyly.

He didn’t say anything back just took off his pants -not really giving a damn she was sitting there- revealing his yellow and gray striped boxer-briefs.

She on the other hand was embarrassed and covered her eyes.

When he turned to see her with her hand clamped to her face shielding her eyes he couldn’t stop himself from laughing.

“What the hell are you doing?” He asked turned to her now wearing his pajama pants slung low on his hips still exposing the waistband of his underwear.

She removed her hand carefully afraid he’d still be undressed.

“I didn’t know what else you’d be willing to take off.”

He scoffed and put his guard back up and walked toward the bed.

She felt the change in him, knowing he was back to trying to keep her out.

“Get under the covers and scoot over.” He spoke tonelessly.

She did as he asked and he turned the light out and crawled into the bed beside her.

He pulled her close out of instinct.

“I’m sorry.” She whispered.

He was surprised. “For what?”

“I’m probably the least observant person on the planet and I can see the pain in your eyes. I don’t know what caused it but I am sorry.” She spoke sweetly and honestly.

He was floored. This girl who hardly knew him read him that well.

He didn’t say anything in return just pulled her closer and tried to fall asleep.

She did the same.

She woke up the bed still warm but alone in it.

She still couldn’t figure out for the life of her why she was so cold last night. She assumed it was a physical manifestation of her fear, like she was in shock or something.

She crawled out of the bed and walked to the partially opened door where she stopped, hearing the guys talking about her.

“We should take her home.” Alex said firmly.

“She needs us-” Jack tried.

“No she doesn’t, Jack. She’ll be fine. The guy was just some slime ball who was trying to hurt her. There’s nothing new about that.”

“Fine. But we have to take her home and make sure everything’s on the up and up.” Zack reasoned trying to find a middle ground for the both of them.

They both huffed “Fine.”

Even after their “moment” last night, he still didn’t like her. He still wanted to get rid of her.

‘Good riddance.’ She thought stubbornly. ‘He doesn’t like me I don’t like him.’

She walked out and pretended to have not heard a word of it.

They’d all come with her and stayed with her all the way to the door.

They hovered behind her even now as she pushed the key into the lock.

It was a good thing they did.

She pushed the door open after unlocking it revealing the living room of her apartment trashed.

Obvious signs of struggle and signs of people going through the room in search of something.

“Holy shit!” She said as she ran in, the guys following.

“Sally?! Sally?!” She knew that this was a futile move but she couldn’t stop herself.

She shouted out the name only to hear silence ringing back.

Sally was taken.