Fairytales and Nightmares

Nate’s nails dug further into my shoulders, piercing the skin. I ignored that, his voice still ringing in my head. I came here for her funeral.

“Nate…” I whispered, leaning back. Nate’s arms gripped me harder, not letting me move.
“Don’t look at me.”

I sat there for minutes in silence. Nate’s breathing was erratic, but after a while, it paced back down. I took this time to observe this new Nate. This Nate who had charm and friendly sarcasm, instead of the snobby, pathetic attempt at the cliché high school football guy personality. This Nate that, in another life, I might be best friends with.

But times like these never last.

I closed my eyes, and bringing Nate with me, I swung off the rocks to plunge head-first into the pool of water beneath the waterfall. Nate’s blue eyes and my emerald ones locked in a moment of perfection before the greedy grasps of water enveloped us.

At some point, his hand found mine and I instinctively held onto it. We both surfaced, gulping air. Nate turned his head to me and handed me a threatening glare. I laughed at his expression.

“Times like these can’t be wasted lamenting over the past. The more you think, the more it’ll hurt.”

“Plus,” I added, dangling both his guns, “you have bigger problems.”

Nate blinked.

“Second time,” he murmured before making a grab for them. I arched my back and dived back into the water, dodging him. He quickly followed. Unlucky for myself, he seemed a better swimmer than I. He caught up with me and pulled me back by my ankles. I met his laughing expression with one of my own. Winking at him, I flipped around and escaped his grasp. The chase continued until I finally mouthed “I surrender” after Nate got me pinned down on the floor of the lake.

We both crawled onto shore, panting and clutching our sides from laughter. I fell back onto the cold rock-lined shoe completely drenched and exhausted. Nate lay next to me, moving onto his side to take off a wet leaf from the tangles in my hair while I tried to bite his hand off.

Nate chuckled. “Kitten has claws.”

“Oh, I have much more than just claws.”

He arched an eyebrow at that comment. “What exactly do you mean by that?” he asked, moving closer in a slow, seductive way.

Oh shit. Double entendre.

“Oh no, it’s already so late!” I proclaimed, shoving Nate to the side to see better the rising moon. “Oh shoot, I have somewhere to be.” My slut identity at the club awaits. Oh joy.

Nate jumped to his feet, unaware of how much time passed. “Hey, where do you need to go?”

Well technically, I was going to go to a deserted place to teleport to Detroit, but I can’t exactly say that, now can I. “I’m walking to Bay Harbor”, I replied, thinking up the first near town.
Nate gawked. “You’re walking that far? In the middle of the night? In the town that has the highest crime rate in US?”

“Err, ya, I do it all the time.” Nate took my hand and marched almost angrily away from the waterfall. “Where are you taking me?”

“I’m taking you to my house and then I’ll drive you to Bay Harbor.”

“No freaking way,” I said firmly, digging my heels into the ground and refusing to move.

Nate turned around to deliver a piercing glare. Suddenly, he scooped me up and carried me. Princess style.

“NATE!!! LET ME DOWN THIS INSTANT OR I’LL BLOW YOUR HEAD OFF,” I yelled threateningly, pushing against his chest. Damn Nate didn’t even budge an inch. He simply smiled down on me mockingly and continued to walk towards his house. I tried punching him next, but for some annoying reason, he happened to be really good at dodging.

“Done yet, kitten?” Nate asked, flashing me a dazzling smile at yet another failed attempt of mine to mar that (gorgeous) face of his.

I sighed resignedly. “Put me down. I won’t run.”

Nate lowered me. The moment I touched the ground, I sprinted off only to be caught by the waist and dragged back.

“Didn’t think I could trust you,” he whispered into my ear, wrapping his arm tighter around my waist.

I stuck my tongue out completely maturely. “Why do you care about what happens to me anyways? I thought you disliked me as much as I you.”

Nate glanced at me. “I don’t dislike you. And consider this as my thank you for that,” he said, cocking his head back towards the waterfalls.

I sighed before muttering threateningly, “If anyone I or you know sees us, I will make you suffer till your death and then dance on your grave when you finally die.”

Nate chuckled. “Don’t worry, no one goes around here. Except one person, but he’s trustworthy. Oh, here we are.”

I gaped. This is where Nate lives?!