Dry Counties.

"GODDAMNIT JAMIE ! I KNOW THIS WAS YOU!" I shouted loudly running out of the shower in just a towel.

"Fuck!" I heard Jamie say as he shuffled to get out of his bunk.

"WHAT THE FUCK!" I screamed at the top of my lungs as Mike walked over to me with a worried expression on his face while tony and Vic poked their heads out of the kitchen area of the bus to see what was going on.

"Baby, what's wrong?!" Mike asked frantically placing his hands on my shoulders to calm me down. but it wasn't working.

"Move mike. I'm going to kill that little fucker!" I shouted trying to shove past mike and get to Jamie who cowered behind him.

"Whoa, whoa. What's going on?!" Vic interjected as a few tears ran down my face.

"I'm sorry Kim!" Jamie said nervously as I stopped fighting mike and just walked back into the bathroom while flipping Jamie off.

I turned the shower on once again, this time with freezing cold water. The pranks had gotten worse over the past week from the boys. This one was over the line though, and my entire body was on fire. I wanted to cry, I tried to hold it in but failed. The burning wouldn't stop. I let the ice cold water flow over my legs and private area, the only places I used my soap... Luckily it didn't get into my tattoo. I shivered and held my shoulders as I cried. I didn't even notice that someone had come in until I heard someone sit on the sink.

"Kimber.." I heard mike say in his raspy voice. it was soothing.

"M-mmike" I cried as he opened the shower curtain and pulled me into a hug. I drenched his clothes but he didn't seem to care. His warm hands rubbed my back, distracting me from the burning pain I felt on my lower body.

"Shhh, it's okay. It's okay. What happened?" He whispered kissing my wet hair as I cried into his shirt.

"I- I don't normally cry. I can handle almost anything, but my bodies on fire... Jamie put hot sauce in my body wash... I used it right after I shaved.. A-and it hurts so bad." I sobbed as I felt mike tighten his grip on me.

"What the fuck.." Mike said angrily. He picked me up and wrapped a towel around me. He then placed me so I was sitting on the sink. He stood between my legs and opened the mirror cabinet and grabbed a bottle of lotion.

He opened it and squeezed some into his hands. He rubbed them together then gently place his hands on my thighs. He applied the lotion gently all over my reddened legs. the lotion was cooling.

"Is it helping Kimber?" He asked softly, looking me in the eyes and smiling at me in relief. I had never seen mike so worried.

"Yea.. It is. Thank you mike." I whispered feeling the painful sting subside.

"Good... You know? I never thought I'd see you cry Kimber..." Mike took a deep breath and ran his hands down his face and stopped at his stubble.

"Me either. I never cry." I felt insecure and needy. I'm usually stronger than this. It was just a prank gone wrong.

"It's okay baby, Jamie's a fucking idiot. I swear I'm gon-" I cut mike off by kissing him lightly on the lips.

"Stop. It was an accident. I'll get him back, but hopefully the pranks are almost over." I laughed dryly remembering all the random shit the guys have been doing to me lately. Vic had glued my hands to the refrigerator handle, tony threw "popper" fire works at my bare back when we all went swimming at a hotel last week, Jamie replaced my green tea with pickle juice, and even mike has woken me up with a blow horn once or twice. I took it all in stride, however, this was just awful. did Jamie forget that women shave?

"I'm telling then all to back off, you've been a great sport but this was too much." Mike said with a bit of anger in his voice.

"I can handle it mike. I just want "initiation" to be over." I used my hands to make air quotes. Mike rolled his eyes.

"It's gonna be over NOW." Mike stated harshly.

"Baby calm down..." I whispered, mike looked at me and his hard expression immediately turned soft.

"Want me to carry you to the bunk?" He asked, I smiled and nodded my head. Mike lifted me up bridal style and carried me to the bunk.

Jamie had disappeared while tony and Vic were sitting on the couch just outside the entrance of the bunk area watching tv.

Mike laid me down in the bunk and pulled the covers over me. I took the towel off and handed to him before turning over on my side facing the wall.

"Just relax baby. It'll feel better soon, I promise." I felt mikes warm hand on my back. Before he left the bunk area.

I could hear him talking to Vic and tony in the other room.

"Is she alright?" I heard Vic question mike.

"Yea.. Yea she's fine." Mike said sadly why so sad?

"Jamie feels really bad mike, don't be to harsh on him." Tony added.

"I'm not mad at Jamie... Well I am. I, I just never want to see her cry like that again. I know it was a mistake, she's a strong girl but I just.. I didn't like that." Mike admitted in a tone of voice I never heard. he sounded so broken. My tears did that?

"Mike... Are you okay?" Vic asked his brother in a surprised manor. Vic is so wise. clearly mike sounded distraught.

"I've never... I've never experienced anything like this before, Vic." I could barely hear mike reply. He sounded on the verge of tears.

"I'm gonna go find Jamie." I heard tony stutter and then the sound of the front door of the bus open and close.

"Vic... I.. I don't.. This is all so new, I'm scared." Mike appeared to be whispering now. I felt bad for eaves dropping, but now I was worried.

"Mike, I'm your big brother, I'll always be here for you, and I think Kimber is one of the best things that has ever crossed your path... Please... Please don't run away." Vic was pleading. Vic mentioned mike had a past... What happened to him?!

"I don't want to run away Vic, I just don't want to fuck it up like I've fucked up every relationship I've ever had." I heard Vic sigh loudly at his brother. I had so many questions begin to flood my mind.

"Your not going to fuck it up Michael." Vic stated with a happy tone in his voice. why does Vic always seem to know more than he really does?

"But... How do you know that I won't ? How can you sound so sure?" Mike sounded frantic now.

"Because we've never had this conversation before." Vic stated nonchalantly and then there was silence.

I heard shuffling in the lounge before the front door of the bus was opened and closed again. Did mike leave ?

I sighed heavily and pulled the covers further up my body. I laid still thinking about what I just heard. It made me happy, but it also scared me at the same time. I'm happy I'm the first girl mikes ever felt scared to lose, but im also horrified he may run... has he run before?!. Just as I settled my mind and started to doze off I heard he curtain behind me get pulled open, and I felt someone sit just at the small of my back. I just laid still, since I was comfortable and didn't feel much like talking.

Suddenly a familiar warm hand was on my shoulder, I felt mike glide his thumb back and forth. It comforted me and was starting to make sleep fall over me, until I heard mike sigh.

"You are so beautiful... I should tell you that more often" Mike whispered, thinking I was asleep.

I felt him shift his weight again before I felt his warm lips and his small cool lip ring against my shoulder.

"I love you...So. much. I wish I could show it better." He admitted me sadly. I heard him starting to undress.

Before I knew it he was crawled into bed next to me. He wrapped his warm arms around me and rested his chin in the crook of my neck. His warm breath was on my ear.

"I promise I'll never run from you." he whispered.

I smiled widely, and let sleep overcome me.

Id wait forever for you if you did mike.