by Jason Letts
“Do you want me?” I asked.
“Yes,” he exhaled.
He was breathing hard, and I could just feel his chest rising and falling underneath me. His hands were on my waist, digging under my shirt, but this was just me taking control.
“Then tell me where Cammie is!” I demanded.
Nate’s face twisted as if he’d just been doused with freezing cold water. I felt his hand grab my side and he pushed me off him, sending me spilling onto the other side of the bed. By the time I could turn my neck to look at him, he was on his feet, facing away and running a hand through his hair.
“I’m not going to talk about her!” he shouted angrily.
I scrambled off the bed, coming around by the window side of the room to meet him.
“Why not?” I asked, matching his tone. He turned around to glare at me, and his eyes were red and his face flushed.
“Because it’s none of your business!”
“You have to tell me!” I hollered.
“I don’t even know you!” he said, and that made me madder than anything.
“Oh, you don’t know me well enough to talk about your family, but it’s fine when you’re trying to get into my pants!”
My last jab got to him, and I could see him fighting to keep in something really awful. He was smart to say something much less offensive when he did finally speak.
“Why do you want to know anyways?” he asked, glowering. The answer was too difficult to explain, and now I felt under the spotlight. I couldn’t really tell him that I was looking for his sister because she was the key to curing a disease that would kill a version of himself in a parallel reality.
“I have to find her, so please tell me,” I implored.
“No!”
“I have to find her!”
“You’ll never find her!” he shouted so loud he could probably be heard downstairs. We were yelling at each other like children, both of us raging and unwilling to give an inch. Nate had a snarl on his face, and it made a vein in his forehead pop that I had never seen on Nathan before. We were huffing, and I was feeling out of breath and drained.
“Look, if you’re not going to help, I’m just going to leave,” I said, taking a step past him for the door, but his arm caught me around the waist and shoved me onto the bed. It hurt, my legs dangled onto the floor, and in a second Nate was standing over me.
“No need for you to skedaddle so fast. We haven’t even gotten started yet,” he said.
I was more than a little shocked when I tried to sit up and he pushed me back against the bed. I don’t know if it was the desire or the anger, but something put a strange gleam in his eyes that was invasive and ravenous.
“Let me go!” I howled.
“Now I ain’t never had anyone say no to me before, and you ain’t about to be the first,” he salivated, licking his lips. My heart was beating out of my ribcage, and not in a good way as he pulled off his t-shirt to reveal his smooth, ripped stomach and chest. I was gritting my teeth and trying to get up, but he was holding me down.
There was one brief moment when our eyes connected, and no matter how deeply I looked I could scarcely find the humanity in them.
“What happened to make you this way?” I gasped.
Leaning over me, his fingers crawled underneath the band of my jeans and attempted to yank them off me. The smile on his face was drenched in lust and certifiably insane. He kept gazing into my eyes, and all I wanted to do was block him out.
I was thrashing, and eventually I managed to kick him in the groin and claw him in the face. He fell onto me, groaning, and I elbowed his side and scooted out. I raced to the door and twisted the knob, discovering that I needed to undo the lock.
I fiddled with it, banging and jerking against the door. I almost called for help, but when I glanced back at Nate he was just doubled over on the bed, watching me in pain. I finally flicked the lock and opened the door, but before I left I turned back to Nate, who I hoped I would never see again.
“There’s a version of you out there who’s spectacular, but you’re a piece of shit.”
I kept my head down and plowed along the hallway and down the stairs. There may have been more catcalls and whistling as I passed through the living room and made for the exit, but I was too absorbed in what just happened to comprehend.
When I finally burst through the backdoor and spilled into the dark winter air, I was on the verge of tears and ready to dig my brains out for the despair I felt. I couldn’t believe that Nate wouldn’t tell me where his sister was, and my whole mission seemed completely ruined. I’d never get what I needed if I couldn’t find her, and as it was I was trapped and had no place to go.
Other than Nate, who else could tell me where Cammie was? I racked my brain for the answer as I stumbled away from the soccer house, and then it finally dawned on me: Gladys.
Chapter 9
“That was one of the best movies I’ve ever seen,” Nathan said, sitting on the edge of the couch, his messy hair blown back as the closing credits scrolled up the screen.
“Were you impressed?” Eve asked from the other room.
“Completely blown away,” Nate answered, unable to sit still. “The action was unbelievable, and the story kept me hooked. I’d kill to be in a high-speed chase like that or hunting down dangerous villains. What a rush!”
“Would you now? Does that mean you’re ready to go?” she asked, coming out from around the corner by the stairs wearing nothing but a form-fitting black spandex top and bottom that perfectly accentuated her curves. She pretended to yawn and then raised an eyebrow at him.
Nate glanced at her and then found his eyes were stuck. He almost started to drool before he got control of himself.
“Yeah, let me just throw on a coat,” he said, leaving the couch behind. Eve strolled through the living room, smirking venomously. Once Nathan was ready, he reached for the doorknob but then gazed at the clock.
“It’s almost nine o’clock. I can’t believe Cammie isn’t back yet,” he observed, and Eve shook her head.
“Let the kids have their fun. Cammie’s in good hands,” Eve reassured him.
When they exited the house and stepped into the driveway, Nathan turned to Eve and shrugged.
“So where are we going anyway?” he asked.
Trying to look innocent, Eve put her finger to her chin and let her eyes dance over him.
“Car chases are fun, but I think I can do better. Is your heart pounding, Nathan? Because if it isn’t now it will be soon.”
Fingers spread, she extended her hand, and Nathan interspersed his fingers with hers. Holding each other like that, she stepped closer to him until their feet were touching.
“All you have to do is close your eyes and hold your breath,” she said.
Nathan’s eyelids lowered over his pupils, cloaking his mind in darkness, and the next thing he knew a voracious wind was rushing by him. The roar was deafening, and he opened his eyes to discover cars and trucks whipping by on each side of them.
They were standing in the middle of a highway, a long stretch of road packed with cars speeding along. The headlights were glaring, the cold air was howling, and the cars were just inches away.
“Christ!” Nathan yelped, the color gone from his face and his feet stuck on the dotted line between lanes. He kept his hands tight to his side, barely willing to even twist his head. A horn blared as a massive eighteen wheeler barreled by.
Eve walked as though she were on a tightrope, keeping one foot in front of the other. She took a few steps away from Nathan in the direction traffic was moving, and then she spun around and winked at him.
“Are you out of your mind?” he wailed at the top of his lungs, though the words instantly vanished into the din. Despite the incredible volume of the passing vehicles, Eve had no trouble hearing him, and she made sure he could hear her.
“What’s wrong? I thought you wanted something exciting,” she teased.
“This is ridi
culous! We’re going to get killed!” he shouted.
“Bound to happen sooner or later.” Eve pouted her lips and glanced at the sky, contemplating his assessment. Brushing it off, she swung to the right, where cars were zipping by at seventy or more miles per hour, and stepped forward.
Nathan recoiled, expecting the impact, but the lane had temporarily cleared and Eve had no trouble frolicking like a ballerina to the other side. When she reached the other line, she did a twist and took a bow.
“Now it’s your turn!” she yelled.
“No way!” Nathan objected. He still hadn’t moved an inch since they’d arrived, and this seemed to displease Eve, who set her hands on her hips and tapped her foot. The headlights of the passing cars flashed against her sleek figure.
“The universe is more complicated than you can possibly imagine, Nathan. This busy highway is about as hard to navigate for me as operating a toothbrush is for you. Now will you get over here and join me?”
Continuously stunned, Nathan lost sight of Eve as another truck whizzed by.
“What do I have to do to convince you?” she bellowed. For a second she appeared irritated, but then she smiled. “If you can touch my hand, it’s good for one kiss.”
Her promise perked Nathan up a little bit, but glancing back at the traffic proved overwhelming for him.
“Just listen to me and I’ll tell you when to run. You have to trust me, ok? When you hear my call, go!”
“What the hell, right?” Nathan stammered, taking a deep breath and rubbing his face in his hand. The wind was knocking him around a bit, but he faced to the right and readied himself for Eve’s signal.
She opened her mouth and jerked her arms, trying to trick him into going when it wasn’t safe. When it didn’t work, Eve started laughing maniacally. Nathan shook his head and grinned.
“Ok, this time for real,” she said. “Are you ready?”
“Come on!” he shouted, pumping his arms and staring at the blurs passing between them.
“Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, GO!”
Nathan leapt out into the lane as a car just blew by. He didn’t even look to the right until he made it to the line and another car blared its horn as it wooshed behind him.
“Look at that! You’re still alive. We’ll see how long that lasts,” she chuckled.
His nerves keeping him on edge, Nathan crept toward Eve. Gritting his teeth, he reached for her. She extended her hand just a bit, but she was backing away and kept herself out of reach.
“Why are you doing this?” Nathan howled, his ire rising.
Eve scowled, staring him down. It an instant, she turned to the next lane and did a cartwheel out to the middle of it, just missing a speeding car. Righting herself, she drew even with him a lane’s distance apart and tucked in her top because a bit of her waist was showing.
“Because I’m trying to teach you to embrace your mortality!” she screeched. “Look at you, cowering, fear-stricken. It’s pathetic. Why don’t you try being a man and live like you know it’s not going to last forever?”
The insults made Nathan clench his fists. He glared at her beautiful face as the headlights washed over it and her hair floated in the wind. Defiant, he took a more aggressive stance.
“And how do I do that?”
“Like this.” A few cars whizzed by until there was a gap in the traffic, and Eve strolled out to the middle of it. As if she were checking for the first drop of rain, she raised her hand to Nathan and implied he should join her.
Nathan glanced back and saw an eighteen-wheeler bearing stripped tree trunks that rocketed toward her from down the road. It took a curve and roared closer, oblivious to what waited ahead and going much too fast to stop before it hit her.
“Do you have it in you?” she asked him, remaining perfectly still.
Hesitating, Nathan’s leg jerked, but he couldn’t bring himself to step forward.
“Save me!” she cried, pulling the one string that would always make him jump. Responding, Nathan leapt into the road, preparing to lift her and carry her off to safety, but Eve set her hand on his chest to stop him. She twisted him around to face the oncoming truck, which was only seconds away.
The truck flashed its headlights, blared its horn, and slammed on its brakes, but collision was already unavoidable.
“Don’t look away!” Eve scolded Nathan when he tried to flinch. They were close enough to see the bugs stuck in the front grate and the driver in the cab turning the wheel and hiding his face. Nathan’s eyes ballooned into puffy pockets of terror.
He opened his mouth to scream, but a hand covered his eyes at the last second. The wind and the noise suddenly stopped. The air, no longer carrying the impending certainty of impact, had become much warmer. Nathan took a deep breath and gazed into Eve’s placid face when she removed her hand.
Blinking, he began to take in their new surroundings. They were standing on a rocky cliff, and the sun hinted that it was just after dawn. No one else was around, and the hanging clouds made it seem like they were pretty high up.
“Where are we?” he gasped at the green landscape stretching out below them.
“We’re together,” she answered, batting her eyelashes. “Oh, but if you mean the location, it’s Kyushu in the south of Japan.”
The last thing Nathan noticed was that his hand was intertwined with Eve’s.
“It looks like I caught you,” he said, smiling though still a bit dazed.
“Yes, you did. I believe that earns you one kiss. Of course, you could go double-or-nothing if you’ve got the guts,” she taunted. Raising her eyebrows, Eve had a way of looking down on Nathan even though she was a few inches shorter than him.
“What are the stakes?” he asked, tugging her arm and pulling her against him.
“I don’t know. What comes after kissing?” she asked. Feigning innocence, she leaned in to kiss him, but he pushed her away.
“Good choice,” Eve said, but she was now over ten feet above him up the cliff face. Nathan had blinked and she’d vanished. “Let’s see if we can put those muscles to work.”
Sitting and letting her legs dangle over the rock, Eve waved to Nathan and beckoned for him to reach her. The rock face was steep though not vertical, and he had to scrape and claw the dewy rock to ascend each ledge.
Nathan shook his head and snorted as he reached for Eve and found her significantly further up the mountainside.
“You didn’t think it would be so easy, did you? You’re barely sweating!” she cackled.
Nathan realized he had started to sweat, though that was more due to the temperature than the exertion. He stripped off his coat, revealing a gray t-shirt stretched tight around his muscles. A tiny streak of sweat darkened a patch of fabric in the center of his chest. Leaping to catch the next ledge, Nathan strained his shoulder muscles and triceps to drag himself onto the top of it.
Though he was breathing hard and working his entire body, Eve had one leg over the other and was watching him climb.
“You know, Nathan, I used to say a lot to you about how much I loved your selflessness and all that junk, but really all it takes for you to turn me on is to crawl around in a sweaty t-shirt.”
“I thought you loved me for my brilliant observations,” Nathan huffed, drawing closer to her. Covering her mouth and glancing down at him, Eve laughed.
“Is that what you think? Baby, the stuff in your head is hardly the most impressive meat on your body.”
Nathan stopped and stared at her, resenting her remark.
“You’ve just completely stopped giving any thought to what you say, haven’t you? It can be pretty insensitive,” he said, but Eve scoffed at him.
“You love it. Don’t lie!”
She snickered to herself as Nathan fought to reach her. He was pushing himself hard, and his face began to grow red from the effort. Shimmying onto another ledge, his hand shot out to grab her foot, but she was already further up the mountain.
“You bl
inked,” she shrugged. Where she was standing, the incline became much less severe and the mountain’s peak became visible. Clouds above them were darker, and the air had a strange charge. The ground beneath their feet rumbled, making them both stumble and scramble to catch their footing.
“What was that?” Nathan screeched. The shaking had knocked him onto his hands and knees.
“Felt like geological activity to me. You couldn’t figure that out on your own?” she jabbed.
“You’ve got to stop that!” he demanded, getting visibly angry.
“Why don’t you come over here and make me?” she goaded him, turning tail and trotting up the mountainside.
Nathan was tired, but he jogged forward, maneuvering over the rocky incline as best he could. Eve had barely moved at all and was much fleeter on her feet, and she had no trouble running just beyond his reach.
All around them, there weren’t any trees or vegetation anywhere. It looked like they were on the moon.
“You aren’t staring at my butt are you?” Eve chided him. “Because that’s degrading.”
The ground shook again, bringing them both to a stop. Nathan, his hands on his knees, was struggling to catch his breath. A few yards above him, Eve turned her back to the peak and broached a greedy, frantic smile.
“This is going to be great,” she shuddered. The mountain continued to shake as smoke and steam leaked through the top beyond. Nathan stared in awe at the fiendish young woman who was savoring the eruption taking place in front of them. The first red plume shot into the sky, molten rock releasing the first strands of a cloud of dust.
“You’re crazy!” Nate barked at her. “How could you bring me here?”
Wreathed in flame, Eve waved her arm across her head to echo another streak of lava spraying into the air. They were so close they could see it leaking over the edges of the peak, and the air already felt scorching hot.
“I can see the genius of what she did now, and I can’t blame her one tiny bit. I’ve toyed with so many throughout the millennia, not giving them the slightest clue of what I am before I extinguished them, but never could I have imagined the addictive delight of keeping one alive that the universe had marked for death.”