Games of Fire

by Airicka Phoenix

  “I guess this means I won’t be able to sneak into your room at night,” he pressed into the skin of her neck, making her shiver. “No more waking up together in the morning or staying up late talking.”

  There was disappointment working up inside her, but she couldn’t seem to keep a hold of it when the tips of his fingers were slipping beneath the hem of her shirt to touch a strip of flesh exposed between her jeans and shirt.

  “Stop,” she breathed just for his ears. “Someone will see.”

  His chest expanded and shuddered as he exhaled. “It’s going to take some getting used to.”

  “What?”

  “Not seeing your face first thing in the morning.” He raised his head and lightly brushed his nose against her cheek in his search for her lips. “It was one of my favorite parts of the day.”

  “And the others?”

  He drew back just enough to rest his brow on hers. “Kissing you good morning. Having breakfast with you. Watching you read while I protected you from zombies.” He grinned when she giggled. “Getting into bed with you at night. Holding you close. Listening to your breathing soften as you fell asleep. Smelling your hair in my face. Hearing you whisper my name in your sleep … ”

  Her eyes lifted to his face, her cheeks pink. “I’ll miss those things, too.”

  “Sophie?” The rest of the crew in the room had already risen to their feet, making signs of leaving.

  Sophie rose, hand still in Spencer’s as he followed suit. “What’s the plan?” she asked her father.

  “We’re going home,” he said, still beaming. “We’re going to sleep in our own beds and not worry about a thing and then this weekend we’ll all go out to eat somewhere.”

  She could live with that, the whole making future plans part and doing inconsequential things. It took a little while for it to fully set in that it was all finally over, but by the time her driveway bumped into view and she was peering at the beauty of her home, it was a full blown slam in the chest. It was finally over. Her family was safe. She wouldn’t have to wonder if some maniac was going to hurt them. She was finally safe. She could go back to her life, to her friends! The only real change was the charred state of the garage, but otherwise, she was home!

  “Baby?” Spencer touched her cheek, brushing away the single tear that had slipped. “What’s wrong?”

  She laughed, doing a little whirl. “Nothing!” she exclaimed, throwing her arms around him. “Not a damn thing!”

  He chuckled, lifting her off her feet for a second. He set her down, but kept his arms crushingly tight around her. “It’s over, baby.”

  It was her turn to press her face into his shoulder and close her eyes. It was over. It was all over.

  In the shadows, a plume of air washed through the dark, whispering to the night of relief.

  She was back.

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  “Sophie!”

  The reverberating shout sliced through the chaos of Sophie’s first day back to school. She barely had enough time to turn when she was tackled by a mass of blonde that seemed to wind around her throat and choke the breath out of her.

  “Jess?” she squeaked, prying long, pale arms from around her bruised neck.

  “Jess, you’re killing her!” Lauren appeared behind Jess, smirking a little, but the gesture was tight, forced.

  Jessie released Sophie, sniffling and wiping snot and tears from her blotchy face with her forearm. “Oh, Sophie, we were so worried! Your phone was off and you weren’t returning our emails or texts … we went to your house and no one answered.” She hiccupped. “No one answered! We thought … ”

  Guilt was a dodge ball sized fist slamming into her chest, knocking the breath from her lungs. She pulled her friend back into her arms. “I’m sorry, Jess. I swear it wasn’t … I never wanted to hurt you guys. It wasn’t safe. The guy found us at the hotel and … I had to! I’m sorry!” She peered over Jessie’s shoulder at Lauren. “I promise I never meant to hurt you guys. I wanted to call.”

  “We’re just so happy you’re okay!” Jessie croaked, pulling back. “We’ve all been going out of our minds with worry.”

  “I’m sorry,” she said again, feeling her own eyes prickle. “I couldn’t even call my parents.”

  “Oh you poor thing!” Jessie’s lower lip trembled.

  Lauren looked nowhere near ready to be as forgiving. “Dude, one phone call. Were they holding you in the basement or something? It would have taken two seconds.”

  “I know! But my parents took my phone and … I couldn’t!”

  A braided strip of hair was flicked over her shoulder dismissively as Lauren turned away. “Whatever.”

  “Lauren!”

  But the girl was sauntering away, head high, back straight. Her anger was a dark cloud following after her.

  “She’ll come around,” Jessie murmured, rubbing Sophie’s arm. “She was just worried! We all were, but she … she was so scared. I mean, I’ve never seen Lauren scared, not even when we walked into that horror movie by mistake once and I was ready to pee myself. She completely fell apart, So. I mean, she was so scared!”

  “I didn’t mean to scare her,” Sophie said, feeling like the lowest form of slimy. “I really wasn’t allowed to call anyone. The police told me not to and … I wanted to! I swear. I missed you guys so much.”

  Jessie offered her a small, wet smile. “I know, So. Lauren’ll come around. Just give her a little time.”

  Taking Sophie’s arm, Jessie guided her towards the cafeteria, chattering on about all the things Sophie had missed in her two weeks of absence from school. She talked about how Brian and Tiffany were back together again and sitting at their regular table and how Roy had cornered Lauren and demanded to know why she didn’t want to be with him, but sends her friends to beat on him. Sophie objected the latter.

  “I didn’t beat on him!”

  Jessie giggled. “I know, but Lauren was so infuriated. Secretly though, I think she liked it.”

  “What the hell’s going on there anyway? I thought Lauren was crazy about the guy.”

  Jessie sighed, shaking her head. “I don’t know. She won’t tell me. I’ve tried. She just says she doesn’t want him, which I know is such a huge lie.”

  They reached the bustle of the cafeteria. Sophie’s gaze instantly went to work searching for one face amongst the crowd, two gray eyes she hadn’t seen since that morning. She was so lost in her search, she missed the figure marching towards her until it was too late.

  She was grabbed, the hold bruising. Her feet left the ground and she was slammed into what felt like a wall, face first. All the oxygen in her lungs escaped in a choked wheeze. Her ribs creaked. There was an unnatural tingle in her lips before she was just as abruptly released.

  Joe stared at her with eyes too wide and shiny. His hands were still clamped like bands of steel around her upper arms as he just stared at her as if she were the best thing he’d ever seen in his life.

  “You’re back,” he breathed. “Where have you been? Why didn’t you phone me? Do you have any idea how worried I’ve been?”

  “I’m sorry!” she said for what felt like the millionth time. “I didn’t have a choice.”

  Joe shook his head. “I knew I should have done something sooner. I knew I shouldn’t have left you by yourself!”

  Sophie frowned. “Joe, I wasn’t by myself! I had my parents and Spencer.”

  His face tightened. “Rowth,” he muttered as if the word was something foul. “Yeah, a lot of good he did you. If you had listened to me from the beginning, you would have been safe!”

  “I’m fine!” She offered him a smile. “The guys were arrested and won’t be coming out for a very long time.”

  “But it would never have happened if you had stayed away from that party like you should have!” The ferocity in those words sent a cold chill down her spine, but she forced the unease away and patted him lightly on the arm.

  “Come on. I brought cold cut
s today.”

  But Joe didn’t move. He stood staring at her for what felt like an eternity, seemingly having a silent debate with himself regarding her. It was hard to tell which side won when he looked queasy as he spoke.

  “The dance is in a few days,” he said with a tone that was a little too husky. “This Friday.”

  Sophie had forgotten all about the dance and couldn’t believe how quickly it had come around. She turned to Jessie who was staring down at her feet, looking like she was trying not to listen.

  “Have you and Lauren already gone shopping yet?” Sophie asked.

  Jessie shook her head. “We were waiting for you to come back so we could go together.”

  Sophie smiled at her, hoping to ease the sadness from her eyes. “Did you want to go tomorrow after school? We could drive into New West.”

  Jessie nodded, smiling slightly. “I’ll let Lauren know.” She pulled her phone out and began texting as she hurried away, leaving Sophie to turn to Joe.

  “Are you going?”

  Joe shifted ever so slightly. “Well, I was hoping … ”

  “You should!” Sophie insisted when he faltered. “I want you to come.”

  He blinked, straightening. “Really?”

  Sophie smiled. “Of course!” She slipped her arm through his. “It wouldn’t be the same without you and I would miss you.”

  “Oh … okay!” he said, his shoulders relaxing.

  She guided him towards their table, which was remarkably a whole lot emptier than it used to be. Jessie was there, head still bent over her phone, thumbs a blur over the keys, but the rest of the group, Brian and Roy and the others, were back to their table on the other side of the room. Brian glanced up when Sophie spotted him. His face broke into a wide grin. He raised the arm not draped around Tiffany’s shoulder and waved, pointing to an empty spot at the table. Sophie waved back, but pointed to her table with a shrug. He shrugged back, still grinning.

  Chuckling, Sophie glanced at Joe. “What happened while I was gone? What’s with the divide of the tables?”

  “Hey, Blondie.” The low, husky murmur caressed every nerve ending in her body the way silk glides on flesh. It whispered into her ear, toying with her senses until she was lightheaded and breathless when she whipped around.

  “Spencer!” She threw her arms around him, burying her face into his neck and closing her eyes.

  Behind her, Joe grunted and stomped over to the table and sat next to Jessie.

  Spencer kissed the top of her head. “Miss me?”

  She chuckled. “Yes.” Too much.

  The last part wasn’t said out loud, but his arms tightened around her. “I missed you, too, baby.” He drew back to search her face. “How has your first day back been? Mine’s been endless.”

  Sophie sighed, touching his chest. “I think we’ve been used to not having to do anything for two weeks. I already have a month’s worth of homework and that’s only from two classes.”

  He nodded, slipping an arm around her shoulder. “Me too.”

  They sat at the table across from Jessie who set her phone down and smiled at Spencer. “Hello!”

  Spencer smiled back. “Hey.”

  Jessie switched her gaze to Sophie. “Lauren’s on her way.”

  No sooner had she said it when the leggy beauty appeared at their table. She dumped her book bag on the floor and flopped down on Jessie’s other side. “I’ve decided I’m going to just drop out of school and live in a refrigerator box behind Bill’s.”

  Jessie giggled. “Ms. Anes still giving you a hard time with that essay?”

  Lauren grumbled something that would have earned her a year’s worth of detention if a teacher had heard under her breath. “She hates me.”

  “She does not!” Jessie argued. “Besides, this will make you feel better. Sophie wants to know if you’d like to go shopping tomorrow after school.”

  Lauren blinked as if surprised to find Sophie sitting across from her. It was an exaggerated flutter of her eyes like in the movies where they clutch their chest in horrified confusion. Thankfully she didn’t go that far.

  “Oh! I forgot you were back.” She waved a hand. “We were just getting used to you bailing on us.”

  “Lauren!” Sophie pleaded. “I said I was sorry!”

  “Give her a break, Laur!” Jessie said at the same time.

  “They would have killed her or worse if they’d gotten their hands on her,” Spencer said casually, but with a hard, steely undertone that axed all conversation at the table. “They found her at the hotel which meant somehow, they were able to track her. The only way to keep her safe was to go underground for a few days. She didn’t do it to be malicious. Unless you would rather she be your friend in the afterlife instead.”

  Lauren’s rapid eye movement wasn’t exaggerated this time. “Excuse me?”

  Spencer shrugged, tearing open his paper bag. “I’m just saying. It was either not talk to her for a few days and still have her alive or … ”

  Lauren’s mouth opened and closed a few times. Her eyes darted between Sophie and Spencer as if waiting for someone to jump out and say, fooled you! But when no one moved or spoke. She pressed her lips together.

  “She could have still texted!”

  “My parents took my phone,” Sophie said. “And Spencer’s. We didn’t even go outside for a week and a half!”

  Lauren eyed her narrowly, something of the old Lauren sparkling behind the stare. “Did you have fun?”

  “No!” Sophie said automatically. “It was horrible.”

  “Hey!” Spencer said.

  Lauren burst out laughing. “Okay, fine. I forgive you, but next time, you keep a sister informed!”

  Sophie smiled. “Let’s hope there won’t be a next time.”

  “Amen!” Lauren muttered, exhaling. “That shit was scary.”

  A moment of tense silence fell over the table. It was broken by Jessie.

  “So what happened?”

  Sophie told them everything about their move into the hotel room and finally the card that sent her to live with Spencer’s father for a little over a week.

  “The detectives phoned my dad and told him that someone had tipped them off on these guys and when they were arrested, they found evidence that they’d done it and they confessed to everything,” she finished.

  Lauren frowned. “They confessed? Just like that? Who were these guys?”

  “Dad said they were the same ones from the party. One of the apparently rolled over, spilling everything.”

  Lauren was still frowning, but Jessie beamed. “I am just so glad it’s over!”

  “Why were these guys after you?” Lauren interrupted.

  Sophie shrugged. “I guess to get even for what I did? I don’t know. The police are still trying to figure it all out.”

  “Setting a person’s house on fire seems a bit extensive for a few scratches on the face,” Lauren mused. “I mean were these guys crazy or something?”

  “I don’t know.”

  But Lauren wasn’t listening. “And who tipped them off? That doesn’t make sense. If all three were arrested, then who was the person who snitched? It clearly wasn’t one of them, right? And what kind of evidence did they find?”

  Unease had begun to froth in Sophie’s stomach. A cold chill crept along her spine, curling around the base of her neck, making her shudder. Why hadn’t she thought to ask these questions?

  “Hey.” Spencer placed a soothing hand on her spine. “None of that matters. The police will sort it out. What matters is that those assholes are in jail where they belong and they can’t hurt you.”

  Lauren noticed the pallor of Sophie’s face and winced. “Hey, don’t listen to me. This is what happens when you watch too much CSI.”

  Sophie tried to smile, but the numbing grip around her refused to be shaken. She busied herself opening her lunch bag and removing her lunch. She passed a sandwich over to Joe.

  He caught her gaze. “I won’t let
them near you again,” he said softly.

  The hand moving rhythmically over the ridges of her spine faltered, but just as quickly, resumed.

  “So are we good for shopping tomorrow?” Jessie asked, abruptly changing the subject.

  It was set. They would all somehow pack into Lauren’s tiny Coop and drive to Gilford Mall. Sophie wasn’t sure how they were going to accomplish this feat and was a little impressed and amused when Spencer and Joe didn’t so much as blink an eyelash when they mysteriously got dragged into the adventure. Sophie tried to warn Spencer that there would be a lot of stores and whole lot of trying on dresses, but he just shrugged.

  “I can watch.” He leaned in close to whisper into her ear. “Maybe we can stop at a lingerie store if I’m a good boy?”

  Sophie blushed, elbowing him. “Quit that!”

  He snickered, pressing a kiss to her cheek.

  The next day, Lauren picked her and Spencer up with Jessie already in the car. They left her driveway and headed out of River Port towards Surrey.

  “Where’s Joe?” she asked.

  “Not coming,” Jessie said from the passenger’s side. “His mom wasn’t feeling well.”

  Sophie’s lips made an O of understanding and she let the matter drop.

  They arrived at the mall and instantly hit all the dress shops. Sophie knew straight away that she wouldn’t find very much. All the good dresses were already snatched up and what was left was drab and so not her style, not that it stopped Lauren from forcing her to test most of them out.

  By the ninth store, Sophie was ready to go home.

  “Having fun yet?” she asked Spencer, who had yet to complain through all of that. He casually walked beside them, waited while she was forced into change rooms, and then walked just as casually back out with them.

  He shrugged. “It’s not so bad.”

  She scowled. “Really?”

  “Could be worse,” he said as if that were possible.

  Sophie decided to just ignore him. The guy clearly had some kind of issue. How could he not be losing his mind? She was the one doing the shopping and she was bored stiff.

  “Hey, I want to go check something. I’ll catch up with you guys in a little bit, okay?” He was gone before she could beg him to take her with him.