Chapter 231
By the time the Turks arrived, it was already evening, and they had to land the chopper fairly far away to avoid being heard. Which meant I had to leave the clearing for a while in order to pick them up and lead them back to the camp. The hike was probably going to take little over an hour, and I hoped that I managed to find it as easily as Red had this morning.
They were waiting by the chopper when I reached them right before dark, and when I saw them I was almost knocked back a step or two. They were in combat gear once again, and seeing Reno like that was something I simply couldn't get used to. Actually, I could get used to it, but he was so badass looking that it hurt my heart. They all looked like they meant business. Guess crawling through the mud in a suit wasn't all that.
I absentmindedly wondered where this Jack was at. I hadn't met her yet, and the only ones here were Elena –who was looking at me more mildly than she ever had, probably due to my involvement in retrieving Rude– and Reno and Rude, who looked fine and good as new. No sign of a newbie. Maybe she was still in training and excluded from actual work for the time being. I'd never really thought about it before, but I imagined one couldn't just 'get started' as a Turk. Maybe she had to go through some seriously killing boot camp.
Tseng wasn't there, but if they had no intention of having a confrontation there was no reason for him to come along. Reno was capable enough as second in command, and he knew what Tseng expected of him.
Ollie had come along though, and I was glad he'd managed to make it in time before they left without him. I was fairly sure that Reno was happy to take him along, seeing as he kept teasing Ollie about joining their ranks. It was an idea that made me both happy and concerned at the same time. He was holding up a large brown bag that by the looks of it was filled with food, and I hurried over to him to snatch it out of his hands.
"Someone's famished," Reno chortled as I dug through the contents and found some chocolate cookies.
"Hush," I shushed him while stuffing a cookie in my mouth. "I haven't eaten since… Well…" I thought for a moment and realized I couldn't remember the last time I had eaten. After getting back from our mission in the casino, I'd gone straight to bed, and after that, I'd attempted taking a bath, only to rush over to Tifa's and now I was here. "Holy shit, the last time I ate was on my date with Jona." I stuffed another cookie in my mouth to make a point. So what if I got fat, I was hungry.
Ollie hurried to stroll beside me and I shared my cookies with him while I told him all about Jona. He said he'd found the guy still lying in a puddle of mud when he got home from visiting Eva and he'd rolled him down the slope, already expecting things to have gone south. We laughed about the whole ordeal, until I mentioned Jona driving me off to a secluded area and locking the doors so he could force himself on me. A wide variety of colorful curses painted the silent dusk and all I could do was grin and chortle.
"You didn't tell me that part, Foxy." Reno had appeared closely behind me, almost making me trip over my own feet in surprise.
I quickly recovered, though my heart was still hammering in my throat. "Pfff…" I waved it off casually. "As if he stood a chance in forcing me to do something I don't want." Secretly, the experience had been very unpleasant, but it had worked out fine.
"Still kinda wish you would've told me," Reno said, though I didn't detect any anger in his voice, only concern. "I'd have done more than knock him out."
I smiled at him over my shoulder, wanting to reassure him. "Don't worry about it, I think he got the message." Reno had enough to worry about as it was, me getting groped wasn't something he should be adding to that list. "But thanks for looking out for me," I added, thinking he would appreciate the gesture. "Ollie! That's my cookie!"
As we got closer to the forest, we lowered our voices until we were completely silent. Evening had fallen, and I struggled to find my way back to the clearing. Elena sighed a few times along the way, but I ignored it. It'd be the same if I were in her shoes; I wasn't the most patient person either.
Finally, I saw the lights up ahead, and we lowered ourselves instinctively.
We crawled over to the edge of the clearing, bodies close to the ground, side by side, a line of black on the dark forest floor. The undergrowth was thick, covering our forms in the night.
Ollie was on my left, wearing a camouflage eye patch and a matching bandana around his forehead. He'd even painted his face for the special occasion.
Rude was to my right, and had switched his usual sunglasses for actual night-goggles. Nobody had offered me any damn night-goggles. The perks of being a Turk, meant getting the newest and best Shinra technology, like the deadly looking rifle that was strapped to Reno's back. Nobody had offered me any damn rifles. Ollie also wore his on his back, and it too was Shinra made, though an older model.
On Rude's right was Reno, who's change in outfit had my mind in the gutter again. He'd been all geared up back in Midgar, and I hadn't been able to stop myself from gawking at him then. I wasn't able to now, though I think I managed to be discreet about it.
They all looked pretty badass equipped like this, though it made me think that if this was standard issue for stake-outs, I'd come under-dressed. I wasn't wearing a vest of any kind, and cargoes weren't part of my basics. Maybe I should get a pair.
To Reno's right was Elena, who sported a nice looking pair of infra-red binoculars. Another thing no one had offered me. It seemed that with two scoped rifles, a pair of night-goggles and infra-red binoculars, I was the only loser unable to see anything in the dark. Which, truth be told, suited me just fine, since I preferred going in blind anyway. Who needed night vision? I didn't need any such thing to take a little off the top once I got my hands on Corneo.
The small camp was located approximately thirty yards away, mostly shrouded in darkness. This time of night, most of the men, and terrified women, would be resting. Lights were on in a few of the estimated twenty tents, soft murmurs and moans drifting on the wind. The place was otherwise deserted, the large campfire having died down hours ago, leaving behind a smoldering pile of embers. Construction lamps were set up around the perimeter, dimly lighting up the clearing, but casting the tree line in complete darkness. This only worked to our advantage.
"I don't even wanna know what's going on in there," Ollie whispered to me after having observed the place for over an hour. He seemed a little disturbed. "I wanna kick their ass so bad."
We all knew I agreed, so I didn't say anything, but I was glad that at least Ollie had my back. It didn't change anything though, the Turks had been clear on their intentions.
"Yo, Olls," Reno started in a hushed voice from beside Rude. Even though we were fairly far away from even the closest tent, it was still important to be as silent as possible. For all we knew, there were guards around. "Your girl's all right with you bein' here?"
I could almost feel Ollie tense up next to me in reaction to Reno's question. "Actually... Eva and I are on a time-out right now..."
"For real?" Reno seemed genuinely surprised by Ollie's reaction.
"Ollie's moved back in with me for the time being," I replied in Ollie's stead, knowing this was a touchy subject for him. Facing a chance of losing his Eva for good was weighing heavy on his heart, because even though he loved the mercenary life, he loved Eva more.
"No kidding," Reno said to Ollie before his gaze moved over to me, eyes reflecting in the camp lights.
I shrugged and addressed Ollie beside me. "I still think you should let me talk to her."
"And do what?" Ollie argued, sounding determined to keep me miles away from her. "You'll just encourage her to break up with me. No thanks."
The camp before us remained still, another of the lit up tents went dark.
"I wouldn't do that," I assured him. All I wanted to do was make things right between them. "I only want to make her understand that it matters what you want."
"That's easy for you to say," Ollie grumbled under his breath, the words coming out like a hiss on the wind.
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" I demanded. I didn't like the tone of his voice, as if I had no idea what it was like to have feelings for someone, or to take someone else's interests at heart. I was aware that I was pretty selfish, but I would tear down the world for someone I cared for.
"Never mind." Ollie suddenly seemed a lot less confident, already regretting having said anything.
"No, tell me, what were you saying?"
"I just meant that you don't have to answer to anyone," he whispered to me, his intonation soft once more.
"Neither should you," I shot back. He was right though. Incidentally, I'd asked myself whether I would have been lucky enough to get to do whatever I wanted, had I ever found someone to share my life with. Reno would have understood, had we been together, and I would have had to do the same for him, because we were both soldiers. The last thing I would ever want, was to hold him back from how he chose to live his life, which is why I found it so hard to imagine why Eva would do that to Ollie. Maybe things would have been different had I been just a normal girl. "But you're right," I concluded. "Maybe it's better if I stay out of this. I'm not the best relationship counselor, I guess."
Reno snorted from beside Rude, sounding suspiciously sarcastic, and I glared at him. Had he been shoulder to shoulder with me me instead of Rude, I would have punched him in the arm.
"I gotta go take a leak." He expertly ignored my accusing eyes boring into him. "Be right back."
"Hold on, I'm comin' too." Ollie shifted beside me and they crawled backwards the way we'd come.
"What, you're going to hold hands?" Elena asked, and I heard Ollie's soft chuckle come drifting out of the darkness.
While we waited for them to return and for something to happen in camp, Elena handed me her binoculars, telling me that for some reason, she had buried the hatchet. Before, I had thought the only way for her to bury the hatchet would be if she got to bury it in the back of my head, but she seemed to be warming up to me a little. At least, I now felt safe enough being in her presence without looking over my shoulder all the time. I thanked her and let my sights roam over the tents, giving me nothing but stillness.
Reno and Ollie returned shortly after, taking up their positions on the ground beside us.
"Nothing?" Reno asked no one in particular, but Rude answered him as if the question was posed at him.
"Nothing," he said in his deep voice. "One more light going off, one of the men stepped outside and stumbled over to the tree edge on the other side, but he's gone back inside the tent now."
"Huh?" I said, surprised that I had failed to notice that happening, especially with night vision. "When was that?"
"When you were playing with your phone," Rude explained matter-of-factly, seemingly unimpressed by the fact I hadn't been paying any attention to our operation. It was a good thing we had Rude here to do it for us.
"Why is nothing happening?" I said in frustration when another light went out and the camp fell utterly silent. "This sucks."
"It blows chunks. Is this what a stake-out is always like?" Ollie wondered out loud. "Why are you guys dressed up like shit is about to hit the fan when all that's gonna happen is Reno ripping one off?"
"I don't rip," Reno grumbled moodily, though I could tell he was amused. "Be patient, you guys sound like total noobs. For all we know, nothing will happen at all. Besides, nothing should, that ain't why we're here. We're here for intell, keep that in mind."
"We just like to be prepared for anything," Elena explained. "If they spot us things could turn bad."
"Like last time," I mused again, my mouth curling up into an evil smirk.
"Yeah, yeah..." Reno sang irritably, making me snicker.
We all fell silent again, eyes focused on the tents in the clearing. I wondered whether Corneo was going to show his ugly face anytime soon, because the wind was steadily picking up, telling me that rain was on the way. And unlike the Turks beside us, Ollie and I weren't dressed for such an occasion. I really wasn't looking forward to getting drenched in the mud, tired and cold. After another fifteen minutes, Ollie had fallen asleep beside me, and my patience was running thin. I was SOLDIER, and not a very patient one at that. My body yearned for some action.
"Come on, guys, just send me in there," I pleaded out loud after the question had ran through my head at least thirty times over. "I can get him out for you."
"No." Reno simply refused my request. "We ain't even sure he's in there. We stay put and observe."
"Screw you," I cursed, hating him at the moment. "I need something to do. I'm not a girl-scout. Ollie's fallen asleep with his face in the mud, and I'm bored out of my damn mind."
"Then go take a walk," Reno said softly, not taking his eyes off the camp. "Be quiet about it though. And don't lose your way. I ain't comin' out there to find your ass if you get lost."
Grumpy much?
I wondered what had been going through his mind for him to say something like that. His voice had been gentle, he hadn't come across as annoyed or truly irritated, but something told me his thoughts had been elsewhere, and I had pulled him from that train. I couldn't read his mood, but it felt darker to me than before, as if something suddenly bothered him. Perhaps he was disappointed in himself for Corneo still being alive?
"I could use some stretching too," Elena chimed in, fighting back a massive yawn and failing. "This hard ground is killing my knees."
"Let's go," I decided, suddenly feeling the need to get away from this place. "I'm so bored I'll even team up with you," I said to Elena, making her chuckle in response. It was a response I had rarely seen her give me, if ever. "Don't suddenly wake Ollie up," I warned Rude beside me before I started retreating back into the trees, Elena having already disappeared. "He'll scream bloody murder and wake up the whole forest. Just… nudge him a little, but be gentle about it."
The moment we entered the thick of the woods, the rain started to fall, just as I had feared. Elena cursed under her breath and pressed herself against a tree, taking shelter under the leaves.
"Actually, I need to pee too," she said to me in a hushed voice, as if she were sharing some company secret. "But it's a little embarrassing, don't you think? Guys just say it like it is, but I can't just go about telling everyone I have to go."
"Just go take a piss, Elena," I replied, still not fully trusting her sudden change of attitude towards me.
Maybe she was grateful for my help with saving Rude, but that didn't mean she had gotten over all the ways I had wronged Reno in her opinion.
"You're so crude!" she scolded and disappeared around the tree, where I heard her clothes rustle. I imagined it was a hassle with the weapons belt and all the weapons strapped to her cargo. Boys had it easy. "You may think that I'm just pretending to be nice to you," she said from behind the tree, the sound of her clattering being drowned by the sound of the increasing rainfall. "But I'm willing to accept you. You saved Rude, and you saved Tseng. Maybe...maybe you're not so bad." She reappeared at my side, buckling her belt. "I'm not saying I like you, but I'm willing to be neutral towards you."
I blinked at her for a long moment, as the rain started to soak my clothes and hair. "...Thanks? I guess?" I had no idea what else to say to that. She would try to be neutral? None of the things going on between me and Reno were actually any of her business, but I guessed I could live with 'neutral'.
She smiled at me hesitantly. "You ready to go back, or do you need to...?"
"No, I'm good," I replied instantly. I wasn't about to drop my pants in enemy territory. "I just wanted to take walk. You go on back, I'll be fine. Tell Reno I promise I won't get lost."
"Are you sure?" she asked me, a little unsure. When I nodded, she handed me her binoculars. "Then take this. If you get deeper into the woods, it'll be pitch black. At least you'll see your way back. This place creeps me out."
"Thanks," I said to her a second time in as many minutes. "I won't be long, don't worry."
I did take a long time. Actually, I had removed myself further from the group, creeping around the clearing and taking up position on the other side of camp. If anything happened, I would be on it before anyone could stop me, because I knew they would. Some part of me understood Shinra's reasoning to want to question Corneo first, and judging by what they had done to Rainman to get him to talk, there was no doubt Corneo was going to have a rough time. But, I wanted him dead, and I wanted to be sure this time. If we had checked three years ago, properly checked, then Corneo wouldn't have been able to fully heal and make his way to the top of the food chain in the Underworld organization. As long as he was breathing, families were suffering, either directly by his hand, or by one of his goons'. This had to end, sooner rather than later. The Turks would never let me do that. Maybe Ollie could keep them busy. They were by now no doubt wondering where I had gone. I was drenched, my clothes sticking to my clammy skin. My hair was dripping and plastered to my neck, making me feel dirty and cold. I shivered as I sat against a tree bark, the place I had been sitting for the passed half hour, occasionally peering through the binoculars Elena had given me. When I took another peek, movement caught my eye. In the very middle of the camp, a tent flap moved aside, revealing the Don himself, dressed in a red robe, holding a large umbrella over his head. My breath caught in my throat at the sight of him, and I froze. Reno's words ran through my mind, telling me to stay put and observe. They were joined by Tseng's obvious order to keep the Don alive, to investigate before making any hasty decisions. True, hasty decisions had never been my friend, and had made me end up in some pretty bad situations, but this was one opportunity I might never get again. I felt torn, weighing the risks and options. Corneo made his way over to the edge of the tent, not too far from my position. His meaty hand was untying the rope around his round waist, telling me he too was about to go and take a leak. What better chance would I get? This was a sign, this was the Universe telling me to get off my butt and end the bastard. I lowered the binoculars, my eyes scanning left and right as my brain worked overtime. Eden Fox didn't think, Eden Fox acted, and it was now or never.
I jumped to my feet, my wet boots slipping in the mud from my sudden move. My fingers already reached for my blade, sliding metal against metal with a clear ring. I vaulted, ignoring the still harder pouring rain and focused my eyes on the target that had his back towards me, standing all alone and abandoned in the night. There was no one around to protect him.
"Oh, no you don't." Fingers suddenly wrapped around my wrist and I was dragged back none too gently.
My attention had been so concerned with my goals, that I hadn't been paying any to my surroundings. I did however, recognize the voice that had spoken. I would recognize it among a thousand others. While trying to wrench my arm free from Reno's grip, I was shocked to see he had his EMR in his hand, ready for use. It surprised me so much that I forgot to defend myself for a moment, and before I knew it, the rod was coming my way fast. I deflected it with my blade, momentarily stunned that he would actually attack me like this. He pushed me back, forcing my blade up and above my head, and before I knew it, I was pinned against the tree I had previously been sitting against. My body didn't fight him, couldn't even if I wanted to. There was no way I could hurt him, and the knowledge that he had just attacked me had me staring up at his wet face wide-eyed.
"I know you too well, Eden," he spoke to me in a whisper, not wanting to alert Corneo over in the camp. He was still determined to keep our presence obscured. There was no amusement in his voice, no hint of his usual playfulness, only true professionalism. Possibly even a hint of disappointment. He was here to do a job, and he would do it, even if I got in the way. Was it true what he said? Did he know me that well? "Did you think it'd come as a surprise to me that you'd dive in first chance you got? That's kinda insulting. You know damn well I can't let you do that. You're ruining our objective. And before you say it," he added quickly when I opened my mouth to speak. "It's obvious that you don't give a shit about our objective. But I do, and you're getting in the way."
"And so you attack me?" I hissed in outrage, not believing that he would do that to me. To me.
I thought we were way passed that. Moreover, the only time he had really attacked me had been in Junon, when I had taken Ollie to go meet Charly for the first time. We'd fought, and he had backed off once he'd hit the ground. Since then, he'd done nothing but help me out. He was even reluctant to hurt me.
"I warned ya," he said, raindrops falling from his flaming hair onto my face in a steady rhythm. Fireflies had come out do do their dance in the rain, and they lit up his face before me. Behind him, I saw Corneo's form disappear back into the tent, the camp becoming still again. "Besides, you would do the same to me," he added. "You threatened me last time, with Rainman. Remember?"
His features were passive, unreadable to me. It was always so easy for him to hide behind his facade, the person he was whenever he was on a mission. His clothes were drenched, the fabric unable to absorb another drop of water, sticking to his form. I struggled against his grip, but my own body failed to obey my commands, and he easily slammed my wrists back into the rough bark.
"Let go of me," I demanded menacingly as I stared him down, getting angrier by the second that he would treat me this way. Him, of all people. My chest rose and fell rapidly, pressing into him with every breath, rain washing down my face in steady streams now. My anger was battled by my own treacherous senses. They betrayed me when I once again noticed how handsome he was, and how close he was pressed into me. His domineering move had caused a spark to ignite inside me, pushing away the chill on my skin. I relaxed a little in his grip, reassuring him that I wasn't about to fight him anymore. I never wanted to fight him again. And I would never hurt him. "I wouldn't have hurt you," I said truthfully. "I was bluffing."
His bright eyes searched mine and I saw a flicker of emotion on his otherwise blank face. "..You say that now..." he mumbled, unable to prevent his gaze from dropping from my own and traveling down. My body liked where this was going, loved the hint of longing that momentarily washed over his face. "I can't trust you, Foxy. This is Turk business. We've spent years on this investigation. I won't let you screw this up in ten seconds, for nothing but your own selfish reasons. So yeah, I will attack you. Ya know how it is. Don't start acting like a damn saint."
There it was again, the confirmation that his job would come first. It was either that, or he would be torn between his loyalty to the Turks, or doing what he wanted to do. At first, years ago, that knowledge had bothered me, because I had thought him an asshole for that reason. Later, I had understood, and even encouraged him and defended him for it, but now, it hurt me. I myself had been the one to convince him to not give up his job only yesterday.
This mission seemed to matter a lot to him, and it seemed I had needed the reprimand again. I inwardly scolded myself for being such a pain in the ass. I grit my teeth and struggled again, but the last thing I wanted was for him to let me go. The only reason I moved so feebly, was to get him to look at me again. Even though I reveled in the way his gaze was roaming over my skin absentmindedly, I wanted him to look me in the eye.
"I'm not playing you," I whispered once our eyes met. "I would never hurt you, no matter what. I –" I bit my lip, his eyes instantly dropping to my mouth. He probably didn't even notice, but he mimicked my gesture perfectly, almost making me moan at the sight of it. I swallowed the sound with tremendous effort, and forced myself to focus on the matter at hand, even though I wanted him to do exactly what was going through his mind right then. "I'll be a good girl and listen to what you say..." I finally managed to form some words, making him look at me in surprise, tearing his eyes away from whatever part of me it was he was gawking at. Hearing me say something like that was like Charly finally admitting he'd never dropped no panties. "I promise," I added more firmly when I saw the doubt on his face.
"Is that right?" he asked me, his voice more husky than it had been a minute ago. "Fine," he concluded when I nodded at him subtly, secretly hoping he would decide to hold me closer and give me a re-run of our night at my house.
Or maybe even a little more. A lot more, maybe. Then again, it had hurt last time when he had made it clear it would just be a one time thing, and some part of me didn't want to go there again. The other part longed for him to take me there, even though I had turned him down last time. It would still be better for the both of us if he let me go and we went back to the others, but something inside me was trying very hard to convince me otherwise.
He sighed and looked away for a moment, as if checking for an audience. Instead of letting go, he then watched me closely, eyes boring into mine. For some reason, I felt like he was asking me some silent question, and there was an internal battle going on inside his head over the silent answer I had just given him. I could only hope my answer had been to his liking.
"Thought you were going to release me?" I asked him, hoping that my voice would shake him from his frozen state and make him do something.
"In a moment," he replied softly, a shadow of resignation passing over his face.
It was that moment that I knew that we were all right again, and that he trusted me. There was no way I wanted to break that trust, now that we felt right again. I would buy Corneo flowers and present them to him on my knees, as long as it meant that Reno and I were friends. I'd known it deep down for a long time now; I couldn't live without Reno anymore, couldn't be without his attentions, and it might actually kill me inside. I hated this mess we were in, hated the confusion that I felt about this. Rufus had ruined things for me, been the final drop in Reno's resolve to abort our mission, but when I stared into his hesitant face, I knew I would never give up this mission. There was conflict in his eyes and that single moment of doubt caused a spark of hope to flare up inside of me.
"Kiss me," I pleaded, and saw his eyes flash at my invitation, his pupils expanding and gobbling up his irises. In the firefly glow, his eyes gleamed with restraint.
"..No." He clenched his jaw, looking frustrated.
"...Please, Reno."
There, I'd done it. I had begged a man, something I had promised myself never to do again. Reno's grip tightened on my wrists momentarily, fingers flexing in response to my imploring. He leaned down an inch, almost giving in. Yet he didn't act, but simply looked down at me while rain dripped from his eyelashes.
"...I can't," he finally whispered.
I felt the moment pass, saw him still fighting that inward battle with himself, and win it in my disfavor. Who said I had to wait for him to act? I was stubborn, and I had a will of my own, and I would not just give up like that. I'd promised myself happiness after all.
I rose on my toes best I could and closed the final few inches between us, catching his lips with mine.
Everything was sleek with rain, but the feel and taste of him were as amazing as ever. He groaned in surrender, having lost the inner struggle in the end. I gave him no chance to change his mind, running my tongue along his lips, forcing them apart. He didn't protest, but accommodated me willingly. More wetness entered my mouth, the cold rain mixing with warm tongue making for a strange, but welcome sensation. I pressed my body forward into him, wanting to run my hands over him, but he was still holding them pinned to the tree, incapacitating me.
"Touch me," I breathed in between kisses, begging him once more.
He released my wrists right away, dragging his fingertips all the way down my arms, caressing the wet, bare skin. I dropped my blade on the floor with a thud and his EMR followed soon after. My veins burned when blood rushed back into my extremities, but I was absorbed by the feeling of him on me, the feeling of his burning kiss. I felt him getting hotter, felt myself light up in his hands. His palms ran over my chest, moving hungrily. Another groan left him, smothered by my own. The need to feel him became overwhelming, the memory of last time pushing images into my head. All the times that I had held myself back from touching him over the past weeks had built up inside me, and now that the restriction had lifted, all my frustration came pouring out. I simply couldn't control myself any longer. Perfection was in my hands, and I didn't want to let go of it ever.
The back of my head scraped against the rough tree bark when he retaliated my assault. I fumbled with the hem under his vest, managing to slip my fingers underneath his shirt and run them up the flat of his stomach. His weapons belt was pressing into my hip, no doubt bruising it, and I was fairly certain that wasn't his gun prodding my thigh. A moan left me at the thought that I did this to him. My fingers curled in pleasure, digging into the smooth, wet skin of his back and into his hair. My body was pinned to the tree as if he were afraid I'd run away after all, the leather of his gloves rough when his hands slipped under my shirt. Fueled by the need to feel and touch more of him, my fingers latched onto his vest, tugging on the clasps impatiently. Being out here in the middle of a dark forest in the pouring rain didn't bother me, I'd waited long enough. Two of the clasps popped open and I wasted no time yanking on the third.
He pulled back slightly, my breath still mingling with his. "Babe..." he panted against my lips. "...We gotta stop."
"No, we don't." My fingers wrapped around the back of his neck, burrowing further into his wet hair and kissed him again.
"Eden, stop," he said more firmly this time, peeling my hands off him. I reached for him again, but he held me back. "We gotta go back." Was he out of his mind? The camp was silent, everyone was asleep, and the others would be fine without us for an hour. At least an hour. There was something else going on, I knew it by the look on his face. Knew it by the fact that he'd resisted me. This was what he wanted, wasn't it? He'd all but requested not long ago on that chopper, even if we both knew it would most likely change nothing between us. What had made him change his mind? In fact, I was surprised he even managed to think with his head right now.
"What's going on?" I reluctantly asked him, afraid to hear the answer.
"I –" He fell silent for a moment, as if contemplating something. My heart dropped back from my throat into my chest. "– I'm with someone now," he finally declared.
"What?" That confession rocked me to the core, confusing me. Why would he do that? Hadn't he been the one who said that-? No, it couldn't be. "No, you're not." I shook my head in denial, but I feared being wrong.
"Yes, I am," he replied firmly, making me stare at him open-mouthed.
I knew him better than this, knew he wasn't interested in seeing anyone. He'd told me as much.
"When did we start lying to each other?" I asked him in a whisper, not bothering to hide the hurt in my voice. It was my turn to be conflicted now, between rage and pain. "If you don't want me, then say so, but don't fucking lie to me," I warned him, feeling tears burning at the back of my eyes.
Whether truth or lie, it hurt either way. He looked me dead in the eye, not saying anything. His jaw was locked tight, as if to prevent himself from saying something he shouldn't. Did this mean he was telling the truth after all? Was it the new recruit? Kate? Or some other random broad? Maybe this girl was a rebound to him, the way I had almost used Jerry for a pity-screw. He hadn't bothered to correct me when I had called him a liar just now, but he hadn't confirmed it either. I opened my mouth to ask him to get real, but he cut me off before I had even made a sound.
"Come on." His voice sounded strained to me, but he stepped away none the less. "Let's get back. I'm trusting you, back off Corneo. I ain't foolin' around, got it?"
"I get it," I mumbled, rubbing my wrist absentmindedly, instant cold coming over me again.
