Night of Terror: Pt 5

Recap ---

...The ride was so slow from stopping at each floor and opening, which added another two or maybe ten minutes, so she made herself comfortable against the inside wall by sitting down. Kale was staring at her and she patted the space next to her for him to sit beside her.

He took the two steps and sat down, not against her, but close. He wanted to make sure the friend thing was alright, first.
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Okay, now here is Chapter Five...hope you enjoy!

"So…" He felt weird so close to her, and didn’t know what to say, didn’t know what he meant to say.

"So?"

"Actually, I don’t know, you know? Okay, that sounded really retarded."

She was laughing by the time he finished and he stopped just to listen to the sound of it.

"My, we’re in a funny mood huh?" She glanced at him and didn’t see him smile like she thought or even laugh, or come up with something to tease her about. He was staring so intently at her, she felt self-conscious, uneasy. Something she never felt around him before. She kind of liked it. She forgot how she tensed and went hot with nervousness, and she forgot that he was supposed to be her best friend. Her mind blanked and she looked back. His eyes were smoldering, and that scared her. They were best friends, buddies, pals, whatever friends were called, and friends didn’t look at the other friend with wanting. But she liked it, she wanted him too.

Neither made a sound, just stared with secret longing. She noticed how he was uptight and strained looking, how he was leaning so subtly toward her, the way his dark russet eyes turned almost black with desirable fire. She felt immovable, he did that to her. Her eyes were pressed faintly wide from suppressed shock. She didn’t think he could want her, less look at her like he does. But he continued to stare into her astonished blue eyes. Her eyes weren’t even that great to look at. Pale blue, almost grey, was a color simply not amazing.

"You have the prettiest eyes," Kale whispered, set on proving her thoughts wrong. His voice was husky, sounding like nothing she’d ever heard before. Low and deep, almost overwhelmed with a hoarse noise from deep in his throat. The whispered words spoken had her looking at his mouth. Big mistake. The soft curve of his full lips, the faint red tint, and she couldn’t help but imagine what they would feel like beneath hers. At that thought she was embarrassed. He was Kale for Christ’s sake! Her best friend, but his eyes, his mouth and his heavy breathing kept interrupting those thoughts.

Her throat was suddenly dry, thick. She moved her tongue across her lower and upper lip to moisten them. His eyes, for the first time, moved from hers and followed the movement. Something in his eyes flared and he felt like he couldn’t contain the wanting any longer. But he didn’t want to risk their friendship. She had to know how he felt and he couldn’t decide whether he would be hurt if she didn’t show the same interest, or relieved because she might not like him back. What if she didn’t want him? What if she didn’t feel the same way? What if something did possibly happen and she regretted it? What if he regretted it? He was wondering if it would be like kissing his sister. That was a thought he didn’t want to think about and he blanked it out.

He forced his eyes back to hers and she gazed with obvious wanting. He knew her so well. It was hidden, like most of her emotions, but he saw it buried in the back of her eyes. God, he loved those eyes, like everything else about her. The electric blue of them, if ever so faint, was like a calm sea, you could get lost in a place like that, her eyes.

He bended further, closer to her. He was so close to her, he could hardly breathe. No, forget breathing, he could hardly think. She was watching him carefully, looking deep into his eyes as if to read what he was thinking. She was an observant one, he knew. There’d been more than one time that she’s guessed what was on him mind, and this was no different.

It had to be plain what he was thinking. He wasn’t a pervert, but he couldn’t help but imagine what she looked like without her black skinny jeans, plain purple tee and fleece jacket. Really, though, he just wanted to know what her lips felt like beneath his. If they felt as smooth as they look or what her hair would feel like beneath his hands. To run his fingers through her hair seemed almost like a forced action. It looked too silky and too smooth, shining in the restrained light above. He couldn’t help but move his hand up, reaching out, to actually feel the soft waves beneath his hand. His hand was slightly shaking, trembling from his own unmistakably unreasonable actions and he knew she wouldn’t miss the movement. He couldn’t even acknowledge Mae; he was too far gone in his thoughts.

Mae gazed helplessly as she felt his hand delve into her thick hair, now possessed by him. She was completely unprepared as he moved his fingers gently through her hair to come to rest back down on the ground, supporting his weight. She missed his hand immediately, his warmth and steely strength, if only expressed in that one part of his body. Her gaze was alarmed, must have been from the missing heat because she couldn’t account for any other reason for her startled expression.

"I’m sorry," he murmured, so soft, so gently, and looked down, away from her penetrating stare.

She was leaning towards him, glancing between his eyes and mouth. Like overcome by another being, she felt unconnected from herself, so entirely unaware of her actions and the outcome of what would happen.

"It’s…fine," she breathed and tilted her head fractionally, eyes closing. Neither could think, surrendering in absolute defeat, their lips touched. At that softest contact, Kale closed his eyes and yielded into her featherlike touch, mesmerized. Definitely not like kissing his sister. He couldn’t believe this was happening, couldn’t cope, but felt almost certain this would have happened, without a doubt. He would have made it happen. It was just too good to be true.

Their years, if only three, rained down on them, and Mae was so fascinated by the feeling that she wanted more, and didn’t even think about their friendship and what this kiss might bring afterward, just simply enjoyed.

Kale sagged against the back of the wall of the elevator and wrapped his arm around her waist, reveling in just the feel of her in his arms, so soft and pliant, and pulled her close. She rested her arms on his shoulders, taking pleasure in the hard strength beneath her arm, the tough sensation.

She couldn’t believe she was doing this, but kissed him harder just the same. Running her fingers through his hair, like he’d done, was so suggestive in just the act itself; she couldn’t help but move restlessly and kiss harder. His hands were moving up and down along her back, trailing fire in their wake, and one reached her neck, pulling her closer still, kissing her passionately back, like he was starving for her.

Her breathing was heavy, and oxygen was coming faster, harder to get, but she felt if she moved, she moment would be ruined, crushed. She didn’t want to do that, especially when the moment was so perfect. Of course, all things have to end. No matter how utterly breathtaking, or phenomenal, or sensational they are.

Neither of them had even noticed the elevator, let alone know they were in one. So when it reached the last floor and it they heard the rush of air as it stopped, they jumped apart, wrecking everything. Moment ruined, they sat looking at each other, embarrassed and shocked together at what they’d done. She was mortified, they both were, but not nearly enough to regret what happened. They weren’t that horrified, not quite.

Because of the pulley’s unmistakably old age, it didn’t open by itself like the newer sophisticated ones. You had to pull on the wall, shoving your hand into a slot and pull that aside when the cage eventually pulled back, if it did at all. Remember, old. So thankfully, if Nick and Stacy were waiting, they hadn’t witness Kale and Mae’s…encounter, if so mildly put.

"Mae…"

"Kale…" They spoke at the same time, and Mae let loose a nervous laugh. Talk about awkward. Standing she coughed, panicking about what he meant to say, or would say.

Getting to his feet was one of the hardest things Kale had ever had to do. It was like she’d put him under a spell and told him to stay put, never to move again. His legs felt rubbery, the numbness of a five mile run’s effects. He was still breathing raggedly, and was hesitant. He had no clue whatsoever about how she felt. The kiss itself spoke of how she could feel. Could. He knew enough that just because you can want back and kiss back, didn’t exactly mean you could feel the same way back.

"Listen, I…" he was broken off by Nick’s voice.

"Hey, I know you guys are here, so why don’t you come on out. I know it’s a little tough to face the winner, when you’ve so desperately lost, but I swear, I won’t go too hard on you." Anyone would hear the fake promise and false smile in that sentence, his smile in his voice that he managed not to hide so successfully.

"Oooh, hey Kale? Did you finally get her? And you know what I mean." Mae’s face flushed bright red.

"And Mae? Sorry that was so open, we all know what went on and don’t be embarrassed. It was bound to happen sometime." He was sighing at the end, obviously pleased about what he thought happened, and…did happen.

They still hadn’t come out of the elevator and everything was starting to feel quite ridiculous.

Mae and Kale looked at another and Kale mouthed, "Nothing happened." She nodded. If Nick found out, they’d never live to see the light again. Or in this case, never regain composure and the right skin tone. Meaning, Nick would never, and by never, she meant never, let them forget if he found out they’d kissed in the elevator, and never would let her distinctive blush fade, it would most definitely remain permanent. Life would not be worth living.

He again added to the "nothing happened" by taking his hand and running it across his throat; an obvious signal that they would be dead if Nick knew. She laughed and he smiled.

Pulling on the wall separating them from Stacy and Nick, they walked out and towards them sitting on a bench sitting outside one of the offices.

"Well, it’s about time. I was beginning to think Kale attacked you again." She about died on the spot. Apparently, he was going to give them crap, or at least until they told him exactly what did go on. Even if he didn’t know, he still knew how to get you ready to run for your life, or like now, ready to sock him in the face. Whichever you preferred. And she totally and completely wanted to sock him. She was pretty sure he could read her thoughts because his face broke out into a wide grin.

"Well this is pretty lame, don’t you think? First, the never ending teasing; and second, it’s not much fun playing with someone when you know they’re cheating." Kale did have a way of getting to the point.

"Playing?" Nick was smirking and Mae wanted to slap it right off his gloating face.

"Playing, riding elevators, whatever…same thing. Just shut up and we’re going to do something else. There is absolutely no fun in this at all and I’m tired of all you’re crap." There, she finally let it out.

Unfortunately, everyone was carefully unsurprised at her rant, and dismissed it almost immediately. So much for letting off her steam.

"Okay then, why don’t we play a little game?" Jeez, Nick was the worst.

"Sure, whatever." She went to the opposite wall beside the elevators and sat on the floor. Kale was still standing and eventually decided to lean against the wall; which was good for her, more convenient. She wouldn’t have to look at his tall, lean body and imagine…okay, okay, enough of that. She refocused her thoughts.

She’d never been on the sixth floor before and was observing the build.

When you walked out of either elevator, you would see a bench beside doors that led to offices behind them. She guessed the carpenters didn’t feel the need to put in those fancy clear doors up here.

There was no wall to the left but a short walk to the right led to a long hallway with doors on flanking both sides and a window at the very end. And no such décor was available. Walls that were plain white tended to be a little unnerving if stared at for too long.

"What? Are we going to play Seven Minutes in Elevator Heaven?" Kale seems to be very creative tonight, Mae thought.

"No, that’s too easy." Nick brushed off the thought smoothly and went on to say, "How about Truth or Dare?"

"C’mon Nick, what are we? Twelve? Can’t you be a little more mature?" Mae asked. She was getting a little tired of Nick and his games. Well, really, just Nick.

"I am mature."

"Uh-huh."

"But that’s not what’s important." He paused and cut her off when she was ready to say something. "What is is I have to use the bathroom. And you and Kale can figure out whether you’re too wimpy to play a simple game of Truth or Dare." With that he walked off, and obviously, with Stacy clinging to his side.

"I’m kinda thinking this isn’t going to be simple," Kale said to her. She nodded. For some reason, she couldn’t talk normal around him when the others weren’t here. But then, that could be because she was focusing all her resentment towards Nick and not really even thinking about Kale. Weird.

Now that she was thinking about him, she wondered what things were going to be like now. Were they together? Not exactly. Did he like her? Possibly. Did he want to change their relationship? Probably not. Did he regret kissing her? That, she didn't know, and it was successfully bugging the crap out of her. She should just ask. But if al her assumptions were right, that would be extremely humiliating. It would be better to leave things unsaid. For both of them.