Don't Talk To Me | BOOK 3

thirty nine

Riley Murphy

2048

I wiped my forehead with my sleeve as a thin coat of sweat began to form on it as I watched from the corner of my eye as Dakota pulled her hoodie back over her head.

I had buckled my belt and slipped my shirt on, patiently waiting for her to be finished.

"We should do that again sometime." I smirked, kissing her hand.

Dakota laughed, "Yeah I agree. Preferable somewhere more comfortable this time, though. I think I have a grass stain on my ass." 

Her fingers linked through mine lazily as we started our decent back to the car.

Although my fingertips started to tingle and my eyebrows furrowed, that was never a good sign.

I tried to quicken my pace but Dakota asked me to slow down because her body was still sore. I contemplated carrying her to the car.

But I could see the car in the distance and breathed a little, before bad scenarios started to play out in my head.

"What is the rush, geez." Dakota giggled, gripping my elbow, "I just have a bad feeling that's all, and I want to get home." 

I went to unlock the car before my fingers hesitated in the lock.

"What is it Riles?" Dee asked me, "What if my bad feeling is to do with the car." I frowned.

"We can't think like that, okay? If you're paranoid, call Alex. He'd prefer to pick us up than have us be blown into a million pieces." 

I smiled weakly at her attempt to make me feel better, but the pit in my stomach kept getting worse and worse so I reached for my walkie, signalling to them.

"Whats up?" Alex's coarse voice came through the speaker, "Hey, can you come and pick Dakota and I up? We're on the corner of our street and Maine, you'll see us when you come down."

"Why can't you drive?" He questioned.

"I have a bad feeling."

Alex was quiet for a second before he spoke, "Yeah sure. Stay there okay?"

He hung up and I secured the walkie back into my pocket, sitting on the small grassy hill that surrounded the shops. Dakota took a seat next to me, "I'm sorry."

"For what?" She asked.

"Ruining this date. Having Alex come to pick us up." 

Dakota smiled, "Don't worry about it, seriously. I'm glad we're getting a ride instead of us sticking around to find out your bad feeling."

Even though the bad feeling hadn't gone away, I tried to push it down, swallowing the last remaining bit of it as I heard a car rumble round the corner.

Alex waved and we walked up, opening the back doors as we climbed in.

"How was it?" Alex asked us, glancing through the rearview mirror.

I sneaked a look at Dakota who had a slight blush, "Good. We wandered through some shops and then looked at flowers. Nothing too interesting." She smiled.

They kept up the conversation until we got home, but it still didn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.

"You've had this look on your face ever since I've picked you up, what's wrong?" Alex asked, pulling me aside. I shrugged, staring down at my shaking hands, "I have no idea. I just have this bad feeling." I mumbled.

"What kind of bad feeling?"

I shook my head, "I- I don't know Alex. Just a bad feeling." I snapped, worry overwhelming me, "Like it won't go away!" 

"Okay, calm down, we'll figure it out. I'll go talk to Elle." 

He left me alone as I headed up the stairs, kicking my shoes off and flopping on the bed, sighing.

"Still can't figure it out?" Dakota asked me. I felt a dip on the side of the bed and rolled on to my side to face her. "Nope. I can't describe it either. It's on the tip of my tongue and every time I think I know, I question my morals and it's something else." I groaned, feeling the urge to tear my hair out.

Dakota soothingly rubbed a hand up and down my arm as I sighed, "I just want the stress to be gone." 

I heard footsteps outside on the gravel and turned my head up, leaning on my knees so I could get a better look. I didn't see anyone but could still hear the footsteps.

"Get down." I said quietly. 

Dakota got onto the floor and leaned her head on the wall, closing her eyes as she connected her hands around her knees.

I closed the big windows at the front and kept looking out the high one above our bed, looking down.

It's not Alex because he's talking to Elle and Paxton in the kitchen. It's not Megan because she's taking a shower. Levi and Gage are doing God-knows-what in Gage's room which leaves us.

"Don't go anywhere, I'll be back, okay?" Dakota looked at me with wide eyes, "No I want to come with you, please don't leave me here alone!" She pleaded, pouting.

I quickly grabbed her arm and we walked down the stairs, entering the kitchen.

"Theres someone outside, I heard footsteps on the gravel."

Alex looked at me, alarmed, "Where are Gage and Levi?"

"Upstairs in Gage's room." 

Quickly but quietly, we managed to close the blinds, sneaking up the stairs as Alex warned the boys about what was happening. We all stayed close together in our room as Paxton and Alex looked over the window where I had been just moments before.

"I don't hear anything now." Paxton said to me, "Are you sure you heard footsteps?"

I nodded my head, "Yes, I heard them too." Dakota chipped in, squeezing my knee as we sat with our heads against the wall.

"Fuck, you're right. I see small indents in the gravel." Alex whispered, "Shit. Okay, everyone stay here."

"No, where the hell are you going?" Elle hissed, grabbing onto Paxton's sleeve, "We need to go check it out."

"No, we've had enough worry for the past couple days. Please, just stay here." She begged.

Paxton and Alex gave her a look of guilt before they began their descent to the door, but before they could get their hands on the doorhandle, there was a knock at the front door.

My heart rate sped up and I looked at Gage and Levi who's eyes were wide and chest was heaving.

All of us were dead silent. Dakota squeezed her eyes shut.

"Hello?" Someone said in a sing-song voice, knocking again.

What the hell do we do now?

* * * 

I got goosebumps writing this bc it's 2am and I'm freaking myself out LOL