Swish

.27

"Do you think he bought it?"

I was flushed, running away from the one man I thought would always have my back in this life while running towards one I had only just met a few weeks before, but one that I would inherently trust over my father. 

Where that level of trust had come from, and so quickly, I had no idea, but there was no going back now. 

The skies opened up just as we stepped outside of the small Italian restaurant, globe accent lights being swallowed up by the black night and sweeping swollen clouds. 

"Did you drive?  I don't have an umbrella," I told Eli just as he grabbed my hand underneath the only solace the canopy outside had supplied.  

"Nope.  We're making a run for it."

Why did it always seem like that was our motto in everything that we had done and would do together?  Making a run from my father, from the rain not too long ago, and finally once more, making a run from the torrential downpour that would surely soak my favorite dress, and would keep me from returning it to the store that I'd purchased it from before realizing that I would soon be cut off, or cut myself off...it was all still so complicated, and it felt like I didn't have time to catch my breath.

Eli's mischievous green eyes held a glint of something I couldn't quite yet identify, but as soon as he tugged me out into the rain and didn't actually start running towards his car, I almost groaned out in annoyance at the fact that my hair would soon be completely destroyed, shoes ruined and dress utterly soaked, but that smile on Eli's face? 

That damn smile was sure as hell worth it. 

"What are you doing?!"

"I parked three lots over, there was no way I was making you run in those shoes.  I figured we could just take a nice walk instead."

"A nice walk...through the pouring rain?"

My question was pointed, though held no anger, and only punctuated the fact of how crazy he was considering I had to shout over the loud pattering of raindrops slapping the asphalt and collecting in large puddles around us. 

One more step and I went careening into one of those larger puddles, but Eli was there in an instant, arms scooping me up with him, and even if there was no chill in the air or in the sting of the pelting rain, I still would've shivered at his touch, but not due to the cold. 

Tiny bumps peppered my exposed skin, crawling down my body in a trail ignited by his hands on my body and where I had once been feverish by having to restrain myself when sitting directly beside him in the restaurant, outside in our freedom, I clutched onto him with just as much fervor as he did me, and the sheer need that I felt to have some part of me touching him at all times was jarring. 

Hands intertwined and his free arm tucking me into his side, we walked, not ran, through the pouring ass rain while the people around us looked at us like we were insane. 

Suddenly, when finally back up on the sidewalk, Eli let go of my side and twirled my body around him like I weighed absolutely nothing, when I knew that was hardly the case. 

"What are you doing?"

I couldn't keep the laughter out of my voice, even as I tried to see him through the half blinding rain.  I could tell he was laughing, too, so I kept my face neutral, before I started fake glaring at him. 

"If we're going to ruin my car, we're going to make the most out of it."

"So that means...?"

There were no longer any cars or people rushing around with their umbrellas firmly protecting them.  We were surrounded by nice lawn care and flowers, large trees decorating the buildings lining the sidewalks of the strip mall where the restaurant had been located.