STILL

Chapter thirty-six

Two weeks of endless texting, calls and fear of the unknown. Two weeks passed since all four of their friends were snatched away without a warning. Two weeks that fel t like a million decades.

They spent one of those weeks under the same roof, everything was too quiet. They knew that this silence was only a distraction from the inevitable, a way to play with their nevres and shatter their souls before Aquilla, or Connor, swoop in and murder them both.

By the second week, Emma and Tom decided it would be best if they stayed in their own homes, Tom installed a security system in his house, one so excessive he almost called the police on himself three times.

They both kept their elements on them at all times, just enough of it for them to stand on it if a turn ever occurred. They would start their own turns for practice runs, it always worked.

Isolation
Element
Countdown

They'd repeat their steps at the end of every call.

"Anything new?" Tom asked through the phone.

"Not really," Emma said as she looked at the phone.

"He's been terrifyingly quiet these past two weeks." She looked away from her phone, she couldn't show him how much fear was in her eyes. Yes they had a plan, yes it worked, but that was only during their practice runs, never with the demon, never with Connor.

"Well," Tom paused. "Since he got super quiet out of the blue." He cleared his throat. "Maybe we should hang out again," His eyes went all around the screen, everywhere but her eyes. "Grab a bite or something." He suggested casually.

A pause for awakward silence took over the call, he's asking me out? She thought to herself.

"Thomas Anderson," she paused. "Are you asking me out?" She let out a playful laugh, one she didn't think she was capable of doing anymore.

He nodded in agreement. "You realize you always practice asking people out with me," she paused, "surprisingly not as bad when you see it coming." She giggled at his puzzled expression.

"Is that a yes?" Tom asked with the same awakwardness all over his eyes.

She looked at the floor with her cheeks as red as roses. She heard every voice that she ever heard scream at her 'SAY YES!' She slowly looked at him just to see that his face turn red as hers.

She took a deep breath before finally settling both their hearts with a simple question "Where?"

"Oh my god you scared me — " Tom took a deep breath. "I thought you were going to say no." He laughed.

All she could do at that moment was admire his eyes. The same eyes that made her feel safe. The same eyes that gave her warmth and a sense of hope. The same eyes that she loved her whole life.

"Well, uh, where do you want to go?" He asked, the awkwardness turned into an unbelievable sense of bliss.

"Surprise me," she said with a smile on her face.

"Alright," He laughed. "See you tonight." They said their goodbyes and hungup the phone.

She threw herself on the mattress behind her. Finally air filled her lungs with no fear, she had something to look forward to.

All she could do was smile and ignore all the crammed thoughts that were screaming in her mind 'DON'T DO IT!'

She ignored all the 'What ifs' because if there was one thing she was sure of, it was her feelings at that moment. That pure happiness that she thought she lost long ago.