Til Death Do Us Part || Tate Langdon

hide and seek

      A few days later, you were beginning to believe that Aunt Thea had given up her search or desire to find you entirely. You'd been looking cautiously out windows since you'd been here, and never saw her, or her car drive past. You had no messages or calls from her. When you asked Constance about her, she said she'd not mentioned you at work, and that they don't speak much anymore. It was now December 31st, meaning it'd been 11 days of staying here with Tate and successfully avoiding being found.

Around 7pm, you got a text from Delaney about a New Year's Eve party she was having at her place in a few hours; she said it was a long shot but invited you and Tate anyway. When you excitedly mentioned it to him, getting desperate to be out and about again, he shot it down immediately.

   "Are you serious?" He looked at you like you'd lost your mind. "Your picture is everywhere with a big missing stamp over it, you can't just show up to a random girl's party now."

   "She's not a random girl," you offendedly reminded him.

   "You know what I mean," he said more calmly. "People who know you and have seen the articles will be there. They'll ask what happened and where you've been, and maybe your aunt will hear you're around and get pissed all over again, come looking for you."

You wanted him to be wrong so bad, but he wasn't. Your shoulders slumped and you tossed your phone onto the bed.

   "I'm sorry, Y/N," he came over and rubbed up and down on both your arms. You only let him for a moment before backing away and throwing yourself face first into the bed.

   "I have to go in a few days," you told Tate when you finally rolled back over.

   Dread overtook his face, and he refused to look at you, "Please don't."

   "I can't just--"

   "Please," he came over and got to his knees beside the bed in front of where you sat. "Please just stay. My mom will take care of us, your friends can come over... whatever you want. And it'll be just you and me every day."

You looked at the pleading boy below you, your hand in both of his, and guilt squeezed your heart. You had to admit, you did hate the thought of leaving him and not knowing where you'd go, or when or how you'd see him again.

   You exhaled deeply then said, "I'll think about it."

His face lit up and he got up to put on one of his new records he'd gotten for Christmas. He eased the stress when he held his hand out for you to join him in playful, stupid dancing to Heart-Shaped Box. By the end of the song you were smiling and laughing with him, and he pulled you to him for repetitive kisses separated by your giggles.

   He glanced out the window at the almost-set sun, then back to you and said, "Come with me."

You followed him down the stairs, through the hall, and out the back door. It was getting dark and you couldn't see much, so you let Tate lead you by hand. There were two patio chairs out there, and he let your hand go to grab them both by the backs and set them a little further into the yard. You began worrying about his limitations.

   "How far out of the yard can you go?"

   "I can be anywhere actually on the property," he informed you, settling the chairs into two random spots next to each other. "Nowhere past it though, like the street."

   "What happens if you go in the street? Or try to?" you settled into one of the chairs, as he did into the other.

   "My mom and I tried that once," he spread his knees and looked up to the sky. "I got in the backseat of her car, she tried to drive off, and next thing you know I'm in the living room again."

   "That is so weird..." you commented, hardly able to fathom what he was saying. "How'd you figure out the whole Halloween thing?"

   "Superstitious guess," he smirked at you, then turned back to the sky.

   You looked upward with him, then finally asked, "Are you scared?"

   He stayed quiet a minute, then intertwined your fingers, "Not anymore."

You felt yourself blush, and you smiled to yourself. Maybe you could stay here with him a while longer. You didn't seem to be in imminent danger, and calm nights like this were something you'd always craved. You two counted the stars as they came out, and noticed the beginnings of warmer weather with the new sprouts in the freshly dug garden.

*****

      A week went by and you hardly noticed. You video chatted with Delaney a lot, and Constance came over often to check on you and Tate, or just to talk. You gave her and her son some time alone as well, figuring they'd want it but would never ask you to leave. One night after she left, Tate closed the door behind her and turned to you with a troublesome grin.

   "What?" you asked with a short laugh.

   "I have a game idea," he spoke mischievously.

   "Okay..." he'd piqued your interest. "What is it?"

   "How about, hide and seek," he helped you up as you looked at him skeptically. "But, loser has to go down on the winner."

   Your jaw dropped a little then turned to a surprised smile, but then you said, "Wait, no fair you can just literally disappear."

   "I won't do that, trust me," he assured you with a quick kiss. "Does that sound okay with you?"

   You nodded diffidently, and his smirk grew. "You count first," he turned you around. "To 20. No peeking."

Your heart sped up at the thought of either of you being the winner. You closed your eyes to play fair, and began counting slowly to twenty. You could hear his footsteps leading up the stairs, and wondered if he'd let you hear on purpose to give you a chance.