To Love, To Fight, To Win

Chapter 12

We made it to the other door, and I gestured for Reif to stay back while I walked further toward the door, with my whole body tense and filled with nervousness and caution because I had no idea what was on the other side of the door.

Reif held back an eye roll and pressed his lips into a thin line. He folded his arms across his chest while he stared at the door, silently waiting for me to open it and tell him if it was safe or not.

I opened the door and looked around before I breathed a small sigh of relief when I didn't see anyone there, waiting for us. "Ok," I said, my voice barely above a whisper while I slowly nodded and gestured for him to come toward me so that we could leave this place. "Let's go, quickly and quietly because I have no idea if we are going to be safe for long."

Reif nodded and set his jaw while he did what I told him to do and walked over to me. He paused and looked around before he looked at me, silently wondering if I wanted him to exit first or if he wanted me to go ahead of him and have him following me after I was through.

"Let me exit first," I said, my voice barely above a whisper, "and then you can exit after me. Ok?" I glanced at him from the corner of my eye and raised an eyebrow in question, and Reif bit his lip before he slowly nodded.

His whole body was tense while he waited for me to exit the warehouse and into the "safety" of the woods, and I could tell that he wanted me to go ahead and leave. "What do you want me to do with the door?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper while he raised an eyebrow in question. "Is there a lock or a key that we need to use?"

I shook my head and pursed my lips in annoyance. "It'll lock on its own," I replied. "Now, come on, and let's go. Are you sleeping at my place, or am I dropping you off at your place?" I asked and raised an eyebrow in question while I studied the male beside me.

"I'm staying with you," Reif said and shook his head before he gave me a pointed look and raised both eyebrows in annoyance. "We still need to talk."

I held back an eye roll and pressed my lips into a thin line but exited the warehouse with him following me and closing the door behind him. I picked up my speed as soon as we were out of the warehouse and started to run through the woods with Reif following me.

We were both silent while we ran through the woods, and both of us made sure to stay quiet because we had no idea if someone would be out there waiting for me or for us.

The night was dark and nothing lit our path, but that didn't bother me because I knew where we were going to go and how to get there.

After a while, I paused and Reif stopped behind me before he could run into me. I stayed silent and looked to my left and right, and my whole body was tense while I looked around to make sure that we were safe and alone.

"M-"

I waved him off, silencing him with that single wave, and he rolled his eyes and scowled but stayed silent. My whole body was tense, and I looked around before I looked at him. "Ok," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "We're safe."

I started to walk forward again, but I didn't run like I had been because I wasn't sure if it was going to be safe the closer we got to the outskirts of town. My whole body was tense, and I looked around, even though I couldn't see a single thing in the pitch darkness.

"Do you think someone might be waiting for you the closer we get to town?" Reif asked, his voice barely above a whisper. He moved closer to me and bit the inside of his lip, and his whole body was tense. "And how do you know the right way to go? There is nothing here at all, and it's dark."

I bit back a small snort and rolled my eyes, pressing my lips into a thin line. "Because I have done this many times and have taken many different ways to go home," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

Reif grunted and slowly nodded, pursing his lips in annoyance and holding back an eye roll. "Do you think that there are people that are going to be waiting for you?" he asked again, and his voice was still barely above a whisper.

I pondered that question before I slowly nodded and stopped before we made it to the edge of town. "That is a possibility," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. I started to take off my boots so that I could take off my pants and Reif stared at me with wide eyes, and a shocked look on his face.

"M-"

"Shut up," I said, interrupting him with a shake of my head. "I have a dress and biker shorts underneath this," I whispered hissed. I glanced at him from the corner of my eye and narrowed my eyes just a tad. "You are also going to have to take off your hoodie and jacket as well as pull your pants off. I am hoping that you have shorts on."

Reif rolled his eyes but did what I told him to do. He took his jacket, hoodie, and pants off without me having to tell him twice. "But what about the people following you?" he asked and raised an eyebrow in question while he studied me.

"I am not worried about people following me after we had left the warehouse," I replied coldly while I finished taking off my boots and pants. "However, I am worried about someone waiting for us in town."

"Even though we are about thirty minutes or something away from the warehouse, right?" He raised his eyebrow in question and cocked his head while he continued to study me.

"Something like that," I replied with a small grimace on my face. I took off my beanie and jacket before I pulled off my hoodie and shirt to reveal the dress that I had underneath. "Is that your stupid double sided jacket that you can wear inside out?" I asked and raised an eyebrow in question.

Reif scowled and narrowed his eyes while he watched me pull some shoes out of my bag and tossed them onto the ground before I stuffed my feet into it. "It is not stupid, but why?" he asked while he studied me.

"Hand it to me because we are going to act as if we were coming home from a date, and I stole your jacket from you. Also, hand me your hoodie and your beanie so that I can put it into my bag."

Reif rolled his eyes and did what I told him to do, handing me. "The stuff that I do for you," he grumbled under his breath. "What would you do without me, Myers?" he asked and raised an eyebrow in question.

I gave him a weird look and stuffed everything into my bag besides the jacket. "I would be able to do something different," I said before I quickly pulled the dress skirt from under the biker shorts and let it fall around my knees.

"Am I taking your bag?" Reif asked and raised an eyebrow in question.

"Yes," I said and nodded in confirmation. I moved the jacket inside out before I pulled it on and zipped it up until the zipper rested close to my chin.

Reif bit back a tired sigh and slowly nodded. "Are you ready?" he asked when I pulled my hair from underneath the collar.

"Yes," I said and nodded in confirmation while I handed him the bag, and he took it from me before he slung it across his shoulder, waiting for me to tell him to do something else.

I bit back a tired sigh and held out my hand for him to take. "Let's go ahead and get this fine so that we can go home."

Reif pressed his lips into a thin line and slowly nodded before he placed his hand in mine. "You have my back, Myers?" he asked and raised an eyebrow in question while he cocked his head and studied me.

I held back an eye roll and pressed my lips into a thinner line. "Always," I promised while I tucked my head closer to my chest with a small smile on my face. "I will always have your back no matter what. I promise."

Reif breathed a small sigh of relief and slowly nodded, and he bit back a small smile. "Then I have yours," he promised and squeezed my hand, reassuringly. "I have your back no matter what as well."

And with that and without another word, we exited the safety of the woods, looking like a couple that we never had the chance to become.

Oh God, please don't let this be a huge mistake, I silently prayed while I tucked my head closer to my chest and closed my eyes half way before I opened them so that I wouldn't run into anything or anyone. Please, because I cannot lose him, too...