WANT TO KNOW A SECRET?

(8)

We crossed the hall and walked past the door leading to Bryan's block, then the one leading outside and finally, the third one leading to their block until we reached another door that was literally opposite the kitchen.

Landon let go of me to push it open and we ended up in an outdoor wide see-through hallway, similar to the ones we crossed to get to our respective blocks.

I silently marveled at the beautiful view of the lake but stiffened when I recognized the shadow of Mount Brandt in the starlit sky. I absent-mindedly clenched my hands but ended up squeezing Tyler's tightly. It may have saved me from another flashback but I felt quite embarrassed nonetheless.

I chanced a glance his way but he didn't seem to have noticed anything so I started breathing normally again.

When his phone rang seconds later, I purposefully opened my hand to let him retrieve it but it must have been in his other pocket, because while he answered it with his other hand, he took the opportunity of my open hand to lace our fingers together, as if to make sure I wouldn't slip away.

Nobody had ever hold my hand in such an intimate way and despite all the contradictory thoughts that kept popping into my mind at that moment, I was no longer so eager to free myself from his hold.

My stomach was also fluttering like crazy.

What was happening to me?

He went "Hmm..." twice and hung up.

At the bottom of the hallway, Landon opened a door and the three of us entered the first level. The entire back wall of the room we were in was made of glass. There were sofas, armchairs and bean bags everywhere, along with pool tables, a footsball table, and a small stage with screens on either side of it. Finally, a long bar with a dozens of stool lined the wall that was the farthest to us.

This room was the ultimate playroom.

"Wow..." I muttered.

"Oh, that's right, you've never been here!" Landon said excitedly. "Let's give her a tour..."

Behind the window, there was a huge wooden deck with two Jacuzzis on either side, and deckchairs and tables spread everywhere. A wooden staircase led down to a lower wooden deck where another pool had been build.

I could imagine how cool it would be to swim there at sunset.

We went back inside and walked along the bar until we reached a door which led us to a small hall with three doors, one on the right, one on the left and one at the back.

The first one opened to restrooms with three toilets while the second one gave me a glimpse of the biggest gym I'd ever seen.

"Slightly over the top, no?" I commented and I'm pretty sure Tyler smiled at that.

Finally, the third door led to a movie theater complete with a huge screen and five rows of ten comfortable looking chairs.

A freaking movie theater!

"Cool, hey?"

"For a family of fifty, maybe!?" I answered and after shaking their head slowly they both burst out laughing.

"What?! Come on! Don't tell me you watch TV, in there?!" I exclaimed.

"We do, actually..." Landon answered, still laughing. And he pointed to yet another door next to the screen. "Over there..." I followed them down the carpet covered steps until he reached the door.

Tyler paused at a small bar to get two bottles of Cherry coke and one of Coke Zero, which he showed to me questioningly. I nodded, and he pointed at the different snacks they kept next to the fridge.