This Kiss (18+) COMPLETED

f i f t e e n

    "My name is Paul, in case you didn't know." The host - Paul, lets himself in the little cottage Annie thinks she's grown to hate. He shuts the door behind him, and stands almost at guard at the door.

  Annie and Tyler take a couple steps back, almost scared to make a sound. Their suitcases hang loosely in their hands. Paul smiles, "I know you guys are planning on leaving, and I guess I can't actually stop you." He stops, and walks around them, they turn to watch him walk.

  "But do I have to remind you about the contract? About the oath you signed when you came onto the show? Now, I'd really really hate to bring this up again in a court house.." He smiles again, turning his back to them and messing with a stupid decoration on the counter, a stone frog, sitting in the corner.

  "We signed up for a game show, we didn't sign up to be pushed around like puppets! Forced to comply when shit hits the fan, forced to stay when we want to go!" Annie yelled, taking a step forward. Her suitcase dropped to the floor, Tyler grabbed her hand to keep her back.

  The host turned around again, looking over his shoulder almost seductively at her, a crooked look in his eye, "I saved you from Brock. It was me who pulled him back and got rid of him for you, not Tyler, not you, ME!"

  "You did shit all, where were you when he was trying to force himself on her while she was vulnerable and scared in the shower?! Where were you when he insulted her and showed you the first signed of domestic abuse? Huh, Paul!?" Tyler was getting angry now, his shoulders were propped up in defense and the veins in his neck were standing up. Annie was the one having to reach forward and pull him back.

  Tyler quickly relaxed to Annie's pull.

"Where was I? I was putting the cameras on two of the contenders napping! That's what I was doing," he was talking in that low voice someone's mom would usually do when she was very angry, "I did that to save her ass and even his from getting fame the very wrong way."

"Then let us leave. Do it again, say we had a family emergency." Annie said, stepping up before Tyler said anything. But Paul just shook his head, "I can't do that, Annie." The bravado he had on earlier had completely diminished at this point.

"Why?" Tyler asked, his voice low. Paul didn't answer right away, but then finally he sighed and put his hands to his temples, massaging around in a circle, "The contract-" Tyler scoffed so loud Annie was sure it hurt his throat, "Just rip it up. It's your contract."

"No can do."

  Annie could almost hear the growl in Tyler's throat as he answered, "Why not?"

  "It's not my contract to rip up!" Paul's answering growl would have been enough for Annie to back up and back down, but not Tyler. He only stepped forward and got back in his face.

  "What are you talking about?" Paul looked angry for about two more seconds, then his shoulders hunched and he backed down. He took a step back from Tyler's advancing form.

  "Just go."

  Annie didn't think she heard correctly, and Tyler was at a loss for words, so Annie took his arm and pulled him away so she could actually see the man who just moments before was threatening them.

  "Who's contract is it?" She said, she watched as Paul became a smaller man, his shoulders down and his eyes to the floor, "I said just go. Now."

  His eyes burned as he looked up and met hers. Tyler didn't say another word, and he didn't let Annie get another one in.  He pulled her from the room, both of their suitcases dragging behind them. Annie hasn't seen him grab hers.

  She caught a last glimpse of Paul taking out his phone before the door was shut behind her.

  What she didn't see would change everything.

  ****

  "What are we doing, Annie? Why aren't we booking a damn flight out of here?" Tyler was pacing back and forth in the trailer that Annie had fallen in love with the moment she saw it. Now it just looked like another area they're holed up in.
 
  "I don't feel right about this. There's something he's not telling us." Tyler scoffed, "Who cares, Annie? The point is that we're out of there and we can go home."

  "Until we have a lawsuit on our asses." Annie put her head in her hands, her elbows hit the table harder than she expected, but she didn't care. Her body felt numb, like she couldn't feel anything. Tyler was saying something, Annie forced herself to shut off her mind and tune in.

  "..and who cares, honestly? They treated you so badly and here you are, still not leaving. You should be running off of the property by now, your tail between your legs." Tyler was on a rant, so Annie stood up and put up her hands, but he didn't stop.

  "Tyler!" A couple more yells and he finally quieted down, "I just have a bad feeling about all of this. He knows something that we don't, and I want to find out what it is."

  "If they file a lawsuit, then fine. We'll fight that battle when it comes," Tyler sighed and came down to his knee in front of Annie. Her heart stopped for a second, but she knew she was being absolutely ridiculous.

"but Annie, I just want out of here. Our tails between our legs and all, let's call the airport, lets book a flight, let's get the heck outta here." Annie sighed, her head hurt, she couldn't think.

  "I just want to see, I want to find out some things. I have to talk to Abigail." Tyler stood up. "Okay, you do that.. but I'm not staying here any longer than I have to."

  Annie's eyes flicked up so fast to meet his she got a little dizzy, "What?" She whispered, unable to get any higher than that.

  "I'm sorry Annie, but this place caused more problems than anything, I thought I was going to find someone I love here, I was ready to settle down. I found you, and I want us to start something together, but it doesn't start here. It doesn't, and I can't stay here.." Tyler was unable to look at her as he spoke, Annie was unable to even speak.

  "Then leave." She said, she looked away from him, at a stupid painting of a duck and a goose on the wall, one she hadn't noticed before.

   When he didn't answer, Annie looked up to meet his eyes again. But his eyes were gone, and the door closed behind his retreating form.