Nouveau

Chapter 36: Growing Pains

Laive

Tremaine had been in the shower for about twenty minutes while Laive was in one of his t-shirts. L and his phone were having a serious stare down as Laive tried to get out of her mood.

Don't do it.

She was positioned at the center of the bed on her back, while she looked at the night stand where his phone had been charging. The sound of L's nervous tapping was echoing in the room as she pressed her fingertips against the back of her iPhone.

Nope. Not doing it.

L was never like this. She had been impatiently going back and forth with herself on if she should take an innocent look. Maybe his phone held more answers than his mouth did. It wouldn't hurt her, right? Exhaling in frustration, Laive rolled over and smothered her face into the hotel pillow sham. "This too much!"

It was torturing...almost beckoning her to press the home button to illuminate the screen. What was so bad about him being honest with her? What was so hard about telling her his deepest feelings? Laive rolled onto her back, stuffed the pillow over her face, and begin to kick and scream in irritation.

Why do I care so much?

"Fuck you doing?!"

Walking out the bathroom in nothing but his boxer briefs, Tremaine had caught her and she couldn't do anything but laugh at herself. "I'm losing my mind."

"You losing something," His weight sunk the bed in while he climbed on top of her. Pulling the pillow from over her head he nudged her over to the center, "You sleepy?"

"No, just thinking."

Tremaine exhaled, "It's been over your face all night. What's up baby?"

"You."

"Me?"

"You."

"Who?"

"Tremaine!" Laive hit him with another pillow.

"Laive."

She hit him again as he tried to hold her down, "Don't do this Laive...."

"Do what?" Laive hit him again, "What am I doing?"

"Laive. You'on want to do this."

Pushing up, she squirmed from underneath Tremaine and began to playfully bombard him with swats of the large soft sham.

"Come on Laive, Stop"

Laive struck him across the head as she laughed, "Or what?"

"Alright." Tremaine gripped her waist with one arm and playfully slammed her into the bed. They rolled around tugging and pulling at each other, while Laive stretched her hand to mush him in the face. Catching her wrist, Tremaine finally pinned her on top of him and tried to take the pillow out of her hand. They were rough housing so hard their chests were heaving.

"Yeah, what now?"

"Let go!" Laive giggled.

"Why you so damn hard headed?"

Laive struggled against his hold with a smirk, "You make me this way."

"Oh I do huh?"

"Mhmm."

"Yeah baby?"

"Mhmm."

Throwing the pillow to the floor, Tremaine gently cuffed the back of her neck, "What's wrong?"

Laive didn't have the strength to fight with Tremaine about not talking. The man had mastered a way to force things out of her even when she wasn't ready to admit them. Shutting down emotionally before they went to the bowling alley was the only answer that made sense. In order for her to gain control back over herself, L had to set clear boundaries with him. And that was something that had to happen now rather than later.