Pull Me Under

Chapter Four - Unbeaten

Within five minutes all the lights were lit up on the plate and a foghorn sounded that echoed throughout the forest. Noah and I stood by large tree and looked out either side. To my right I instantly saw a flash of hot pink up ahead.

"Enemy team 2 'o'clock." I whispered.

"Pink? I see them too." Noah whispered. "Let's track them."

I nodded and followed behind Noah, low to the ground. They stopped to regroup, so Noah and I took cover behind a boulder. I edged around to take a look.

"I think I can get a shot from on top of the rock." I said. "Two clean torso shots at least."

"Impressive." Noah mused. "Climb on my shoulders. I'll hold you up."

Noah knelt down and I hoisted my legs over his shoulders, he stood and I began to line up my shots. I sucked in a deep breath and began to fire in quick succession. One; head, two; chest, three; stomach, four; head. After each shot the victim yelled out and fell to the ground.

"Four down." I whispered. "Where's the fifth."

Before I had a chance to react Noah pulled me down off his shoulders as a paintball flew over head and hit the tree behind where I had been positioned. We were close, our faces barely a foot apart.

"Shh." He hushed me. He pushed me up against the rock and held me there. I was unsure why, but my body didn't seem to care. We seemed to melt together. I held back a wistful moan, and tried to focus.

Then, out of nowhere, Noah lifted his arm and let out a volley of shots on his left.

"Down!" the last pink team member called out as he fell to the ground.

"Lets go." Noah said grabbing my hand.

One by one we picked off the other teams, until finally it was just us and the green team remaining. The finish line was in sight, but both Noah and I knew that they would be waiting just like we were.

"I'll be a diversion, you pick them off as you see them." Noah whispered. "You're a good shot. I trust you."

"And you know when someone is coming." I mused. "Maybe I should be the diversion."

"Come on. This is our only chance to win. We're so close."

"Okay. Fine" I mused, maybe my marksmanship had been beginners luck.

Noah began to walk through the bush, I kept my eyes on him and on the trees. Within 30 seconds the green team had given away their position, they were east of me, prone on the ground all five guns cocked. I knew I wouldn't have time to shoot them all before they shot him.

"Noah, east, 3 o'clock, on the ground." I called out.

Noah stopped and turned and at the same time we both unloaded our guns in there direction. The succession of them calling defeat made me grin and run out to Noah.

We both ran across the finish line and fell to the ground.

Aaron congratulated us, as did the other teams as they ventured out of the forest. Aaron explained how there was a free shooting range that we were free to all use, but exhausted I pulled my helmet off and just looked at Noah, who'd done the same.

"You surprised me." Noah murmured. "I meant it. You're a good shot."

"And you're clever." I mused. "I'd have died to the pink team without your quick thinking."

"We make a good team." He replied. "Feeling a little better."

"Yeah. I do actually." I noted, more than a little surprised by that fact. "But you know what would really top this all off?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, usually if I'm feeling down I head out to the pier and get an ice cream from this amazing gelato shop there. They make the best flavors and I walk along the river until sunset."

Noah sat up and ran his hands through his hair. "Sounds almost dreamlike."

I nodded and sat up. "It is in a way I guess."

Noah stood up, then helped me to my feet. We walked back into the hangar and removed all the safety garb. Aaron insisted on taking a photo of us for the victors wall, but inexplicably Noah refused. When we left I wanted to ask why he'd been so weird, but I left it. It seemed with Noah, that some things were best left unsaid.

We drove to the pier in silence, an odd awkwardness very evident between us. Noah pulled over into a park. We both got out and walked across the road to the ice cream shop. I got rocky road, and noah got chocolate and then we walked, in silence along the wooden path.

"So, tell me about New York." I asked softly, hopeful that maybe he'd give me something.

"There isn't much to tell." He replied. "I work and do pretty much nothing else."

"So no girlfriend?"

"No." he replied, his voice dry.

"Ex-girlfriend?"

"I don't really have the time for dating and getting to know people." He said with a sigh.

I stopped and looked at Noah. "You're a sales executive. Noah, you meet people and schmooze for a living. It's not like you're some uber busy super surgeon."

Noah let out a mock shocked gasp before letting out a laugh. "I know. I just... I haven't had time."

"Well, relationships are severely overrated anyway." I mused. "Adult or teenage."

Noah walked to a park bench and sat down. I sat down beside him and threw what was left of my cone in the bin.

"You're right, I just miss holding hands with someone." He whispered. "I miss first kisses. I miss having someone want to be with me."

I turned and looked at him. He was being genuine, his eyes met mine and for a moment I wondered how it would feel for his hand to slip inside of mine, for his lips to graze mine.

Our fingers sat only inches apart on the park bench and I watched as his moved closer to mine, my heart skipped a beat and I forgot to breathe. This was a million kinds of wrong, but I wanted it. I wanted him.

"Fuck." Noah breathed out, he pushed himself off the park bench. "Vi, I need to take you home."

He walked down the pier, away from me without another word. Confused I stood up and ran after him, catching up only for him to increase his pace. Once we were back at the car he unlocked it and we both got in.

"I need to go back to New York. Coming here was a mistake."

I frowned and pulled my seatbelt on. "You've only been here a day."

"Yeah." he replied. "And I almost..." he stopped. "I'll call my dad and apologise. But I can't be here when they get back."

Noah started the car and drove home. What had he almost done? Hold my hand? It was hardly the crime of the century. He was lonely, he wanted a connection. Holding my hand didn't mean we were going to cross the invisible, but very real line between us. Noah turned the radio on in the car to deafen the silence surrounding us. Some old rock song played, and for a moment I forgot about the weirdness that had throw a shadow over the day.

As we pulled into the driveway, Noah swore again, but this time he sounded worried.

I looked up, unable to see what was plaguing him to begin with. But then I did, and confusion and shock rocked me. The front door had been smashed in, the glass was obliterated and the wood hung off the hinges.

"What the fuck." I whispered.

A/N WTF indeed... what do you think is going on?

I'll be updating the first FIVE chapters at the same time as I upload them to Inkitt, but after chapter five I will be uploading them to inkitt and entire week before I upload them here.

So find me over there and take a look! https://inkitt.app.link/RA_rebeccaburton