All The Boys I Love

[ 4 ] h a u n t e d h o u s e s

[ S o f i a ]

THEN HER BEDROOM DOOR SLAMMED OPEN. I bit down on my lip harder, it would bleed if I bit it any harder. I held my breathe at the sound of heavy footsteps. They moved around the room and I saw the faint outline of boots come to a stop centimetres from my face.

Soon the loud bangs on the walls began again. "I told you I wanted to play hide and seek!" The little girl yelled.

I let out a cry. "No one wants to play with you." A deep voice grumbled.

I cried in relief. Literally cried. "Brenton?" I whispered.

"Huh?" The voice was deep and confused but the sound of another person made me relieved. I kept crying, tears pouring down my face. I felt a pair of rough yet soft hands reach for me. Their grip was intimidatingly strong but familiar all at once. They slowly pulled me out from under the bed and we both were on our knees in front of one another.

I sniffle. Their fingers brush away a piece of hair that was stuck to my tear stained face, I must look a mess. I know my hair certainly was. The two neat braids I had this morning were now dishevelled and pieces of hair were coming out of their place. I can only see a faint outline of a man. I could feel their gaze starring into me. I sniffle again, trying to regain my composure. "Who are you?" I demand.

"Princess, is that you?" His deep, soothing and familiar voice asks in an amused tone.

"Emerson?" I ask, frowning. Surly it can't be him from this morning, the one who knocked me over on my run.

I see him smile in the darkness. "Ah, the one and only. I could recognise that bossy tone anywhere."

"I never thought I'd be happy to see you." I admit.

His hands grip my arms and pull me off my knees and back onto my feet. "I'll always be happy to see you."

The lights came back on and I squinted my eyes, trying to adjust to the light. His brown eyes gaze into my blue ones. He stood over a head taller than me, I felt like a child looking up to him. "No need to waste your tears, Princess. What are you doing here?" He frowned and his forehead crinkled as if he just realised something.

"A friend dragged me here." I grumbled.

His hands still remained on my arms in a protective grip. "Brenton? I heard you call for him."

"Yeah." I looked down, his gaze became too intimidating.

"Not a very nice friend. Why did you come through the wrong door?" He questions further. "You should have gone through the play with me door, it would have been less scary."

I shrugged. "Why did you come through this door?" I fire back.

He smiles, a dimple appears on his cheek. "Knew it was the wrong door so I wanted to see how bad it was. Not too bad so far." He smiled wider as the last sentence as his eyes scanned over me. "Come on," He stays reaching down for my hand and pulling me along over to the desk.