Tricking Death

Chapter 27 - A Not-So Private Meeting

"The water's getting cold now, Em." His lips were pressed against my shoulder, muffling the words coming out of his mouth, if only slightly. My body was filled with a warm tingling sensation, and I was only barely aware of the gradually cooling water surrounding us. I laughed at his words, lazily lifting my arm up out of the tub to watch the water slide down my arm. 

"C'mon, I don't want to be stuck here all night freezing my butt off," he chuckled, giving my shoulder a squeeze as he tried to move me off of his lap as gently as possible. I was only vaguely aware that I was actually trying to stop him. "I'll be right back, I promise."

The previously overwhelming heap of bubbles that had once filled the tub had faded away, leaving a somewhat calm surface; it was only occasionally disturbed by the jets, or my own movements as I let my limbs slide through the water. The feeling of the water rushing over my body felt almost euphoric. 

"Emily," I felt his arms slide around me once more, and I leaned back into his touch. "Come here. It's time to get out of the tub now."

"I don't want to," I mumbled, but I let him help me out of the water anyway. He already had a warm fluffy towel spread out in his arms, though I could feel his eyes roaming over my body before he moved forward to wrap it around me. He left his arms over top of the towel, stopping me from making any kind of attempt at an escape. 

"You are so beautiful," he murmured into my wet hair. "I wish I didn't have to leave."

His words snapped me out of whatever trance I had been in up until that point, and I struggled to get out of his embrace so I could look at him, face-to-face. 

"What the hell are you talking about, leaving? I hope you don't mean that you're leaving me here. Why the hell did you even bring me here? I want to go home!"

"Emily, calm down."

"No! Why the hell did you bring me to this hotel if you're just going to leave me here? I don't want to be here! I don't understand!" I knew I was getting semi-hysterical, and my argument wasn't even making sense anymore, but suddenly the worst thing that could possibly happen to me seemed to be ending up stuck in the large space of the hotel room all by myself. 

"And I told you to calm down! I won't be gone for long: I'll be back before you know it. I promise." 

Even though they shouldn't have, his words managed to calm me more than anything else probably could have. I relaxed back into his arms once more as he gave me another reassuring squeeze. The mark was pusling on my chest, as I realized that it was probably what was causing the sensation I was feeling all over my body. 

"You can just sleep in the nice, big, fluffy bed and I'll be back to join you as soon as I can, alright?" 

"Where are you going, anyway? Why do you have to leave?" I felt him stiffen behind me for a split-second; almost undetectable, and it probably would have gone unnoticed if he hadn't been holding me. 

But he was.

"It's nothing you have to worry about. Just some quick little thing I have to take care of, honest. It really won't take long. So, come on. Let's get you into bed." 

"If it's just some quick little thing, then can't you just take care of it later?" 

"Em, just let it go. I swear I'll be back before you even know I'm gone, alright?"

I felt like a whiny child being told that they can't get something at the store. "I don't want to be left here alone." The towel and his now-loose embrace were both warm, but I could feel myself starting to shiver from the droplets of water that were very quickly turning cold on my skin.