into the wilderness - h.s.

sixteen

{ Love Me Like You Do - Ellie Goulding }

The house was much like the one we had come across in the middle of the woods. It was modern and chic and looked like it cost a hell of a lot of money. Alisha was waiting inside as well as Layla and Tristian who were lounging on the couch watching somethig on the eighty inch flat screen TV above the fireplace.

"Harper, I'm so glad you're alright," she rushed to give me a hug. I dropped Harrys hand to return the hug as a show of gratitude. Harry pushed passed me into the large foyer where he dropped my backpack uncerimoniously at the foot of the large staircase. Alisha shot him a look which made him turn back around, pick up the backpack, and set it gingerly on the plush chair in the corner. When Alisha wasn't looking, he rolled his eyes and shook his head to mimick her.

I laughed as I walked into the great room of the house. It was a long, narrow room with a stone fireplace on the far wall. A fire was blazing behind the glass and a football match was on the television above. Tristian was lazily spread across the couch drinking a beer and occasionally shouting profanities at the TV. Layla was curled in a chair across from the couch intently studying the latest issue of PEOPLE Mag.

"Tristan," I tried to get his attention. When I did, I simply raised my hand in a light 'hello.' His eyes lit up when he waved back, but he quickly returned to the game. I wandered over and sat in the other armchair next to Layla. Even though I had only known these two for a short period of time, being away from them while I was in the hospital felt like an eternity. "What's new?"

"Nothing much," Layla said as she mindlessly flipped to the next page. "Some dramatic shit happened in the Kardashian clan, and you know that show where the parents have like a million kids? One of the daughters is getting married, and-"

I put a hand on her arm. "I meant with the whole thing that happened at camp."

She finally looked up. "You mean the whole part about Alisha forcing Tris and I to run for fifty years after the fire exploded?"

"Yeah, that."

"Yeah, well nothings new, other than the fact that we have no idea what the hell is going on."

"Did you ask Alisha?"

"She's been on the phone twenty-four-seven since we got here. And when we finally got the chance, she just said to wait for Harry."

"Well Harry's here now." I rolled my eyes at myself for stating the obvious.

"Yeah, and so are you. What happened?" Her eyes briefly filled with concern and worry.

"Harry said I hit the water wrong when I jumped and on top of that, they drugged me."

"I saw that hit, damn that must have - wait, who's 'they?'"

"They is apparently Bruce and his girlfriend. He was the big, burly guy that Harry was fighting the night of the explosion. And they want something from me. I don't know what, but Harry seems to think he knows." I sighed. No one seemed to know what was going on. It seemed that Alisha and Harry are the only two in the house at the moment who could possible shed some light on the subject. I didn't like being in the dark about something I was unconsciously dragged into, and I wanted to know what was going on.

I heard the clanging of pans mixed with the sound of muffled voices coming from the kitchen. I stood and walked in the direction of the noise. When I entered the room, both Alisha's and Harry's back were to me, so they didn't notice as I leaned against the doorframe. I admired Harrys broad back underneath the thin black shirt. I wasn't going to deny it anymore. I knew I had feelings for him no matter how hard I tried to fight it. And I knew he had some for me too. From the first time I kissed him and he kissed me back, and when we fell asleep on the couch, I knew. I let out a heavy sigh as the realization hit me.