Falling

23

Carson Hughes

My life lately had felt so much like a long game of hide and seek. It was a game I was never good at, nor did I enjoy, but this one was much higher stakes than any I had played before. Part of me felt exhilarated by it, like I was finally a few steps ahead and winning the game. The other part of me felt like it was only a matter of time before I slipped and got found.

There were quite a few times over the last few days I found myself hiding under Vinny's bed while his brother or one of his parents walked in. Most of the time I didn't have to stay there for long, but there were times, like at this moment, that I had to stay under for longer than I would have liked.

Jeff had been standing in the doorway talking to Vinny for the last ten minutes and my back was starting to ache from staying still on the hard floor. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Jeff left and closed the door behind him. Vinny leaned over and looked at me under the bed.

"You can come out now," he said, moving to stand at his full height.

I heaved out a relieved sigh and shimmied out from under the bed, rubbing my lower back as I stood.

"We have to start putting pillows under there or something," I said quietly, stretching my arms over my head.

"I didn't expect him to tell me his life story while he was in here," Vinny grumbled, throwing himself down on the bed. "All that just for him to tell me he's leaving."

I plopped myself down on the bed beside him, lying on my side with my elbow down to prop my head up. Vinny's eyes glanced down at me, down my torso and legs then back up to my face. He exaggeratedly rolled his eyes at me and rested his head on his pillow.

"What was that for?" I laughed.

"You're hot," Vinny snapped.

I laughed again, wrapping my arm around his waist to pull him to me and stifle my laughs in his chest. He stilled beneath me then put one hand on my head and the other on my arm that was over his stomach.

"And that annoys you?" I asked with my smile against his chest.

"Yes," he replied. "It's really fucking annoying."

Vinny pulled my head back by my hair, causing me to look up at him, and placed a fast kiss on my mouth. I nearly groaned at the feeling.

"We have to get up," Vinny said, releasing my hair.

I lifted my head up from his chest and lifted a brow.

"No one's home and Luna's alone downstairs," he continued, standing up from the bed. Vinny shoved his hand through his hair as I followed him off the bed.

When he opened the door, Luna was sitting outside in the hallway as if she had been waiting for us to pay attention to her. As soon as she saw us, she stood up and wagged her tail.

"See, she's lonely," Vinny said, crouching down and scratching behind her ears.

I smiled down at the two of them before following them down the stairs and out to the back yard where Luna immediately picked up her frisbee and brought it over to Vinny who then tossed it out into the yard. Luna caught the frisbee out of the air then brought it over to me.

I tossed the frisbee for her and Vinny turned to me.

"So, what are you doing the night of homecoming?" I asked him.

Vinny shrugged. "I don't even know when it is."

I chuckled at him, playfully rolling my eyes as Luna brought the frisbee back to Vinny. He tossed it further this time, causing Luna to run even faster than she had before.