red herring [h.s.]

47.

Harry.

I was burning up.

Stella was on top of me, breathing against my neck with her arms tightly around my form. Her body was like a fucking oven and I was sweating like crazy. I wasn't tired at all, staring up at the old ceiling of this house while she slept soundly on top of me.

I let her. She needed it. And it gave my back a break after sleeping on the floor for over two weeks.

I had slipped the sheets off of us again and quickly tore my eyes away when they landed on Stella's ass. In those leggings and with her leg up like that, it looked so fucking delicious. Before my dick came to life, I dragged my gaze away from her body and focussed it on the ceiling again to keep myself in check.

It had been about two hours since I opened the door of the closet to find Stella in a crying heap in the corner of it, her entire body shaking and trembling. I had seen her go through a few panic attacks, but she had looked so out of it this time that it was scary.

She could hardly stand on her legs when I pulled her up and didn't seem to listen to anything I said. All I could hear were those choked breaths and it showed me just how tight her chest had to feel. I shortly glanced down, wondering if she could even breathe properly now with her face pressed up against me like that, but she didn't seem to mind.

And neither did I.

I didn't want to admit how much I missed this, just because part of me knew she'd just rip away from me again the moment she woke up. She was in a state of unconsciousness now, so innocent and dreamy that she just sought the comfort of me. But when she woke up, it could very well be back to the silent treatment.

As was her right. She was conflicted about her feelings for me, even apologizing for kissing me one minute and yelling at me the other. She didn't have to apologize, I'd never expect that of her. Of course she was fucking confused, how could I ever blame her for that.

Stella stirred, her fingers shortly tightening around the fabric of my shirt against my back before she moved her leg slightly. It lowered, her knee easily slipping between my legs as she rolled more on top of me. Her thigh was snugly pressed against my crotch and I pressed my lips together as I tried to think of anything besides fucking her.

She'd hate me if she woke up and I had a boner. She'd think it was disgusting.

I looked to the left of the bed to see Miss Shark all lonely and staring at us, and I reached my hand out to pull her into the little mix of our hug. It always felt like a little family, the three of us in bed together.

She was too far away though, and I didn't want to strain myself and wake up Stella. I'd keep her asleep for as long as I could if it meant having her like this a little longer. This was heaven. This was what I had craved for those two weeks. Just her closeness.

The panic on her face when I found her in the closet, was enough to break my heart all over again.

When I was downstairs on the couch and I saw the grey Volvo driving up, my brain froze. For just a split second, I was in denial. I thought it was impossible that Kristina could ever find us here. The first few days, we had been on high alert for her. But after all this time of nothing happening and no decent updates from Matt, it was like we had gotten used to this quiet, silent life. It didn't feel like there was danger lurking around the corner. It didn't feel like Kristina wanted to kidnap Stella and murder the rest of us.

I was just watching some trashy reality show while Stella showered, fighting the urge to go up there and join her. That kiss in the kitchen from the day before was so prominent on my mind that my body ached for her all the time.