No One Like You ◈ Billy Hargrove

7. Live Like Legends

This is our time
No turning back
We could live-
We could live like legends

. .

When Dani finally comes to, she blinks in confusion as her dimly lit surroundings slowly come in to focus. A moment passes and then she realizes she's in Chief Hopper's cabin. There's an afghan draped haphazardly across her and she pushes it off as she sits up. Immediately her head throbs.

"Ow." Groaning, Dani rubs at her temples. "What.. the fuck."

"Told you, you used too much power." Billy saunters into the room, a small wet wash cloth in his hands. He looks entirely too good in his men's white tank top and too tight blue jeans.

Averting her gaze and her thoughts, Dani grimaces. Then realizing it's entirely too quiet in the cabin, she asks, "Where is everyone?"

"Left them at the hospital to meet the other dweebs."

"Hmm. And how long was I out? You weren't wearing what you're wearing at the pool."

Billy smirks. "You checking me out, Lewis?" She rolls her eyes and makes room for him on the couch as he gets closer. Just as he takes a seat, he tosses the wet wash cloth in her lap. "You still have blood on your face."

Frowning, Dani picks up the cloth and wipes at her nose. She's had nose bleeds before, but that was back when she was in the care of the scientists and they pushed her to her limits. But all she had were nose bleeds, never had she passed out or woke up feeling like death warmed over. "Are they okay?" She meekly asks after her face is clean.

"Are you?" Billy retorts, eyebrows raised. "Back at the pool, that was.." he trails off, sighing. "That was intense."

Thinking back on it, on how Heather reacted and at how weak they all were against her makes Dani feel small and inadequate. Tears prick her eyes and her chest aches from how she suddenly isn't breathing properly. Choking back a sob, Dani sniffles and then she shakes her head clear. "We're in way over our head here, Billy. Chief Hopper is gone, my dad is gone, and we.. we're just kids! What hope do we have surviving against this monster?"

"Don't bitch out on me now, Lewis." Though his words are rather harsh for her moment of vulnerability, his tone is soft. "When everyone froze as Heather was choking the kid out, you were the only one to move and do something about it."

"She's my sister. Of course I had to do something about it."

"Then do it again," he encourages her and Dani finds herself relaxing the more they talk. "This is only the beginning of whatever fight you assholes dragged me into."

Against her better judgement, she grins. "Excuse you, the monster dragged you into this. If I hadn't been with you that one fateful night, your ass would have been grass, Hargrove. You'd be the monster's bitch right now and not Heather."

"We'll just agree to disagree."

Dani hadn't realized just how close the two of them had gravitated towards one another and tenses when she notices he's twirling a piece of hair between his fingers. She gulps and does her best to glare when Billy realizes that she's realized how close they are, but he merely smirks back at her. His gaze darts to her lips and then back to her eyes to gauge her reaction, and Dani lets her own gaze falls to his lips. She mentally groans when she sees his tongue peek out and swipe across his bottom lip, and Dani finds herself holding her breath and leaning forward.

The front door opens with a bang and Dani immediately jerks back.

Billy closes his eyes, grumbling. "So close."