River | John Seed

5- Cliffside Dare

TEEVIN

John carries me in his arms from the plane and into a secluded flat area—oneI bet nobody but him knew about. He's silent the whole way and I can't be sure but it seems he's angry with me. Was it about stopping the kiss?

He sets me down on a log before going over and opening a thick metal door out of the ground.

His bunker! I had heard about it, but never thought I'd actually get to see it.

He returns to scoop me up into his arms again, as he steps down the metal steps, he presses me closer to his chest protectively.

"I'll be right back." He assures me as he paces back to close and lock the hatch before returning to the small bedroom he placed me in.

"It has everything we need up to ten years. I designed a few others for my family around the town...but this is the biggest one." John explains softly, his hands knitted tightly together and I could tell he was tense.

Was it because of me?

"I'll stay in the room just beside this one if you...need anything."

I reach out to him but he draws back, confirming my earlier suspicions.

He was mad at me for sure.

"John.."

"Goodnight." He then gets up, and leaves, going to his room and closing the door except for a crack.

============================

It was creepy. I couldn't sleep at all in this place. I never did well in dark eerie looking spaces—but this took the cake.

I had to fight wanting John.

Was he awake?

I gripped on the pillow and shuffled far back against the cement wall as I could.

Teevin Laws, afraid of the dark. What a joke. No doubt John would laugh too.

Loud crackling thunder erupted from above causing me to shriek.

John was standing in my doorway in a split second holding a crow bar. He was fully dressed still despite it being ten at night.

"What's wrong?!" He demands, switching the lamp on.

I squint at the light and drop my gaze to the floor. Way to go, Teevin.

"N-nothing.. thunder startled me.." I mumble and hug the pillow closer.

He lowers the weapon and sighed a curse before turning his back to me.

Just let him go, the farther from you that he is, the better.

Another crash of thunder had me forgetting what I was fighting.

"John, John I need you!" I panicked, reaching out for him. Please don't go.

He stilled as he turned around slowly.

"How could you need someone you hate?"

What?

"Why— how do you think I hate you?" I give him an incredulous look and he glared back.

"You pushed me away on the plane! And it's not just that, you've been trying to escape ever since the resistance attack."

I gape at him in shock and cover my face. God he saw right through me this whole time. But I couldn't let him believe that,"No. that's not it..I...I just feel guilty."

John removes my hand, I didn't even hear him move but he was sitting in front of me on the bed now. "What are you so guilty of? Hm? Tell me, because it sure seems like you don't want to be anywhere near me."