AllFreeNovel
Share Us
My tension ratchets up. I can feel someone standing on the other side of the island. I widen my eyes at Bree through the damned goggles, and she widens hers back. I start a slow countdown on my fingers, holding up three, then two, then one.
With a roar, we pop up from behind the counter, letting loose a barrage of bullets. I hear my bullets hitting home, and register the feminine gasp before my eyes lock on the very pregnant woman standing in front of me. I yank my finger off the trigger and drop my gun.
"Holly," Bree gasps, "I'm so sorry."
Holly's eyes are wide, and her mouth is open in shock as she stares at us. Her gaze shifts down to the ice cream cone pressed against her stomach, with a blue NERF bullet lodged in the top. The mint green desert speckled with chocolate chips oozing down her top a stark contrast to the pale yellow of her maternity shirt.
I can't believe I shot at a pregnant woman. I'm going to hell. My Abuelita would have my head.
Holly lifts her head, eyes meeting mine, and the rage in them backs me up against the far counter.
"That was the last of the mint chip. There is no more, Nick. None." Something in her voice makes my balls shrivel up. Instinctively, they're trying to hide. My balls are wise.
Bree and I trade glances. Mint chip has been Holly's one consistent craving through this pregnancy. Now, we've taken it away from her. We're going to die.
Bree and I raise our hands, and I give her my most charming smile. She looks like she'd like to slap the smile right off my face. It shouldn't be scary. She's barely five feet. But she's terrifying, and I'm man enough to admit it.
"Holly, we're sorry. We can get you more ice cream. We'll go now," Bree says placatingly.
"It's too late for that," she says grimly, looking between us. "Now you have to pay."
I have just enough time to look at Bree in confusion, when suddenly we're peppered with bullets.
Again.
I spin and press Bree up against the counter, covering her with my body. "Bree, it's been an honor and a privilege to fight with you."
She's laughing, tucking in tight to shield herself. The bullets are still coming. Who the fuck?
Finally, they stop and I risk turning around. Micah, wearing a mean mug that admittedly is scary as fuck, is standing there with two massive NERF guns, one in each arm.
"We're supposed to die now, right?" Bree asks, peeking out.
"Yeah...um, why don't we go die somewhere else, though? If we stay here..."
"Right," she squeaks as Micah calmly puts one gun on the counter, ejects a magazine from the other, and grabs a refill from the back of his pants.
"Oh Fuck," I mutter. "Run."
"Sorry, Holly," we yell. I swear I hear her cackle in response.
Bree, thank god, doesn't waste any time hauling ass straight to the door. The slap of the magazine in the gun chases us out. Micah’s maniacal chuckle follows us, coming closer and closer to the door.
"Where do we go?" Bree asks, eyes wild as we tear down a flight of stairs, then the next. Her breathing is harsh, jagged. Out of habit, I slam through the door on my floor. I drop my hands to my knees and suck in air, heart pounding. I love that rush of adrenaline. I love the panic. It makes me feel alive, like nothing else can. I used to chase this feeling, right off buildings, or bridges, or jumping out of planes. Now, we get it through NERF battles, and racing at the track. Maybe I've grown up. More likely, I just have more to lose now.
"God, he's never going to let us forget that," I say, laughing. I raise my head to look at Bree and straighten up immediately.
Bree is standing in the hallway, shoulders shaking, eyes wide and unfocused. Panic attack. I’ve seen her look like this once or twice, but Cara was always there to whisk her away. Now, it’s just me.
No way am I going to let her down.
I step forward, one arm outstretched, but it's like she doesn't even see me. She's stuck, her mind somewhere else, as she gasps for breath.
"Bree," I say calmly, my voice softening as I take another step nearer to her. "It's okay."
She seems not to hear me, her gasps becoming more ragged by the second as she stares into nothingness. I take another step and grab her hand in mine, grateful she lets me lead her into my apartment, then lock the door behind us. I hope none of my brothers are hiding in here. The last thing she needs is someone jumping out at her.
I take a deep breath and lower myself onto the floor, gently tugging her down with me. Her knees seem to unlock, and with a gasping exhale, she drops to the floor next to me. I can't take her ragged breathing and panicked eyes. Afraid to make it worse, but unable to do nothing, I carefully wrap my arm around her waist and pull her into my lap. She fits perfectly there between my legs and against my chest like I was built for her.. I pull her legs over my thigh, and with one hand on her back and the other cupping her face gently in my palm, I whisper that everything is going to be okay over and over again. I don't know how long we sit there, but she finally starts to calm down enough for me to feel her body soften against me.
