A Journey Through Time

I felt like I’d just swan dived off the high dive at the city pool. My stomach was somewhere behind me and the breath was knocked out of me. Then I hit the water; oh boy. A cold shock struck my body and I gasped out, but at least water didn’t rush into my mouth, and then the hair on my arms stood on end and goosebumps formed on my skin. I could almost feel the bubbles surrounding my body, and eerily enough, the feeling of weightlessness that I always felt underwater. And then as fast as it happened, it was over and we stood in the middle of the street across from the cemetery.

Somewhere on top of the shock and fear I was feeling, I realized I was still holding Tommy’s hand. When I turned to look at him, I got another shock. His skin was tinged blue! His lips were purple as well but he wasn’t shivering. As soon as he glanced down at me, I knew I must have looked the same way. Tommy’s eyes didn’t bug like that for no reason. I patted him lightly on the shoulder and looked around for our friends. Cayla and Paul stood a few feet away, their lips locked but they didn’t look hurt. I found Leigh-Anne, Jesse, and Moira a little ways down the street, but they all just looked relieved. I took a deep breath and looked back at Tommy. I was glad to find that his skin tone had returned to normal.

“We did it” I whispered. Tommy’s eyes widened slightly and I dropped his hand to thread my fingers through my hair. I spun slowly in a circle, watching my friends gradually make their way towards us. I caught eyes with Cayla and she smiled and nodded her head. That seemed to be all it took because I shot into the air with a scream so loud it echoed around the entire block. I spun around back to face Tommy to find a huge grin on his face. Something must have malfunctioned inside me because the next thing I knew, I’d launched myself at Tommy and crushed my lips onto his. I heard the audible gasps of shock from our friends but at that moment, I couldn’t care less. Because oh my god, Tommy’s kiss was everything I’d ever dreamed of and more.

His lips were soft and warm and he pushed back against me firmly yet gently. When he parted his lips slightly, I could immediately taste the sweet tang of all the candy he always ate. Plus a warm earthy aroma that was just Tommy. I could feel his arms tight around my waist, his fingertips digging (not so painfully) into my sides. I could feel the velvety texture of his curls as I tangled my fingers in his hair. This was absolute bliss; the kind of kiss that would make me weak at the knees and see stars. After so many years of just being Tommy’s friend, after all the times I’d imagined what it would be like to kiss him, I finally wouldn’t have to imagine it anymore. I was kissing Tommy Collins! It was around that moment that everything in my brain reconnected and I realized what I was doing. I broke away with a small gasp. What I wasn’t prepared for was the look on Tommy’s face. He seemed more surprised that I’d pulled away than that I’d kissed him in the first place. Then his face broke into a wide smile and he took a step forward, closing the distance I’d put between us.

“What took you so damn long?” he whispered. My eyebrows shot up in surprise and he threaded his fingers into my hair before pushing our lips back together. I didn’t hold back in losing myself in his kiss this time because hearing him say what he had said made it so much more real. Tommy did like me back and he had for a while it seemed. I finally had the guy of my dreams. I could’ve melted into Tommy’s embrace and kissed him forever, except Cayla’s voice brought us back to the present.

“Break it up guys, we’ve got company” she said. Tommy pulled away first and laced our fingers together before turning to see what Cayla was talking about. An enormous group of people dressed in an assortment of pale greys or blacks were walking towards us. Apparently we’d interrupted a funeral.

“Oops” I muttered. Tommy squeezed my hand lightly and patted it with his free hand. As the mob got closer, I began to recognize several faces; Cayla’s parents and a few of her adopted siblings, Sean and Moira’s mom, and Tommy’s parents and sister. Except…………………………………………..when did Sadie get that tall? The change shouldn’t have been noticeable except that I’d just seen her that morning and now she was at least five inches taller.

“Tommy?” Jonathan, Tommy’s dad, called out. His voice was gruff with emotion and as they steadily got closer, I could see that Matilda and Sadie had tears in their eyes. As did Cayla’s mom, and Sean and Moira’s mom. What in the world was going on? Tommy seemed at a loss for words, he just watched open mouthed as his family stopped in front of him.

“Where have you been?” Jonathan asked. The way he said it made is seem like Tommy had been gone a lot longer than a few hours. Tommy frowned and glanced down at me in confusion.

“What?” he questioned. Before Jonathan could reply, Matilda had rushed forward and yanked Tommy into her arms. Sadie wedged her way in between them and wrapped her arms around Tommy’s waist. There was a surge of movement as everyone’s parents ran forward to hug their children, all while we looked around with confused looks on our faces. It didn’t take long for me to feel out of place in a circle of hugging families, especially since mine was already gone, but Jonathan surprised me by pulling me tightly against his chest. Then it was Matilda dragging me away from him and squeezing me in her arms. Even Sadie did her traditional leap into my arms. By the time I convinced Sadie to let me put her down, things had calmed down a little.

“I don’t understand, what’s going on? Whose funeral is this?” Tommy asked motioning back over his parents’ shoulders. Matilda glanced once in that direction and wiped a tear from her cheek.

“It’s yours honey, well a combined funeral for you and your friends” she answered. That shocked me. Why would they have arranged our funerals when we’d only been gone a few hours? Tommy’s expression got the question across and his father sighed.

“What else were we supposed to do after two years?” he asked. The surrounding parents fell completely silent and Tommy’s eyes widened and his mouth fell open. It felt like ice water had been trickled into my veins and I could feel the goosebumps on my arms.

“Two…………………………………………………………………………two years!” I exclaimed. My voice was an octave higher in absolute horror and Tommy wasted no time in stepping forward and pulling me into his arms. The horror I felt kept me from getting embarrassed that Tommy had embraced me in front of so many people. We’d been gone for two years…………………………….how was that even possible? Matilda wrapped her arms around both of us and rested her head on top of mine.

“That doesn’t matter, what matters now is that you’re home and you’re safe” she said. There were several loud declarations of agreement and then two more bodies joined our hug. After a few seconds, another voice split us apart.

“It does bring up the question though; where have you kids been?” Matilda and Jonathan pulled away and I saw two uniformed officers pushing their way to the front of the mob. Matilda wrapped her arm around Tommy’s shoulders.

“It doesn’t matter detective, they’re home now, and that’s all that’s important” she said. I frowned slightly and looked up at Tommy, he raised one eyebrow. The detective crossed his arms.

“It does matter ma’am, eight teenagers disappear without a trace and mysteriously reappear two years later. That’s bound to raise some eyebrows. I’ll ask again, where have you been?” he said. I sighed and looked up at Tommy. He wore the same guarded expression I knew was on my face. I took a deep breath.

“Honestly, you wouldn’t believe us if we told you. And we can’t tell you” I said. I caught Matilda’s sharp glance in my direction before she locked eyes with Jonathan. The detective pursed his lips and rubbed his hands together.

“I’m afraid you kids are gonna have to come back to the station with us until we can sort this out” he said. Almost immediately there was an uproar of arguments but Tommy’s dad was the loudest of them all.

“Now wait just a damn minute, I just got my boy back, there’s no way in hell you’re taking him to jail” he growled. The detective pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger like he was annoyed about something. I risked a glance at Jonathan to see his reaction but he’d either ignored the detective or was just used to him by now.

“They’re not under arrest, they just need to answer some questions” he snapped. More arguments followed and I looked up at Tommy. He read the look in my eyes and sighed deeply before nodding. I put my hand on Jonathan’s arm, making him look down at me, and addressed the detective.

“We’ll go with you, but like I said, we can’t tell you anything” I said. He pursed his lips again and motioned the other detective forward.

“We’ll see about that” he mumbled. I rolled my eyes and turned my back on him, where I found that my friends had formed a tight circle.

“What do we do Vanessa?” Paul asked. I sighed deeply and shook my head. I didn’t know how long they would push to question us but it was far safer if we kept what we knew to ourselves.

“Don’t tell them anything. We can’t risk getting into any more trouble than we’re already in” I whispered. They all nodded and I felt Tommy slide his hand around mine. The action still brought a flush of color to my cheeks, but it was comforting more than anything.

“What if they ask about Sean?” Moira whispered. Until she’d mentioned him, I’d completely forgotten Sean was missing. I stared straight at Moira until she looked up and locked eyes with me.

“Listen to me very closely Moira, I get that Sean is your brother but we have to protect ourselves now. You can’t tell them anything about what we went through. If they ask about Sean, we tell them what we know about him; he’s a trouble maker and he runs off all the time, this is just one of those times. I mean it Moira; you do realize our lives are at stake because of this, right?” I asked. Moira swallowed sharply and nodded her head. I knew she was remembering the photographer that had gotten trapped there, and I didn’t want me or any of my friends to end up like that. I nodded once to them and we followed the detectives to a pair of black suburbans. The trip down to the police station didn’t take long and the next thing we knew, we were all forced into a holding cell. Cayla scoffed and sat down on the bench beside Paul.

“So much for not being arrested” she muttered. We were mostly silent while we waited for them to come question us. Jesse and Leigh-Anne had joined Paul and Cayla on the bench while Tommy and Moira stood against the wall. I paced in front of the bars, my arms set rigidly at my sides and I could feel Tommy’s eyes following me. Finally after a twenty minute wait, the two detectives returned.

“Alright, you two, come on” one said pointing to me and Tommy. I glanced over my shoulder at Tommy and he shrugged his shoulders. They split us into two rooms, and lucky me, I got the rude detective.

“My name is Detective Patrick Monroe, what’s your name?” he asked. I cocked an eyebrow as I sat down in the straight backed steel chair.

“You should really kinda know that beforehand, but my name is Vanessa Murphy” I answered. I had no idea where that retort came from but it gave me the nerve I knew I’d need to get through this. Detective Monroe pulled out the chair across the table from me and perched himself on the very edge.

“Are you gonna tell me where you’ve been?” he asked. I braced my elbow on the table and rested my chin in my hand. Monroe raised an eyebrow.

“You really didn’t think it would be that easy to get an answer out of me, did you?” I asked. Monroe sighed deeply and I saw the muscles in his jaw tense. For some reason, it pleased me that I could aggravate him so easily. This was also a new side of me I’d never seen before.

“Look kid, you disappear out of thin air and magically turn up two years later in perfect condition, wearing the exact same clothes you disappeared in and you honestly expect me not to ask questions?” he said. I crossed my arms over my chest.

“You can ask all the questions you want but I don’t see how it will matter. We’re home, we’re alive, and we’re safe; what more do you want?” I asked. Where the hell was this boldness when I was around Tommy? Monroe slammed his hands down on the table between us, making a metallic ringing echo around the room, and climbed to his feet.

“I want to know where the hell you’ve been!” he yelled. I’d seen enough on TV to know what he was trying to do but I didn’t even flinch. I glanced down at his hands flat on the table and rolled my eyes.

“Do and say whatever you want, I have nothing to say to you” I said. Monroe growled in frustration and stormed out of the room, leaving me alone. I sat by myself for an hour and a half staring at the clock before someone came back. It wasn’t Monroe this time. This detective had the deep brown skin of Spanish decent.

“Hello miss Murphy, my name is Detective Nicholas Rodriguez, I was wondering if I could ask you about someone named Sean Lacey? Do you know who he is?” he asked. I cocked an eyebrow. I wondered how long it took them to find out about Sean.

“Of course, he’s Moira’s brother. He’s one of our friends” I said. Rodriguez nodded thoughtfully, his eyes glued to a thin packet of stapled papers in his hands. I probably should have been curious about what he was reading but for some reason I couldn’t bring myself to care.

“It says here that he disappeared at the same time you and the rest of your friends did” he said. He didn’t look up but I knew he’d be judging my reaction and answer. I kept my expression neutral and stretched my arms across the table.

“So?” I pushed. His eyes jumped over the top of his stack of papers and I watched his eyebrows slowly slide up on his forehead. He didn’t look surprised or confused, just like he hadn’t been expecting it.

“The only ones who seem to be worried for that boy are his mom and sister, yet you’ve all called him your friend. Care to explain that to me?” Rodriguez asked. I sighed and rolled my eyes.

“Look, personally I can’t stand Sean, he’s a pig. He doesn’t care for anyone but himself and he loves the thrill of danger. If you’re asking why I’m not surprised he’s missing, it’s because he runs off all the time. Sean’s a trouble maker, he probably did something stupid and disappeared so he wouldn’t get caught” I said. Rodriguez made a small noise in his throat before disappearing through the door, his eyes once again glued to his stack of paper.

“Can I go home yet?!” I yelled after him. I got the door slammed on me as an answer. I sighed and sat back in the chair. For the next hour, Rodriguez and Monroe took turns interrogating me, asking the same questions over and over again. My friends must not have been saying anything either because even Rodriguez was being short with me now. The last time Rodriguez came in, I lost my temper after the first question. He’d slid a single sheet of paper across the table towards me and I found myself staring down at a picture of Tommy. Confusion got the better of me and I looked up at him, my eyebrows drawn in tightly.

“This boy says you’re his girlfriend, I assume it’s true because I’ve seen the way he looks at you. Also he and the rest of your friends have used your name more than once, telling us that you know what’s best in this situation…..” he paused for a moment and I had time to reflect on the fact that Tommy had already claimed me as his girlfriend. It was extremely surprising but pleasing too. Rodriguez sighed and picked up again.

“Miss Murphy, I’m only going to ask one more time; where have you and your friends been for the last two years?” he asked. The repeated question finally succeeded in slicing apart my frayed nerves and I felt my blood boil in rage. I stood up so fast that my chair toppled over backwards and I slammed my hands down on the table in front of Rodriguez, startling him. Then I leaned down until my face was inches away from his.

“You look like a smart guy, I bet you like your job, you like getting to go home at the end of every day and seeing your wife and kids if you’ve got any.” I almost didn’t recognize my own voice and I saw Rodriguez’s eyes widen in surprise. I leaned down so I was a little bit closer and lowered my voice; it made is sound even more sinister.

“If you want to keep living your life exactly the way it is, I suggest you stop asking questions. Because if you keep digging, you’re not going to like what you find, and trust me when I say you do not want to know” I growled. Rodriguez swallowed thickly, his Adam’s apple bobbing in his throat and he slowly pushed his chair away from the table. It took everything in me not to laugh as he stood up, nervously straightened his tie, hooked his foot on the leg of his chair and fell flat on his face. Then he scrambled hastily to his feet and dove through the open doorway. I smirked and I shoved myself back from the table and set my chair upright again. I’d just sat down when Monroe opened the door and with an extremely confused look on his face, told me I was free to go. He led me to the front of the police station where Leigh-Anne, Jesse, Moira, and Tommy were waiting. As soon as Tommy saw me coming, he speed-walked towards me and pulled me into his arms. I melted into his embrace and leaned my head against his shoulder.

“Are you alright?” he asked before pulling away so he could look me in the eyes. I smiled slightly when he cupped my cheeks, pushing my hair away from my face. I put my hands over his.

“I’m fine, Tommy” I murmured. He sighed in relief and I saw him start to slowly drift towards my lips for a kiss. Luckily for me, Jesse prevented what would have been a very embarrassing situation for me.

“Here come Cayla and Paul” he said. Tommy and I turned to see Cayla and Paul walking up a different hall towards us. They both wore confused looks on their faces.

“Anyone know why they’re suddenly just letting us go?” Paul asked. I shook my head, as did everyone else, but Jesse jumped in right away.

“No idea, but you should’ve seen the look on that guys’ face when he came to let us out of the holding cell” Jesse started, a light chuckle in his voice. Tommy nodded in agreement.

“He looked terrified” he said. I frowned slightly and looked back and forth between Tommy and Jesse. What could have scared a detective so badly that they would release seven teenagers being held for questioning? An answer started to form in my head.

“Who?” I asked. Both Tommy and Jesse looked down at me but Jesse shrugged his shoulders, he must not have known his name. Tommy took my hand in his and held it against his chest.

“He was at the cemetery, the taller one. Rodriguez” he said. My eyes widened and I felt heat flood my face and this time it had nothing to do with Tommy. I didn’t know how I knew, but I was positive Rodriguez had let us go because of what I’d said.

“Oops” I muttered. They all looked over at me and Tommy frowned when I covered my mouth with my free hand. “That might have been because of me” I whispered from behind my hand. Jesse and Leigh-Anne raised their eyebrows and exchanged a look. Cayla and Paul did too, except Cayla was grinning when she looked back at me. Even Tommy had the ghost of a smirk on his lips. Moira just kinda hovered silently behind Leigh-Anne.

“What did you do to him, Vanessa?” Cayla asked. I grimaced lightly and tapped my fingernails against my bottom lip. Tommy’s smirk grew so I know I must have looked really guilty.

“Physically nothing, but I may have scared him. I told him if he wanted to keep living his life the way he was, he needed to back off or he wasn’t gonna like what he found” I said. Cayla burst out laughing and even Paul let out a sharp laugh. I grimaced again. When I looked up at Tommy, I was met with a cheeky smile and slightly raised eyebrows.

“Damn Ness, I didn’t know you had it in you” he muttered. My face flushed and I looked down. Cayla finally stopped laughing and Paul put his arm around her shoulders.

“We’ll at least we’re free, let’s go home. Our parents have to be worried by now” he said. I tried not to let the comment bother me but Tommy squeezed my hand gently anyway. We all separated at the police station and Tommy insisted I come back to his place with him. I wanted to ask why but after what we’d been through, I wasn’t too anxious to be away from him so I just went with it. When Tommy pulled up in front of his place, I watched his parents and sister come of out of the house. I shared a worried look with Tommy before he sighed and opened his door. He raced around the front of his jeep and made it to my door while I was still getting out of my seatbelt.

“What do I tell them, Ness?” he whispered as he held out a hand to help me from the seat. I grabbed both his hands and he looked at me in surprise.

“Don’t tell them anything Tommy, it will only drag them down too. This way is safer” I replied. Tommy lowered his head and rested his forehead against mine. I knew he didn’t like the thought of keeping anything from his parents but this was the way it had to be. He locked eyes with me, his green orbs watery, and took a deep breath. Tommy reached out and took my hand as we made our way towards his parents, and I saw Matilda’s eyes widen.

“Is everything okay, Tommy? Do we need to get a lawyer?” Jonathan asked, his eyes on our intertwined hands. For the first time ever, I wished Tommy wasn’t holding my hand. But all he did was chuckle and run his free hand through his hair.

“No, everything’s fine. Nessa scared them into letting us go” he said. He sent a smirk in my direction and I felt heat flood my cheeks. His parents both looked at me, looks of surprise on their faces. I covered my face with my free hand and Tommy chuckled.

“Accidentally, I swear. My temper kind of got the better of me” I said. I watched through the gap in my fingers as Jonathan raised an eyebrow and glanced at Tommy.

“But you’re free? They’re not gonna drag you back in again?” he asked. I smiled behind my hand and shook my head. Tommy chuckled again and pulled me against his side. Matilda let out a loud sigh of relief and stepped forward to pull us both into her arms.

“Well then, let’s get you two out of those dirty old clothes” she said before pulling us towards the house. Sadie joined us on my free side and took my free hand. I smiled down at her.

“I’m glad you guys are back, Ness” she said. I looked over at Tommy and he smiled warmly at his sister before winking at me. I looked down to hide the grin that formed on my face. As we walked into the house, a flash of white streaked out of the kitchen and upstairs.

“What was that?” Tommy asked craning his neck so he could look up the stairs. Both Jonathan and Matilda sighed deeply and Sadie laughed lightly.

“That would be our cat Bailey; Sadie honey, why don’t you see what she got into?” Matilda said. Sadie laughed and let go of my hand so she could venture into the kitchen. Tommy looked quizzically at his parents.

“When did you get a cat?” he asked. Matilda smiled a little sadly and brushed aside a curl that had fallen into Tommy’s face. Tommy took on a slightly guilty look and put his free hand over his mom’s. Her smile brightened somewhat.

“Last summer, about a year after you disappeared, Sadie talked us into it” she said. Tommy looked down slightly and somehow I knew what was coming next. I bit down on my bottom lip.

“I’m really sorry mom……………..” he started. Matilda cut him off as she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him. He wrapped his free arm around her but he refused to release her hand.

“I know honey, you’re back now, and that’s all that matters” she whispered. I saw Tommy smile before he turned his head and hid his face in his mother’s neck. I smiled at the sight but it made me wish my parents were still alive. Matilda turned suddenly and I found myself enveloped in her flowery perfume.

“The same goes for you Ness, you may not be my daughter but its close enough” she said. I smiled widely and I caught Tommy looking at us fondly.

“Now then” she said as she pulled away from me. “You both need showers and then I’ll fix you up something to eat” Matilda said. Tommy nodded and started to pull me towards the stairs but I pulled on his arm, yanking him to a stop.

“I don’t have any clothes here, Mrs. Collins” I said. Matilda stopped on her way to the kitchen and came back over to me. Tommy wore a faded smirk on his face and I stomped on his foot when his mom wasn’t looking.

“I’m sure something of mine will fit you dear. Tommy, go ahead and get your shower” she said. Tommy nodded and kissed me on the cheek before releasing my hand and taking the stairs two at a time. Almost immediately after he left, I felt my face burn in embarrassment. Tommy had just kissed me in front of his parents. Jonathan must have found my expression funny because he started laughing quietly. But not quiet enough that I didn’t hear him; I slapped my hands over my face. Of course that just made him and Sadie burst out laughing even harder. Matilda wrapped her arm around my shoulders and steered me up the stairs.

“It’s okay, Ness, we’ve known for a long time that Tommy had feelings for you. It was only a matter of time” she said. I uncovered my face in shock and turned to stare at her. Just how long had Tommy had feelings for me? Matilda took in the look on my face and chuckled lightly.

“I’m assuming he didn’t tell you that. Well don’t worry honey, Tommy’s been waiting for this for a long time” she said. I smiled slightly and looked down as I followed her into her bedroom.

“So have I” I whispered. Matilda stopped in front of her dresser and looked at me with a small smile on her face. I raised my eyebrows.

“We knew that too, and can I just say, it’s about time” she said. I chuckled lightly and joined her in front of her dresser. We found a pair of pale pink silk pajamas that didn’t fit her anymore and an old sports bra but I wasn’t comfortable borrowing undergarments from her. I felt my face flush once again as I shook my head to her unmentionables drawer.

“That’s okay Mrs. Collins, I’ll just go without tonight and I’ll have Tommy take me by my place tomorrow so I can pick up some clothes” I said. My response was muffled because I’d tried to cover my face with the hand not clutching the pajamas, but she must have heard me because I heard the drawer slide closed.

“Alright dear, you’re welcome to use our bathroom if you want. And no more Mr. and Mrs. Stuff, you’re family now” she said. I managed to get control of my embarrassment so I could move my hand and smile at her before heading into the bathroom connected to their bedroom. By the time I finished my shower, it had started getting dark. I dressed quickly in the silk pajamas and started to hurry out the door but I caught sight of myself in the mirror. My caramel colored waves contrasted nicely with the pale silk I was wearing but that wasn’t what had caught my attention. The way the silk clung to my body, it was almost as if the pajamas had been bought for me. It felt insanely strange going commando, especially at Tommy’s, but the shorts were soft enough that it was almost unnoticeable. I shook my head and made my way into the hall to go downstairs. I was caught by Tommy as he came out of his room and his eyes widened when he saw what I was wearing.

“Oh my god, Ness you look…………………………………………………………” he trailed off, his eyes scanning my bare legs and I felt my cheeks heat up again. Tommy took a few steps forward until he was standing right in front of me, and he let his eyes travel up my body until he was looking in my eyes. A small smile formed on his lips and he wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me against him.

“Beautiful” he whispered. Immediately after my smile formed, Tommy gently pressed his lips to mine and I found myself yanked into the sweetest kiss I’d ever experienced. Tommy’s lips were pushing against mine gently and I felt him lift the back of my shirt so he could press his fingers into the small of my back. I threaded my fingers into his hair again and Tommy opened his mouth slightly. The next thing I knew, I could feel Tommy’s tongue gently tracing the contours of my lips. He wasn’t pushing or poking to get passed my lips, he seemed content just ghosting his tongue along my lips. Just when I finally felt like I’d gotten up enough nerve to part my lips for him, we were interrupted.

“Ew, get a room. Mom, dad; they’re kissing in the hallway!” Sadie called before thundering back downstairs. I broke away and buried my face in Tommy’s chest while he laughed and shook his head. I sighed deeply and moved my hands down so I could grab handfuls of his t-shirt.

“Tommy, I hate your sister” I mumbled into his chest. Tommy laughed lightly and I felt his hands on my damp hair, smoothing it down my back. Finally I pulled away and looked up at him; he smiled sweetly before leaning down and pressing a warm kiss to my lips. He pulled back and caressed my cheek with his thumb while he took in my pajamas again. A small smirk formed on his lips.

“You look so incredible in those, by the way” he murmured, his eyes still on my legs. I wasn’t sure if he was actually still checking out the pajamas or just staring at my bare legs. I put a finger under his chin and tipped his face back up. He grinned momentarily before pulling away from me and grabbing my hand.

“Come on let’s eat, I’m starving” he said. I laughed lightly and let him pull me down the stairs. It wasn’t until we were already seated in front of his parents, each of us with heaping plates of chicken and rice, that I remembered what Sadie had shouted before she ran down the stairs. I was horrified to feel my face heat up and as soon as she saw it, Sadie started laughing. Tommy looked up from his plate, oblivious to what had happened, and I squeezed my eyes shut.

“Sadie, that’s enough. Stop embarrassing Nessa” Matilda scolded her. Sadie’s laugh cut off to a chuckle as she covered her mouth and I felt Tommy’s lips against my temple. It wouldn’t have been so embarrassing if it had just been Sadie, but Tommy’s parents knew. I sighed deeply and opened my eyes to look down at my plate.

After an awkward dinner, Tommy and I sprawled on the couch to watch television with his parents. Since they already knew about us, I figured it would be a waste to try to hide anything so I just made myself comfortable. Tommy had layed out on the couch, propping his head against one of the arms. So I did what came natural; I sat myself in between his legs and leaned back against his chest. Tommy made a low grunting noise and sat forward so he could wrap his arms around my waist. I couldn’t force back the smile that formed as a result. It was completely exhilarating to finally be able to act how I wanted around Tommy because I knew he felt the same about me. And this time, I didn’t care who saw. After a few minutes of sitting comfortably in Tommy’s arms, Jonathan cleared his throat. Tommy and I turned to look at him but his eyes were on Sadie.

“Time for bed, Sadie” he rumbled. Sadie looked back at him from her place on the floor in front of the television. Her mouth was open and she looked like she was about to argue, but one look from her dad and she quickly closed her mouth.

“Yes daddy” she replied. Sadie gathered her school stuff together, kissed her parents and Tommy goodnight, and scurried up the stairs. I turned back to the television and situated myself back against Tommy, but apparently Jonathan wasn’t finished yet. He cleared his throat again and he and Matilda sat forward on their couch. I looked back at Tommy and he raised his eyebrows. We sat up to match their positions and Tommy took my hand again. Matilda looked up at us, her leaf green eyes sparkling in worry.

“What happened to you kids?” she whispered. Tommy turned to look at me, a pleading look in his eyes, but I shook my head. When his eyebrows drew in to form a worried expression, I knew he understood. Tommy sighed deeply and turned back to his parents.

“Look mom………………………………………………………………………” he started. Jonathan interrupted him, an anxious tone to his voice.

“We understand that you can’t tell the police, but can’t you at least tell us?” he asked. Tommy’s head fell and I saw him clench his eyes shut. I took my hand from his and squeezed his shoulder gently before looking back at his parents.

“I’m sorry, but no. We can’t tell anyone, it’s safer that way” I said. Jonathan sighed deeply and sat back against the couch, his hands in his hair. Matilda turned her worried green eyes on me.

“Safer for us or safer for you?” she asked. It was so hard looking in those eyes, which were an exact replica of Tommy’s, and not tell her what she wanted to know. Tommy sighed and looked up.

“Both; if we told you it would just cause more trouble and we can’t risk it. Nobody can know” he said. I wrapped my arm around his shoulders and for a split second, I felt Tommy lean against me. Jonathan looked at us through his hands.

“So that’s it? I mean, you won’t tell us what happened?” he said. I cringed slightly and Tommy sat up straight and wrapped his arm tight around my waist.

“It’s not that we won’t, it’s that we can’t. You have to trust us on this; Tommy’s right, nobody can know. Besides, you wouldn’t believe us anyway” I said. Matilda slid forward until she was sitting on the very edge of her cushion.

“Honey, you went missing for two years and came back looking exactly the same as when you left. We’d believe pretty much anything at this point” she said. I sighed as I looked at her. I had to admit it would have been a relief not to have to keep it to myself anymore, but I couldn’t do that to them. If they knew, the D.D.S. would come after them too. I had just started to shake my head when Tommy took a deep breath, like he was ready to spill his guts.

“Tommy, no.”

“Ness, they deserve to know!” he cried. I put my hand on his chin and turned his face towards me. His eyes were flooded with tears and held a sheen of pure anguish. I cupped his face in both my hands.

“I know; but you know that we can’t put them in danger like that. We’re causing enough trouble just by being here” I said. Tommy was quiet for a second before he let out a deep breath and slumped against my side.

“Danger?” Jonathan asked. He’d sat forward again, and his hands were clenched into tight fists on his knees. In my haste to keep Tommy from spilling everything, I’d accidentally said something I shouldn’t have. I cursed a few times in my head and covered my face with one hand. Tommy patted my other hand lightly.

“Yeah danger. We’re still in trouble, just not as bad as we were. There’s…………………..…..” Tommy trailed off, his eyes reading my face. I knew somehow that he was asking me how much he could tell. I sighed deeply.

“There are people after us because we know something we shouldn’t. If we tell you, they’re just gonna come after you too. You’re safer if you don’t know” I said. I could feel Tommy’s eyes boring into the side of my face but I didn’t look at him. Finally after what seemed like hours, Matilda’s voice reached my ears.

“We believe you, dear. You two must be exhausted, why don’t you get some sleep?” she suggested. I was stunned that she hadn’t demanded to know everything but I decided not to give her the chance. I grabbed Tommy’s hand and pulled him up and towards the stairs with me.

“I can’t believe you told them that much” he whispered. I waited until we were at the top of the stairs so I could turn and fold myself into his arms. Tommy sighed deeply and wrapped his arms around me.

“I just wanted them to stop asking questions” I murmured. Tommy tangled his fingers in my hair and I felt his breath hit the top of my head a second before he pressed a kiss to my hair.

“Well, I think you scared them enough that they won’t ask anything else for a while” he said. I huffed against his chest and he chuckled lightly before tilting my face up to his. He pressed a tender kiss to my lips and rubbed my cheek with his thumb.

“Come on, let’s get some sleep” he said. Against my better judgment, Tommy pulled me into his bedroom with him and closed the door.