Rough nights (2/?)
“We need to talk about this”, JJ said and sat down on top of her desk.
Emily leaned forward with her elbows on her knees. She looked tired, defeated, wanting nothing more than to bolt out the door. JJ was surprised she’d sat down in the first place.
“I’m sorry. I know I shouldn’t have started it-”
“That’s not it…” JJ bit down on her lip. She didn’t want Emily to apologize to her, anything but. “I just want you to let me know what’s going on in there.” She ran her fingers through Emily’s hair. There was something wrong, but she couldn’t figure out why Emily kept pushing her further and further away, shutting her out.
Emily stood up, and JJ knew she wasn’t going to like what was coming. She quickly put a finger across her lips. But as Emily’s warm breath caressed her skin, she lost everything she’d planned to say. A bolt shot through her body, making her drop her hand. She needed her ability to speak.
She wished she didn’t know what Emily’s lips felt like kissing their way down her throat, over her collarbones, her soft fingers trailing down her back. She shook her head to clear it and took a step closer. Emily’s breathing sped up as she opened her mouth, closed it again. Her eyes fixed on JJ’s lips.
“I”, Emily started, her voice trembling. “I can’t do this.”
“The bridge’s flooded”, Reid said, and JJ crashed back to reality. “There’s another road a few miles back.”
Damn it. Why did she keep doing this to herself? Replaying their one step forward, two steps backward dance inside her head. Every single time her chest felt like it was about to break.
She turned the car around on the narrow road. Maybe this was nature’s way of saying she should stay away from Emily. I can do it, she thought, I’m going to get these feelings under control. Her mind was made up; Emily was not allowed to get to her again. Never before had JJ taken so many nightly runs as in the last few weeks. She never took the same route, and sometimes she could barely find her way back. But when she finally got inside her apartment, she was exhausted enough to collapse on her bed.
“How the hell can this be called a road?” JJ slowed down. The rain was crashing down on the windshield, obscuring her vision and forcing them to move at snail’s pace.
“Maybe we should head back to the house”, Reid said as he eyed the slope to their right. The wheels were turning awfully close to it.
“No way I’m going back there. We can do this.” JJ focused her eyes on the mud ahead and tried plowing through it. The engine roared in disobedience. “What the-”
A stream of profanities escaped JJ’s mouth as she stepped on the gas, and Reid’s first reaction was to cover his ears.
“Maybe-”
“No.” The tires spun around, and one of them found solid ground. JJ whooped when they finally moved forward. “See, we’ll soon be back at the hotel.”
Reid crossed his arms and muttered something under his breath, but JJ chose to ignore it. She drove on, seeing only a few feet ahead of her, and as the road turned, they went forward.
Reid screamed as the car started drifting, the dark trees rushing closer. JJ’s stomach sunk. This would be it. This would be her final night, crashing into the forest. She clutched the steering wheel, trying to keep them on the road. But it was of no use. The car tipped over, twisting violently downwards. A window shattered, exploding shards of glass over them. Their blood mixing with the rain.
This is all my fault, JJ thought before everything went black.
Emily leaned forward with her elbows on her knees. She looked tired, defeated, wanting nothing more than to bolt out the door. JJ was surprised she’d sat down in the first place.
“I’m sorry. I know I shouldn’t have started it-”
“That’s not it…” JJ bit down on her lip. She didn’t want Emily to apologize to her, anything but. “I just want you to let me know what’s going on in there.” She ran her fingers through Emily’s hair. There was something wrong, but she couldn’t figure out why Emily kept pushing her further and further away, shutting her out.
Emily stood up, and JJ knew she wasn’t going to like what was coming. She quickly put a finger across her lips. But as Emily’s warm breath caressed her skin, she lost everything she’d planned to say. A bolt shot through her body, making her drop her hand. She needed her ability to speak.
She wished she didn’t know what Emily’s lips felt like kissing their way down her throat, over her collarbones, her soft fingers trailing down her back. She shook her head to clear it and took a step closer. Emily’s breathing sped up as she opened her mouth, closed it again. Her eyes fixed on JJ’s lips.
“I”, Emily started, her voice trembling. “I can’t do this.”
“The bridge’s flooded”, Reid said, and JJ crashed back to reality. “There’s another road a few miles back.”
Damn it. Why did she keep doing this to herself? Replaying their one step forward, two steps backward dance inside her head. Every single time her chest felt like it was about to break.
She turned the car around on the narrow road. Maybe this was nature’s way of saying she should stay away from Emily. I can do it, she thought, I’m going to get these feelings under control. Her mind was made up; Emily was not allowed to get to her again. Never before had JJ taken so many nightly runs as in the last few weeks. She never took the same route, and sometimes she could barely find her way back. But when she finally got inside her apartment, she was exhausted enough to collapse on her bed.
“How the hell can this be called a road?” JJ slowed down. The rain was crashing down on the windshield, obscuring her vision and forcing them to move at snail’s pace.
“Maybe we should head back to the house”, Reid said as he eyed the slope to their right. The wheels were turning awfully close to it.
“No way I’m going back there. We can do this.” JJ focused her eyes on the mud ahead and tried plowing through it. The engine roared in disobedience. “What the-”
A stream of profanities escaped JJ’s mouth as she stepped on the gas, and Reid’s first reaction was to cover his ears.
“Maybe-”
“No.” The tires spun around, and one of them found solid ground. JJ whooped when they finally moved forward. “See, we’ll soon be back at the hotel.”
Reid crossed his arms and muttered something under his breath, but JJ chose to ignore it. She drove on, seeing only a few feet ahead of her, and as the road turned, they went forward.
Reid screamed as the car started drifting, the dark trees rushing closer. JJ’s stomach sunk. This would be it. This would be her final night, crashing into the forest. She clutched the steering wheel, trying to keep them on the road. But it was of no use. The car tipped over, twisting violently downwards. A window shattered, exploding shards of glass over them. Their blood mixing with the rain.
This is all my fault, JJ thought before everything went black.