Legacy Chapter 7
WARNING: None
The doorbell rang, causing me to jump and drop the glass I was scrubbing back into the sink filled with hot, soapy water. Who the hell was that? No one ever visited me.
I wiped my hands dry and walked the pathetically short distance from my kitchen sink to the front door. God damn, my apartment was tiny.
I opened the door and froze. "What...what the hell are you doing here?"
Hide was standing on my front step. "I wanted to talk to you. Why did you run from me last night?" Obviously, Hide wasn't one to beat around the bush.
"I...I..." I backed up, searching for words, and Hide walked inside just enough so I could close the door behind him. He stared at me, a serious look on his face.
"Honestly...I was afraid. Of what I did. It was a mistake...I was drunk, and-"
"Don't give me that. You meant to do it. You weren't drunk enough to kiss me for no reason."
My mouth snapped shut.
"I've had many drunken kisses, and last night...that wasn't the same as all the others. You were fully aware of what you were doing."
"Of course I was," I said, my voice returning. "That's why I left before I could ruin things further. Look, I'm really sorry-"
"Don't be," Hide said, interrupting me again. "Because I'm not."
"What?"
Hide leaned against my kitchen counter, looking down at his feet. If I didn't know any better, I would say he was suddenly feeling shy. "I'm not sorry for it at all. I enjoyed it."
I could feel my face reddening. "Oh..."
Hide looked up at me. "Did you?"
I looked back at him, silent. Finally, I whispered, "Yes."
Hide straightened and reached for my wrist, pulling me slightly closer to him. I planted my feet, afraid of what he might do and that I'd like it too much.
"Amanda," he said softly, and I loved the sound of my name on his lips. "Last night...there was something there. Sure, we were a little drunk, so that contributed somewhat to it, but beneath that...there was something hot and exciting hidden there. And I want to uncover that. I want to feel it again."
I tried to swallow, but my throat was dry. What he was saying shocked and thrilled me at the same time. I wanted to agree, because he was right. He had felt my passion and desire for him in my kiss. But was I hearing him correctly? Did he say he wanted it too? It was too good to be true.
"Hide," I whispered, unable to look at him anymore. And I told him the lie that every girl has told the man of her dreams, the one she's so sure she could never have that when she finally has her chance, she refuses it. "It wouldn't work. It'd ruin our friendship."
Hide scoffed. "Are you kidding? Of course it wouldn't."
I shook my head, my eyes still glued to the floor. "Yes, it would. Say we did start something...what if it ended? Then we could never be around each other again without it being weird and awkward, and I don't want that. I'm happy with what I have with you now."
Hide took my face between his hands, lifting my head and forcing me to look at him. "I can promise you that would never happen. Because I'd try my hardest to make it work. I want this, Amanda. I want you. And I know you want it too."
I smiled slightly. "I guess I haven't been any good at hiding it, have I?"
Hide grinned. "You're not so bad. The only reason I haven't said anything until now was because I wasn't completely sure. But last night proved it one hundred percent."
I sighed, and with my breath came my confession. "It's true. Ever since I met you, I've wanted you. Within seconds of talking to you, I was already infatuated. And ever since then, it's gotten worse and worse, until it took all my self-control not to just pounce on you and do...well, I don't know what I would've done."
"Something fun, I hope." Hide wiggled his eyebrows at me.
I laughed. "Oh yes, I can promise that at least it would be fun. For both of us."
Hide smiled. His hands slid from my face down to my shoulders, resting there. "So, what do you say? Will you try it? Shall we take our friendship further? I, for one, am all for it."
I looked into his eyes, which were bright and hopeful. I thought of what it would be like to claim Hide as mine, not in my dreams but for real. I didn't need to think that long to know that it would be perfect.
"I'm game," I said.
Hide looked at me in confusion. I realized he didn't know the expression.
"That means yes, idiot," I teased.
Hide's smile got even wider, and he planted a soft kiss on my forehead before stepping back. "Suge," he said.
It was my turn to be confused. "Huh?"
"That means 'awesome', idiot." Hide poked my forehead in the same place he had just kissed. I stuck my tongue out at him and laughed.
"We need to do this right, though," Hide said. "So come on, we're going out."
My smile fell slightly. "What?"
"Come on," Hide grabbed my hand and started walking towards the door. "I'm taking you out for our first date."
"But...but..." I tried to plant my feet again, but Hide was too strong for me and I slid a little across the linoleum. "I'm not dressed for it!"
Hide stopped and looked at me, his eyes taking in my cutoff jean shorts and faded Iron Maiden T-shirt. "You're beautiful just the way you are," he said. "Stop whining."
My heart skipped a beat at those words, and all resistance left my body. I was dragged out of my door, barely having enough time to grab my keys.
"How did you get here, anyway?" I asked as we walked up my steps.
"Taxi," Hide said, pointing to a yellow cab waiting in the street.
"You had a taxi waiting?" I asked, astonished. "What are you, nuts? The meter's still running!"
"So?" Hide shrugged. "I'm a rockstar. I have money to burn. Don't worry about it."
I couldn't argue with that.
"Where are we going?" I asked as the taxi pulled away from the curb. I could see the taxi driver glancing at us in the rearview mirror, probably wondering the same thing.
"No idea," Hide said, shrugging. He leaned forward to address the driver. "Just keep driving around until we think of something."
The driver nodded silently.
We drove for about twenty minutes before Hide suddenly pointed and shouted, "Ooo! Ooo! Let's go there!"
I looked out the window and saw that Hide was pointing at a Ferris wheel that slowly spun in the distance.
"Ferris wheels mean amusement park, right? Which means junk food and overpriced games and a lot of rides! Wanna go?"
I laughed at his enthusiasm. "What are you, five? You're way too excited."
"I haven't been to an amusement park in a long time, and I love them." Hide's eyes were glued to the Ferris wheel.
"Sure, why not?" I said. "I haven't been for a while either. I usually can't afford it."
"That's the boardwalk at Santa Monica Bay," the driver said. "It's pretty cheap to get in."
"That's even better. We can go walk on the beach or something."
"Is that where you want to go?" the driver asked.
Hide nodded vigorously. "Yes, please."
The boardwalk was small, mostly food and game stands and some tacky souvenir shops lining the docks. There were a few rides however: the Ferris wheel, a carousel, and a Tilt-a-Whirl. Though it was small, Hide didn't seem to care in the least. He practically ran through the entrance and headed straight for the Tilt-a-Whirl, not noticing he left me behind. I was happy to walk more slowly, enjoying his excitement.
Hide got to the line of people waiting to get on and finally noticed I wasn't right behind him. "Come on!" he shouted, waving at me to walk faster. I sped up and reached him just as the line started moving.
We went on the Tilt-a-Whirl about six times in a row before we got so dizzy we could hardly walk straight, and settled our stomachs with chicken strips, fries and lemonade. Then we rode the carousel for an hour or so, choosing different horses to sit on each time. After that, we decided it was time to try our luck at a few of the games. Hide beat me in everything, except for the throwing darts game.
"Kuso!" Hide cursed as he missed his target, a small pink balloon that he was supposed to pop, for the tenth time.
"Aim for the green ones, they're bigger," I suggested.
"No way, pink's my lucky color," Hide said, pointing to his head.
"Obviously not today," I said.
Hide frowned at me. "Fine, you do it if you're so smart." He handed me three darts.
I took aim and threw. The dart hit the balloon square in the middle and it popped with a BANG!
I smiled at Hide triumphantly. "See? Easy."
"Beginner's luck," he said, pouting.
"Oh, really?" I threw the other two darts together and popped two more balloons.
"Winner! Pick a prize!" the guy running the booth shouted.
I looked at the rack where the prizes hung. They were all pretty lame and cheaply made. Then I saw what I wanted.
"I'll take that bear," I said. After being handed my prize, I turned to Hide. He wasn't there. Looking around, I found him wandering away, pretending he didn't care that he had lost.
"Hide!" I called, running up to him. "I won!"
"That's nice," he said in a disappointed tone.
"Here," I said, handing him the little pink bear I had chosen. "I won it for you."
Hide's face lit up as he took the bear. "Thanks!"
"Now, I know it's supposed to be the guy who wins the bear for the girl, but since you suck at darts..."
Hide hit me lightly over the head with the bear. "The sun was in my eyes."
"Yeah, whatever." I laughed.
Hide looked at the bear in his hands, making it dance. "I'll name it Teddy."
I rolled my eyes. "How original."
"Hey, I have to be original all the time in my line of work. Let me be boring for once."
"Hide, I seriously doubt you could ever be boring."
As the afternoon turned into evening, Hide decided he wanted to go down and walk on the beach below the docks. We walked along the waterline, water flowing over our bare feet, watching the sun start to sink into the ocean.
"I've decided that Santa Monica Bay is my favorite place in L.A.," Hide said.
"Really? Have you been everywhere else?" I asked.
"No."
"Then how do you know? There could be someplace better."
"I just know. Stop arguing," Hide said with false annoyance. He stopped and turned towards the ocean, sighing happily. "It's been a great day. I had a lot of fun, and look. One of the few places in L.A. where your view is unobstructed by buildings and other human things. It's beautiful, don't you think?"
I looked at him, his face content and glowing in the light from the setting sun, his hair moving slightly in the light breeze. "Yes, it is beautiful." And I wasn't talking about the sunset.
"I spend so much time in cities, I've learned to appreciate natural beauty. It's lame, I know."
"No, it's not...ow!"
"What?" Hide turned to look at me, concerned.
"I cut my foot on something." I lifted my foot and looked at the bottom. I saw a small cut in the middle of my foot that was bleeding slightly. "Must've been some broken glass or something. That's what I get for walking barefoot on an L.A. beach."
"Let me help." Before I could do anything, Hide had lifted me up and carried me bridal style up the beach until he reached a wooden bench, which he promptly placed me on.
"You didn't have to carry me," I said.
"Of course I did. You can't get sand in it. Let me check to see if any glass is in there." Hide gently lifted my foot and peered at the bottom of it. Usually I would protest against being treated like a damsel in distress, but I was still recovering from the feeling of being held securely in Hide's arms.
"No glass," he said a moment later. "But we have to cover it." Hide pulled a napkin out of his pants pocket. "This is all I have." He covered the cut with the napkin, then slid my shoe on over it so it held the napkin in place. He looked up at me. "Do you think you can walk on it?"
I stood up slowly, testing my weight on my injured foot. It only stung slightly. "Yeah, it's fine."
"Here, hold Teddy. It'll make you feel better." Hide handed Teddy to me.
I hugged Teddy to my chest, burying my nose in the fuzz on top of his head. Even though Hide had only been carrying him around for a few hours, Teddy had already started to smell like him.
"Thanks, Hide," I said.
By the time we got back to my house, it was completely dark, or as dark as a huge city like L.A. could ever be. We had taken our time walking back from the beach to the boardwalk, since Hide had insisted we walk slowly so I wouldn't further hurt my foot.
Hide walked me to my door, still worried about my cut.
"Don't worry," I said for the millionth time. "I'm a tough girl. It's not like I was gushing blood or anything."
"Sorry."
"It's okay. I think it's cute, if not terribly cliche. But then again, this whole day has been." I said.
"Has it?" Hide asked.
"Yeah. Having a first date at an amusement park, winning a prize at the darts game, watching the sunset, you saving me from the evil broken glass..."
Hide laughed. "And is that a bad thing?"
"No." I smiled. "I had fun. More fun then I've had in a while, actually."
"Now who's being cliche?" Hide teased. He held up Teddy. "Thank you again for him. I'll keep him forever."
"You're welcome. Well, good night." I turned and reached for the doorknob, but was stopped by Hide's hand on my shoulder.
Hide turned me towards him, then leaned forward until our faces were barely an inch apart. "Good night," he whispered before kissing me softly on the lips. He then turned and went back up the stairs.
I stood there, watching him until he reached the top and disappeared from my sight. Then I let out the breath I didn't know I was holding. I turned back around and fumbled with the doorknob for a minute before opening the door and letting myself in.
I fell asleep that night with a smile on my face.
PREVIOUS NEXT
"Teddy and I"
The doorbell rang, causing me to jump and drop the glass I was scrubbing back into the sink filled with hot, soapy water. Who the hell was that? No one ever visited me.
I wiped my hands dry and walked the pathetically short distance from my kitchen sink to the front door. God damn, my apartment was tiny.
I opened the door and froze. "What...what the hell are you doing here?"
Hide was standing on my front step. "I wanted to talk to you. Why did you run from me last night?" Obviously, Hide wasn't one to beat around the bush.
"I...I..." I backed up, searching for words, and Hide walked inside just enough so I could close the door behind him. He stared at me, a serious look on his face.
"Honestly...I was afraid. Of what I did. It was a mistake...I was drunk, and-"
"Don't give me that. You meant to do it. You weren't drunk enough to kiss me for no reason."
My mouth snapped shut.
"I've had many drunken kisses, and last night...that wasn't the same as all the others. You were fully aware of what you were doing."
"Of course I was," I said, my voice returning. "That's why I left before I could ruin things further. Look, I'm really sorry-"
"Don't be," Hide said, interrupting me again. "Because I'm not."
"What?"
Hide leaned against my kitchen counter, looking down at his feet. If I didn't know any better, I would say he was suddenly feeling shy. "I'm not sorry for it at all. I enjoyed it."
I could feel my face reddening. "Oh..."
Hide looked up at me. "Did you?"
I looked back at him, silent. Finally, I whispered, "Yes."
Hide straightened and reached for my wrist, pulling me slightly closer to him. I planted my feet, afraid of what he might do and that I'd like it too much.
"Amanda," he said softly, and I loved the sound of my name on his lips. "Last night...there was something there. Sure, we were a little drunk, so that contributed somewhat to it, but beneath that...there was something hot and exciting hidden there. And I want to uncover that. I want to feel it again."
I tried to swallow, but my throat was dry. What he was saying shocked and thrilled me at the same time. I wanted to agree, because he was right. He had felt my passion and desire for him in my kiss. But was I hearing him correctly? Did he say he wanted it too? It was too good to be true.
"Hide," I whispered, unable to look at him anymore. And I told him the lie that every girl has told the man of her dreams, the one she's so sure she could never have that when she finally has her chance, she refuses it. "It wouldn't work. It'd ruin our friendship."
Hide scoffed. "Are you kidding? Of course it wouldn't."
I shook my head, my eyes still glued to the floor. "Yes, it would. Say we did start something...what if it ended? Then we could never be around each other again without it being weird and awkward, and I don't want that. I'm happy with what I have with you now."
Hide took my face between his hands, lifting my head and forcing me to look at him. "I can promise you that would never happen. Because I'd try my hardest to make it work. I want this, Amanda. I want you. And I know you want it too."
I smiled slightly. "I guess I haven't been any good at hiding it, have I?"
Hide grinned. "You're not so bad. The only reason I haven't said anything until now was because I wasn't completely sure. But last night proved it one hundred percent."
I sighed, and with my breath came my confession. "It's true. Ever since I met you, I've wanted you. Within seconds of talking to you, I was already infatuated. And ever since then, it's gotten worse and worse, until it took all my self-control not to just pounce on you and do...well, I don't know what I would've done."
"Something fun, I hope." Hide wiggled his eyebrows at me.
I laughed. "Oh yes, I can promise that at least it would be fun. For both of us."
Hide smiled. His hands slid from my face down to my shoulders, resting there. "So, what do you say? Will you try it? Shall we take our friendship further? I, for one, am all for it."
I looked into his eyes, which were bright and hopeful. I thought of what it would be like to claim Hide as mine, not in my dreams but for real. I didn't need to think that long to know that it would be perfect.
"I'm game," I said.
Hide looked at me in confusion. I realized he didn't know the expression.
"That means yes, idiot," I teased.
Hide's smile got even wider, and he planted a soft kiss on my forehead before stepping back. "Suge," he said.
It was my turn to be confused. "Huh?"
"That means 'awesome', idiot." Hide poked my forehead in the same place he had just kissed. I stuck my tongue out at him and laughed.
"We need to do this right, though," Hide said. "So come on, we're going out."
My smile fell slightly. "What?"
"Come on," Hide grabbed my hand and started walking towards the door. "I'm taking you out for our first date."
"But...but..." I tried to plant my feet again, but Hide was too strong for me and I slid a little across the linoleum. "I'm not dressed for it!"
Hide stopped and looked at me, his eyes taking in my cutoff jean shorts and faded Iron Maiden T-shirt. "You're beautiful just the way you are," he said. "Stop whining."
My heart skipped a beat at those words, and all resistance left my body. I was dragged out of my door, barely having enough time to grab my keys.
"How did you get here, anyway?" I asked as we walked up my steps.
"Taxi," Hide said, pointing to a yellow cab waiting in the street.
"You had a taxi waiting?" I asked, astonished. "What are you, nuts? The meter's still running!"
"So?" Hide shrugged. "I'm a rockstar. I have money to burn. Don't worry about it."
I couldn't argue with that.
"Where are we going?" I asked as the taxi pulled away from the curb. I could see the taxi driver glancing at us in the rearview mirror, probably wondering the same thing.
"No idea," Hide said, shrugging. He leaned forward to address the driver. "Just keep driving around until we think of something."
The driver nodded silently.
We drove for about twenty minutes before Hide suddenly pointed and shouted, "Ooo! Ooo! Let's go there!"
I looked out the window and saw that Hide was pointing at a Ferris wheel that slowly spun in the distance.
"Ferris wheels mean amusement park, right? Which means junk food and overpriced games and a lot of rides! Wanna go?"
I laughed at his enthusiasm. "What are you, five? You're way too excited."
"I haven't been to an amusement park in a long time, and I love them." Hide's eyes were glued to the Ferris wheel.
"Sure, why not?" I said. "I haven't been for a while either. I usually can't afford it."
"That's the boardwalk at Santa Monica Bay," the driver said. "It's pretty cheap to get in."
"That's even better. We can go walk on the beach or something."
"Is that where you want to go?" the driver asked.
Hide nodded vigorously. "Yes, please."
The boardwalk was small, mostly food and game stands and some tacky souvenir shops lining the docks. There were a few rides however: the Ferris wheel, a carousel, and a Tilt-a-Whirl. Though it was small, Hide didn't seem to care in the least. He practically ran through the entrance and headed straight for the Tilt-a-Whirl, not noticing he left me behind. I was happy to walk more slowly, enjoying his excitement.
Hide got to the line of people waiting to get on and finally noticed I wasn't right behind him. "Come on!" he shouted, waving at me to walk faster. I sped up and reached him just as the line started moving.
We went on the Tilt-a-Whirl about six times in a row before we got so dizzy we could hardly walk straight, and settled our stomachs with chicken strips, fries and lemonade. Then we rode the carousel for an hour or so, choosing different horses to sit on each time. After that, we decided it was time to try our luck at a few of the games. Hide beat me in everything, except for the throwing darts game.
"Kuso!" Hide cursed as he missed his target, a small pink balloon that he was supposed to pop, for the tenth time.
"Aim for the green ones, they're bigger," I suggested.
"No way, pink's my lucky color," Hide said, pointing to his head.
"Obviously not today," I said.
Hide frowned at me. "Fine, you do it if you're so smart." He handed me three darts.
I took aim and threw. The dart hit the balloon square in the middle and it popped with a BANG!
I smiled at Hide triumphantly. "See? Easy."
"Beginner's luck," he said, pouting.
"Oh, really?" I threw the other two darts together and popped two more balloons.
"Winner! Pick a prize!" the guy running the booth shouted.
I looked at the rack where the prizes hung. They were all pretty lame and cheaply made. Then I saw what I wanted.
"I'll take that bear," I said. After being handed my prize, I turned to Hide. He wasn't there. Looking around, I found him wandering away, pretending he didn't care that he had lost.
"Hide!" I called, running up to him. "I won!"
"That's nice," he said in a disappointed tone.
"Here," I said, handing him the little pink bear I had chosen. "I won it for you."
Hide's face lit up as he took the bear. "Thanks!"
"Now, I know it's supposed to be the guy who wins the bear for the girl, but since you suck at darts..."
Hide hit me lightly over the head with the bear. "The sun was in my eyes."
"Yeah, whatever." I laughed.
Hide looked at the bear in his hands, making it dance. "I'll name it Teddy."
I rolled my eyes. "How original."
"Hey, I have to be original all the time in my line of work. Let me be boring for once."
"Hide, I seriously doubt you could ever be boring."
As the afternoon turned into evening, Hide decided he wanted to go down and walk on the beach below the docks. We walked along the waterline, water flowing over our bare feet, watching the sun start to sink into the ocean.
"I've decided that Santa Monica Bay is my favorite place in L.A.," Hide said.
"Really? Have you been everywhere else?" I asked.
"No."
"Then how do you know? There could be someplace better."
"I just know. Stop arguing," Hide said with false annoyance. He stopped and turned towards the ocean, sighing happily. "It's been a great day. I had a lot of fun, and look. One of the few places in L.A. where your view is unobstructed by buildings and other human things. It's beautiful, don't you think?"
I looked at him, his face content and glowing in the light from the setting sun, his hair moving slightly in the light breeze. "Yes, it is beautiful." And I wasn't talking about the sunset.
"I spend so much time in cities, I've learned to appreciate natural beauty. It's lame, I know."
"No, it's not...ow!"
"What?" Hide turned to look at me, concerned.
"I cut my foot on something." I lifted my foot and looked at the bottom. I saw a small cut in the middle of my foot that was bleeding slightly. "Must've been some broken glass or something. That's what I get for walking barefoot on an L.A. beach."
"Let me help." Before I could do anything, Hide had lifted me up and carried me bridal style up the beach until he reached a wooden bench, which he promptly placed me on.
"You didn't have to carry me," I said.
"Of course I did. You can't get sand in it. Let me check to see if any glass is in there." Hide gently lifted my foot and peered at the bottom of it. Usually I would protest against being treated like a damsel in distress, but I was still recovering from the feeling of being held securely in Hide's arms.
"No glass," he said a moment later. "But we have to cover it." Hide pulled a napkin out of his pants pocket. "This is all I have." He covered the cut with the napkin, then slid my shoe on over it so it held the napkin in place. He looked up at me. "Do you think you can walk on it?"
I stood up slowly, testing my weight on my injured foot. It only stung slightly. "Yeah, it's fine."
"Here, hold Teddy. It'll make you feel better." Hide handed Teddy to me.
I hugged Teddy to my chest, burying my nose in the fuzz on top of his head. Even though Hide had only been carrying him around for a few hours, Teddy had already started to smell like him.
"Thanks, Hide," I said.
By the time we got back to my house, it was completely dark, or as dark as a huge city like L.A. could ever be. We had taken our time walking back from the beach to the boardwalk, since Hide had insisted we walk slowly so I wouldn't further hurt my foot.
Hide walked me to my door, still worried about my cut.
"Don't worry," I said for the millionth time. "I'm a tough girl. It's not like I was gushing blood or anything."
"Sorry."
"It's okay. I think it's cute, if not terribly cliche. But then again, this whole day has been." I said.
"Has it?" Hide asked.
"Yeah. Having a first date at an amusement park, winning a prize at the darts game, watching the sunset, you saving me from the evil broken glass..."
Hide laughed. "And is that a bad thing?"
"No." I smiled. "I had fun. More fun then I've had in a while, actually."
"Now who's being cliche?" Hide teased. He held up Teddy. "Thank you again for him. I'll keep him forever."
"You're welcome. Well, good night." I turned and reached for the doorknob, but was stopped by Hide's hand on my shoulder.
Hide turned me towards him, then leaned forward until our faces were barely an inch apart. "Good night," he whispered before kissing me softly on the lips. He then turned and went back up the stairs.
I stood there, watching him until he reached the top and disappeared from my sight. Then I let out the breath I didn't know I was holding. I turned back around and fumbled with the doorknob for a minute before opening the door and letting myself in.
I fell asleep that night with a smile on my face.
PREVIOUS NEXT
"Teddy and I"