Sleeping sitting up was not a good idea. I tried to move without waking the others up, but I couldn’t do so comfortably. Shifting was going to be troublesome. I sat with four little ones, who used me as a pillow. I tried to move my limbs a little to get comfortable, but I couldn’t. I really needed to get up myself, I was stiff as muscles begged to be in motion. Slowly, I moved the younger ones a little so I could stand up. I started to stretch my muscles and crack my back when I noticed Aaron standing quietly by the door. There was a sliver of light coming in through the cracks in the door, giving me just enough light to see him.
I took careful steps over to him. I stopped when I was behind him and hesitantly put a hand on his shoulder. He just as tentatively wrapped his arm around me so his hand rested on my hip, without having to turn to see that it was me who touched him. The images of Mandy and RJ started to roll in front of my eyes like a movie, and I tried to block them out. I closed my eyes and turned my face into his shoulder.
“Why is this happening? She was so young!” I muttered as I tried to not wake the others.
I could feel a tear or two escape my eyes and slip down onto Aaron’s shoulder. With a tender touch, he pulled up my chin slightly so that I could gaze into his eyes. I could see that Aaron was in just as much pain as I was. He leaned his forehead against mine soothingly and I stared into his deep blue eyes. Unsure as to why I was did so I titled my head up so that my lips could briefly touch his.
I didn’t bother really to pull away as I felt Aaron stay as well. Gradually, Aaron pressed his lips little by little onto mine. I closed my eyes as I gave into the kiss. The kiss was a way to escape and bring some peace to me even if the calmness was just for a moment. My lips began to be in motion with his in their slow teasing, yet loving gesture. After everything we had been through, we just needed to know that the other was still there, alive. Carefully I wrapped my arms around his neck to hold Aaron close to my body as his long, blond hair brushed against the skin on my face.
Without being rough, Aaron’s tongue glided over my lips as they asked for entrance, which I allowed without a second thought. My hand slid up his neck unhurriedly to his hair just to skim the edge of his earring before tangling in his hair. Aaron’s once thin, silky, light blond hair now was dirty and matted as I felt the strands interweave in my fingers. However, the texture didn’t bother me. Aaron’s hot tongue intertwined with mine as my blood seemed to have turned on fire. I stood on my toes ever so slightly to bring Aaron even closer to me.
A gun shot loudly, whistling out into the air to rip us apart. We both stared, wide eyed, searching for the source. A few loud voices were coming closer to the storm cellar’s doors as Aaron and I raced to the others in order to hide. Everyone was awake now in the huddle.
“Mr. Manson is still looking for the boy?” a voice on the other side asked.
“He’s convinced he’s still alive,” another male voice responded next to the other.
“How can the kid still be alive? Barely anyone lived through the second storm!”
“He’s really out for the boy.”
“The world is still too big to look for just one person, and now without any of the technology that was working before the second storm there's no chance we’ll even find the boy!”
“Dean Manson has had men on this boy’s trail and knows the area he is in.”
“That is why we’re here?”
“You finally caught on!”
I held Sean and Paige tighter to me as the people started to bang on the doors. I hadn’t realized Aaron had put a bar through the handles. I couldn’t believe I had let my guard down for a brief moment for a stupid kiss. A great but a stupid kiss none the less. Now we were going to get caught because of our foolishness. My heart was racing and I turned my head to look over my shoulder to peek over at Aaron to see him grab something and then creep over to the doors. Before I could do anything to stop him, Aaron ran out and shut the doors behind him.
Chapter Twelve
Aaron