Honest by The Neighbourhood
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Wednesday 2:11 A.M

DIANA SAT UPRIGHT WITH a jolt, perspiration coating her forehead and neck in the weight of darkness. Diana laid there for a moment, just collecting her thoughts, and checking her irrational fears, she could hear the words dancing in the air. A small voice in the thick blackness, screaming for her to run, to hide, to get help, finally sobbing.

Diana pursed her lips and turned to inspect the clock on the nightstand, it was the middle of the night; she lifted the covers and slowly leaned back against the pillow she had positioned exactly right.

Was it safer if she never remembered? What is safe? Diana asked herself. The cool hardwood wardrobe was safe. Did she laugh? Did she cry, had been torn from her body—primal and deep? Had she danced after their deaths on the lawn, in the empty kitchen, through the desolate halls, in the dead rooms? She could not say that night had been extinguished long ago.

Her eyes wandered down to her chest in the dark, at Erik's shirt that he had somehow let her steal. Diana felt the corners of her lips curl into a smile, she breathed in the shirt, it smelled muskier and spicier than anything she had ever smelled, and she adored it. It gave her comfort to have something of his.

Wednesday 2:13 A.M

Erik Laurence had been tossing for countless hours, unable to sleep, kept awake by the thought rattling around in his brain.

Quietly Diana lifted the blankets and climbed down from the impressively tall bed; if she did not get out of there the voices would get to her, prove to her that she could fly.

One step as her foot touched the softwood, the open window welcomed a chilly breeze causing the drape to beat against the wall as if it were alive. The wind blew in furiously the closer she got with each titillating step until she grasped the curtain firmly. Diana could feel it swelling around her, it was time, she was ready to fly.

She took great pains to be quiet as a mouse, the way her mother had taught her to be, Diana peeled open the window and stepped through it. Buzzing with energy, her feet hit the sturdy patio, once she had shimmied her whole body through, a burst of Seattle's coldest air nipped at her fingers as she touched the windowpane and cautiously hoisted it.

Diana bit down on her tongue as she hugged a hand over her ribs and stared, the view of the neighbourhood in the fresh night air was priceless, she supported herself on the wall. An engine below her in the dark purred.

It felt like it had been years since Diana had let herself relax and now that she was safe, she felt her body relax and let a long-held breath go, her tense shoulders finally loosened. She might have moved on, she guessed, if Mags had just left well enough alone.

Every time I try to forget that a psychopathic serial killer is chasing me, it always ends badly, someone always gets hurt. All I do never seems to work, I am so sick of this, I do not want to feel this doubt. It is only a matter of time before they find me, what if I right the wrong? It might seem cruel, but it was always meant to be me.

"You are not thinking of doing something stupid, are you?" Diana turned towards the window with a start, a guilt-infused expression on her face, she tore her eyes from his and looked down at her hands gripping the railing. When did I? Her thoughts trailed off, there was something in Erik's sleep-dipped voice, gravelly and dream-inducing—something told her he was not like the rest.

"Think I just remembered something," Diana said slowly, Erik stood still for a moment, sceptical at first. "Maybe that is a lie, maybe I just did not want to be lonely anymore." Great balls of fire, I wish I never spoke, Diana's cheeks pinked. Why had she said that? All her strength to stand evaporated, she sat on the patio floor and folded her arms across her chest. I'm so stupid, what was I thinking, coming out here without a blanket, she grumbled.

It was apparent from the way that Erik looked at her from inside the window; he did not know. He would not want to know what happened inside of her perfect family, the model family in their dollhouse.

Momentarily distracted by Erik's endless black pyjama bottoms and broad chest covered by a hoodie, and Diana absently wondered what else. "I was hoping you would come out, honestly. I could use the company," She said.

Erik squatted down and swung one long, impressively muscular leg through the window, carefully avoiding Diana, once he was completely out, he sat on the smooth patio. Erik had looked at the clock that said two o'clock on his phone a few minutes ago, he knew he had to leave for his shift at the hospital in a few hours and that he should be asleep, but the sound of his heart beating had kept him awake and restless.

Erik's fingers found his hair and weaved themselves through it subconsciously, his eyes slowly shifted to Diana. Over her shivering body, her clear pale complexion, down to her dainty bare feet. "Wish I'd met you at another place in time. Forget that, I should be sleeping," He mumbled incoherently under his breath—as if he was paying attention to himself.

Erik's fingers wrapped around the rim of his blue hoodie, and he quickly ripped it off his body, his blue V neck riding up his torso. "That would grab your attention," Erik said in a sarcastic voice when he caught Diana openly checking him out.

"Will that be $20 or $25?" Diana said in a tired voice, opening her arms to catch the hoodie that Erik threw at her. Erik gave her a knee-buckling smirk, but in Diana's defence, Erik was the type of guy that made her want to give him money for just glancing her way.

"What's the problem then?" Erik pressed gently, leaning in closer to her, close enough to catch her soft floral scent that permeated the air. Diana watched Erik's eyes as they went from her lips to her eyes, guilt, or something like it seeped in, the way he had in the elevator.

"I am not interested in being more than friends, Rik," Diana said in a gruff voice, trying feebly to dissuade him. Diana almost swallowed her tongue as Erik turned his head towards her and gave her a panty-dropping look, she bit down on her lower lip and threaded her arms through the sleeves of his hoodie to avoid his burning gaze.

Erik adored the sound of his name on her lips; his heart was like a rubber band. "I'm where I want to be. So, what's the problem? Are you okay?" His straightforward, no-bull attitude stunned Diana.

Diana bit down on her lip awkwardly, her eyes tracing the features of Erik's handsome face. "If I had met you at another place, I don't know, maybe a different time—maybe things would have been different for me," Diana said, surprising herself by the words.

Erik's eyes were glued to Diana, watching her squirm under his stare; he could not stop himself from wondering what she looked like under that hoodie. Tilting his head, he realised the way his hoodie looked on her was amazing; he liked how it hung loosely on her, the blue sequence blending with the slivers of blue in her grey eyes.

Erik ran his long fingers through his hair, wondering why he even tried so hard to know her. But—this wasn't about that, he shouldn't ask.

"You know, people never really grow out of their wild side. When I was in high-school I did some idiotic, thoughtless things—rebelling against my dead parents, teachers called it," She said in a level voice, her eyes tracing the length of her pale fingers, his eyes boring holes into the side of her head.

"I heard you were trouble," Erik commented, Diana raised her head at eye level and watched him sip his drink. "Can't you tell me, or is it that bad? Mime it to me? I'm incredibly good at guessing," As he rambled, Diana covered her mouth to stop herself from laughing, her other hand cushioning her ribs.

"Just shut up for a minute," She managed between breaths. Behind Erik's tough, indiscernible exterior, Erik was relieved to see her laugh. "I know I seem uninterested, blame the chronic resting bitch face," He said in a casual voice, watching her keenly, nodding for her to trust him.

Diana sucked in air, held it, and looked at the moon. "When I was senior, I fell into a bad crowd: drinking, partying, sleeping with everyone—that sort. My grades were slipping, but my Grandmother did not see that the life she had planned for me was not what I wanted. She thought I should live out my life under an assumed name," She paused, drinking in the cool night air.

"Hailey Grant, at one point, was arrested. A Class 2 misdemeanour—which was, is embarrassing," Diana said, her shoulders shook with laughter, but Erik could see the untameable side in her was still alive.

"That isn't that bad, it's not like you—" Diana cut Erik off with a sharp look, she couldn't keep herself from laughing at the way he interrupted her.

"My grades tanked. My Grandfather had passed suddenly, so I took some time off from school," She paused, Erik sensed where her story was going, his fists clenching beside his leg.

"Tell me you didn't," Erik begged, only half-joking. The thought of a man—any man taking advantage of her made his stomach dip.

"Didn't sleep with my teacher? Yah, I did," Diana confirmed in a dodgy voice, scratching her throat. She tried her utmost to ignore his flabbergasted state. "What? You were never young?" She asked in a teeth-chattering voice.

Erik licked his lips, deliberating, then turned to look at her. "I'm thirty, young and Impulsive was a long time ago. I don't need cigarettes and alcohol anymore," Erik said in an underhanded voice, smirking at her intently. Diana knew she was too young for him; it affected her harder than she thought it would.

"Are you saying you wouldn't date me because I was born in the '90s?" Diana asked in a half-joking way, speaking before Erik could even respond.

"Through all of this, I've learned one thing: If you don't look suspicious, nobody will suspect anything. My teacher, he was quite fond of me, always said pleasant things to me—things that a girl like me doesn't hear spoken often. He would stay late and tutor me, take an interest in my day, or how I liked school and the subject of the day. I talked to him about home life."

"Another student, Rachel—doesn't it always seem like it's the bitchy Rachels of the world? —found out somehow and told the parents, who told the teachers, who told the principal who told the police. He went to jail, but not before graduation. My records were sealed, thank Buddha." Diana laid a look of shame on Erik. He creased his forehead and asked one simple question. "Was it worth it?" He questioned; low key intrigued.

A slow, smouldering grin spread across Diana's parted lips—a smile that Erik would see when he closed his eyes. Diana gave her head a slight jerk. "Graduated with high honours, baby," Diana said, obviously not looking too hard for the unseen benefit. Erik had noticed that she did tend to make heroes out of villains.

"Aren't you cold?" Diana said in a concerned voice, eyeing him closely now that they were sitting face to face. Erik looked down at his blue shirt and thick black pyjama pants and shook his head, anxious for her to keep talking. He sat back and blew air out of his mouth, enjoying his time.

"Before you met Maggy, had he found you?" Erik asked. Diana breathed in deeply and held it for a moment. She contemplated whether she wanted to trust him that much, she gave a small nod. "A few times when I was in the dorms, in school, I would wake up in the middle of the night tied to the bedpost." Diana settled for the PG version.

"At first, I thought it was some of the girls in the dorms playing tricks on me," Diana said in an anxious voice, she cleared her throat, feeling Erik's unusually hot hands caressing her calves through her thick cream pyjama pants.

"Even after we switched dorms in the second year, some girls even relocating or dropping out; it kept happening. Strange happenings, mysterious sounds when I was alone, cryptic notes—I thought I got away without being followed," Diana said in a disparaging voice.

"When my Grams let me stay with her in Minnesota, the text messages stopped, and I was happy. It was just the two of us until she died. Maggie was my new handler after that, what more can I say? I've been on the run ever since," Diana said in a small, scratchy voice.

"Please, do not stop now," Erik said in a soft voice, never taking his eyes from hers. Diana attempted a smile, shifting her weight to her side as she leaned against the bars.

"I took a freelance journalism job, and I've supported myself ever since," Diana said with a laugh, the skin around Erik's eyes crinkled into a smile.

Between his big hands, Diana's calf couldn't be much bigger than the size of a gourd; she was the smallest, most petite thing.

Erik felt his hands jerk to a stop on her midcalf, he knew it was coming, but he had not been ready to hear it, his eyes trying to focus on anything other than hers.

"Are you alright?" Diana asked in a concerned voice, sitting up to look him in the eyes. Erik felt something tug at his insides as he looked at her; the aching need to wrap his arms around her was insatiable.

"You want to see me cry; is that it?" Erik said in a monotone, observing her. Diana's nose wrinkled as a broad smile spread across her face. "We just met," Diana said in a flat voice, failing to hide her smile.

"I'm a weeper, all Laurence boys are. Ask Will, when Mufasa dies, I cry every time," Erik said in a shaky voice, unable to control the raspy tones in it, Diana blinked her wide grey eyes at him.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Diana said in a muffled voice, impulsively leaning closer to him. She gently grabbed his chin and turned his face towards hers. Diana fought a smile when she felt the rough stubble on Erik's chiselled jaw; she caught herself staring at his purple-tinted lips and shot her eyes up to his.

"Better now," Erik breathed, memorising every detail of Diana's fingertips, he knew that he did not deserve this—he did not deserve to feel better.

It was safe to say that there had been few times in life when Erik Laurence had felt insecure, but at that moment it was the only word that came to mind as he thought of a word to describe how Diana made him feel. "The things I want to do to you," He muttered in a husky voice, his eyes on her lips.

An alarm went off in Diana's head, and she could not trust herself around him. Her hands felt clammy, shaking at his touch. Now was not the time to be falling for Sasquatch's better-looking brother, she scolded herself.

Morning

Erik woke early with a start; his sense of timing was getting the better of him these short winter days that he spent at home. His eyes fell on his empty bed before he panicked he told himself that she always got up early.

Erik flicked the bathroom light off and went downstairs without making a noise; he rubbed his eyes as he walked into the kitchen. Suddenly, his chest whacked into a wall, wait, he wondered suspiciously.

"Ow," An angry voice grumbled, Erik's eyes shot open, and he lowered his arm to see—what was her name? Casey? No use, he could not remember that early without the nectar of the gods to aid him.

"Sorry, didn't realise you were still here," Erik said, hoping it did not come off as rudely as he thought it did. Diana gave him a look like she wanted to sink her teeth into his flesh; he tilted his head and considered it.

"Too early for foreplay," He decided as he brushed past her, vaguely noticing how his faded maroon Cardinals shirt rode up her torso as she stretched her arms above her head and yawned. Yeah, he let out a raspy breath, way too early.

"Yeah, whatever," Diana mumbled, still angry about it. Diana padded across the floor, taking in the rich browns, blacks and off whites. Open space yet blocked off just enough from the rest of the lower level.

"What, did you inhale the little pig's brick hut? You nearly broke my face," Diana felt her cheeks, making sure that they were still there.

"My body is a brick temple," Erik deadpanned as he reached the top shelf and grabbed the good premium blend bag, Diana held her comeback in until Erik was facing her, bag in hand. "Mighty Mighty," Diana said all too seriously, Erik glared at her in an unimpressed way.

"You're so funny, Woodstock," Erik mumbled, turning to make the coffee in an edgy manner.

"Woodstock?" Diana said in a pitchy tone, not finding it funny.

"Yeah, because you were blonde and you're about this big," Erik said as he turned to face her, leaving an inch-long space between his thumb and forefinger. Diana looked down and pursed her lips, turning to grab something from the counter. "I thought you liked my red hair," Diana said in a shaky voice, looking up at the ceiling to keep her eyes from misting.

Erik chewed on the inside of his cheek as he considered what to say, in less than five minutes Diana had reduced him to a cave-dwelling, insensitive jock.

"Would you like some coffee?" Erik said in an apologetic voice, smiling like an abused puppy that had found an expert when Diana barely turned her neck to look at him over her shoulder. "Fine," Diana said in a sniffly voice, sitting at the kitchen table.

Diana's were eyes helplessly glued to Erik's white long-sleeved shirt. Dang, it's see-through. Erik could tell that Diana was stalling; he could also feel her visually undressing him and cleared his throat.

"I thought you should be aware," Diana started. Erik nodded slowly, crossing his arms over his chest. "And?" Erik prompted softly, following her direction.

"At any point, I might need to leave. Do not follow me. Do not look for me," Diana said.

Erik looked past the dark mahogany table and out the window, it had been raining since the night before, not a sunray insight. This little alcove—like area at the back of the kitchen was his second favourite place. Erik considered Diana for a minute; his face gave her no insight.

"Tell me before you move on," Erik said in a very cool voice, Diana chewed on her bottom lip and nodded slowly, giving him an apologetic look. "I'm scared of leaving you all, I will stay as long as I can," Diana said, asking herself for the umpteenth time: is this too much?

They both looked turned to the door when Montgomery came in, Diana dry swallowed, wondering if Erik told him about her late-night escapade. Her fears went unconfirmed, and instead fanned the broiling flames within her jumbled mind at his words.

"A jogger found the body of a woman in Carkeek park," Montgomery said in a dry voice, his lips set in a firm line, his eyes homing in on Diana. 

Preview

Is this too much? Am I too close? I feel it drip down my skin deliciously, I should be careful or I will lose touch

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