My hands were shaking so bad it caused me to drop my phone. It hit the ceramic plate in front of me, once again causing a loud noise that made the whole diner look my way. I was taking shallow breaths, just trying to calm myself because I couldn’t let Tony know what was wrong.

“Effie, are you alright?” I heard Jaime asked and I looked up to see him and Vic staring at me. Tony was eyeing my phone and before he had a chance I quickly snatched it up, shoving it back in my pocket.

“I-I’m fine,” I stuttered. “I, um, I really need to get going though, thank you, for letting me join you,” I rushed, going to stand up.

“Effie,” I heard Tony call but I continued to get up, a rather difficult task because I was sandwiched between Vic and Tony.

I finally managed to stand but as luck would have it, a dizzy spell would hit, my body not having been used to the food that was now sitting uncomfortably in my stomach. I tripped slightly and clutched onto the chair but it was a useless attempt as I began to fall. Before I hit the ground though, a pair of strong arms wrapped around me, strong arms that I knew too well.

“Effie!” Tony yelled, pulling me up. “Are you okay?” he asked, nothing but worried concern in his voice.

I managed to glance at the table to see all the guys, even Mike, giving me a worried expression, though Mike quickly looked back down at his phone once he realized that Tony had caught me.

“I’m fine, I swear, just a little dizzy, I really need to go now.” I said, trying to ignore the pounding that I was beginning to feel in my head.

“Effie you can barely stand, I’m not letting you get behind the wheel of a car,” Tony spoke sternly, his hands gripping my shoulders as he turned me toward him.

“I’m fine,” I snapped.

“When was the last time you slept?” I heard Vic ask from beside us.

When I didn’t answer Tony forced me back into the chair. “Tony,” I sighed but he cut me off.

“Just answer the question Effie,” he reasoned as he too took a seat.

I sighed again. “I don’t know okay, I can’t remember.” I stated, annoyance in my voice.

“You look exhausted,” Jaime piped up and I rolled my eyes.

There was a scoff. “Just let her go, she obviously doesn’t care,” Mike snapped and I looked up to see him glaring at me.

I couldn’t help but flinch back at his statement, I may have deserved his words but I certainly weren’t prepared for them.

“Mike, I swear to god,” Vic started angrily but I caught him off.

“It’s fine,” I said quickly. “I just really need to go, there was a motel a few miles back, I can head there.”

“I remember seeing that, it’s almost forty five minutes behind us,” Jaime noted and I mentally cursed, I wasn’t planning on actually going there, I needed to get to San Diego as quickly as possible and I needed to get away from these men, away from Tony especially.

Tony sighed. “You’re not going anywhere, you can ride with us. We have the bus and there are plenty of places you could sleep.”

“I said I’m fine,” I nearly shouted. “Besides, I can’t just leave my car here.” I tried reasoning with them.

“I’ll drive your car,” Mike said and I was surprised that he was actually offering to help, well, at least until he finished his sentence. “I don’t want to be trapped in a bus with you anyway.” He sneered, giving me another glare before he looked back down at his phone.

“Mike,” Tony scolded but Mike ignored him. Tony sighed. “Please Effie, I just, I need to know that you’re safe.” He said quietly.

“He’ll carry you to the bus if he has too,” Jaime warned with a small smile.

“Yep, he’ll just whip you over his shoulder and give you no choice,” Vic added. “So I’d just agree.”

I sighed, turning to look at Tony who had a small smile on his lips from what his friends said. When he saw me looking at him his features softened, his eyes showing me the love that he still felt for me. How could he still love me? I left him, I caused him pain. Even though I knew it was wrong, not to mention extremely unsafe, I couldn’t deny him. I wasn’t ready to leave him just yet.

“Okay,” I breathed, letting my head drop as I leaned back into the chair.

Tony grinned, though I could still see the worry behind it. “Okay, just let us finish up and then we’ll get going.”

I nodded, unable to speak anymore. I took in a deep breath and closed my eyes. I tried leaning back into the chair but it was hurting my neck too much so I leaned off to the side, my head resting on Tony’s shoulder. He didn’t protest and I was too tired to actually ask him if it was alright but the way he grabbed my hand made me believe that it was. I must have fallen asleep like that, as uncomfortable as I had been, because I was suddenly being sucked in to another nightmare, the rainy streets of Seattle forming in my mind.

I cursed to myself as I ran through the rain, struggling to get my keys out of my purse while also holding the umbrella in my arm. I finally was able to get them out, though I managed to pull out nearly everything else in my attempt and I quickly bent down to pick up the few items that fell to the ground, not caring that they were now wet as I shoved them back into my purse. I reached the door of my apartment, and quickly slid the key in the lock, turning it slightly until I heard the click and then I let it swing open.

I sighed as I stepped in, shaking off my umbrella before closing it up and then tossing it to the floor beside the door. I closed the door, locking the deadbolt behind me and then I braced myself on the door, struggling to get my wet shoes off my feet. As I was standing there, my back to my apartment, I started to get an uneasy feeling, one that I had been feeling a lot since leaving San Diego. I felt like I was being watched, someone was studying my every move. I realized then that I wasn’t alone in my apartment, and I whipped around quickly, panic and terror seeping into my bones, causing me to stand there, paralyzed.

“Well, well, look whose all grown up.”

There was a man sitting in my recliner chair, facing the front door. He was in a relaxed position, despite being uninvited in my apartment. He was leaning back, one leg resting on the other, a newspaper in his hands that he was now lowering into his lap. He was looking at me, his eyes grazing my body, studying every inch and there was a sick, twisted smirk on his face. He finally brought his gaze up to my face and it was then that I realized I recognized him. He had aged, his hair now gray in certain spots and he now had a beard but I still recognized him, it was a face that I could never forget.

“Dad?” I gasped.

I gasped and tried to move, to get away from him, but it was then I felt someone’s arms around me, holding me in place. I was in a tight dark space and I had no idea where I was. I panicked, thrashing against the body next to me and I started panting, I couldn’t breathe in the darkness.

“Effie? Effie! Calm down, it’s me, it’s Tony!” I heard the familiar voice and I paused as his arms wrapped tighter around me. I was still panting though and Tony reached up, cupping my cheek with his hand. “It’s okay, you’re safe, it was just a nightmare.” He spoke softly.

His words didn’t calm me because it wasn’t a nightmare, it was a horrible, horrible memory, but his voice, coupled with the way his body was pressed against mine did. I took in deep breaths, trying to get my breathing back to normal. Tony’s hand left my cheek, his fingers brushing under my eyes, wiping away the tears I hadn’t realized had fallen.

“Where am I?” I finally managed to say.

“On our bus, you fell asleep at the diner, I carried you here. You’re in my bunk, um, you wouldn’t let go of my hand when I put you down so I had no choice but to join you, um, sorry.” He stammered and as we laying here I couldn’t help but think back to that one morning we had shared, when I had let him in, when he had saw my tattoo.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” I whispered, pulling myself away from the safety of my memories. I had never felt safer than I did when I had been in Tony’s arms that morning.

“It’s okay, I don’t mind,” Tony whispered back. “I just didn’t want you to think I was trying to make a move or anything,” he said and I was pretty sure he was blushing.

“I don’t mind,” I said and then quickly spoke again after realizing what I had implied with that statement. “Um, where are we?”

“About a half hour away from San Diego, Mike’s following us, in your car.” I realized then that we were moving. “Try and get some more sleep, I’ll wake you when were there.”

“How long was I asleep?” I questioned, shifting slightly so that I was facing him more but I kept my head down, not wanting to meet his gaze.

“About three hours.”

I shook my head. “I won’t be able to fall asleep then.” I whispered.

“Effie, what happened to you?” he asked quietly.

“I don’t have an eating disorder you know” I blurted out, knowing that it wasn’t a direct answer to his question as he gave me a quizzical look. “I mean, not intentionally. I’m not trying to lose weight or anything I just, I’m not hungry often and if I try and force myself to eat, I get nauseous and um, yeah.” I trailed off, realizing I was rambling.

“What happened to you?” he repeated, obviously not satisfied with my first answer.

I sighed. “I’ve been running from my past for a long time Tony, it was bound to catch up with me at some point.” I shuddered slightly, something that didn’t go unnoticed by him.

“Are you in trouble, is someone trying to hurt you?” he asked quickly, his voice filled with concern and also laced with a protectiveness I wasn’t prepared for; he still cared for me, something that utterly amazes me.

I shook my head quickly. No, no one was trying to hurt me. “No, no, it’s not like that. There’s just some unfinished business I left behind in Seattle that I can’t avoid much longer.” I lied, hoping he wouldn’t pick up on it, I mean, it was partially true.

“Then what is it?” he questioned.

“Nothing,” I whispered.

“Damn it Effie, don’t do this, don’t shut me out again. You let me in before, let me help you.” He was whispering but the emotion in his voice almost made it seem like he was yelling at me.

I shook my head. “You can’t Tony, I told you before, you can’t fix me.”

“You never even gave me a chance to try.” He retorted. “Effie, I loved you. I still love you.”

I couldn’t avoid his gaze anymore as he said those words. I brought my eyes up to his, seeing the love his spoke of staring down at me. All these months I had wanted nothing more than to see those eyes, to hear those words, but now, now it was bittersweet. I had him in my arms again which would only make leaving him that much more difficult. Because I would have to leave, no matter how bad I wanted to stay, I couldn’t. I needed to get back to Seattle, I needed to make sure that he would remain safe. I needed to save him and he didn’t even know he was in danger.

“Tony,” I whispered, prepared to lie my ass off, to tell him that he needs to move on, that I would never return those feelings, but it was no use.

As soon as his name left my throat, his lips were on mine, catching me a heated, passionate kiss that I never wanted to end.

Notes

eep! i love where @Lost in Neverland has taken this, hopefully I didn't screw it up !! :)


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