Aftermath by Bailey Bradford (most important books of all time txt) 📗

or a…whatever this is.” Darren frowned and shook his head. “If it’s not a relationship, but it’s not a one or two-night stand, what is it? Or is a term necessary?”

Darren seemed so puzzled Lee had to touch him. He put his arms around Darren and pressed a kissed to his parted lips. “If you have to have a term, we’re dating, taking our time and seeing where this goes, sound okay to you?”

“Yeah,” Darren said a little breathlessly, his eyes gleaming as he nodded and held onto Lee. “Yeah, I think that’d be good.”

Lee studied Darren until he was sure it was good with him then kissed Darren again just because he wanted to. “Okay, then. I’ll take you home tonight or in the morning—”

Darren went stiff in Lee’s arms, gasping as his eyes widened, fear blowing the pupils wide. Lee felt a blast of cold air, too frigid to be natural, sinking into his back. He let go of Darren and spun around, jaw dropping open as the sheets spun around in the air, a good three feet above the bed.

“What the fuck!” Lee reached behind him and pushed Darren back. “Someone is messing with us. Stay there.” He stormed over to the bed and stuck his hand in the space between the bed and the sheets. Nothing but air, very cold air. “What kind of trick is this?” Lee wasn’t scared yet, but he was getting there. He climbed onto the bed and waved his arms above the sheets. Again, cold air and nothing else. The rational part of his mind said, Duh! If there’d been strings attached to those sheets I’d have noticed it before now! The irrational part, which hardly ever got a say, pointed out, Then there’s no rational explanation for this!

Lee grabbed the sheets. They stopped spinning, hanging still and just plain wrong in the air. Lee pulled. A corner of one sheet slithered out like a snake and tapped his cheek. Now Lee was scared. He stumbled off the bed and landed on his ass, never looking away from those sheets.

The corner that had touched him shot up in the air then dove down at him. Lee scrambled backwards, his heart clamoring in his chest. One sheet shot past him. He heard Darren yell then Lee found himself fighting off over six-feet of material. Of all the training he had in the military, all the methods of fighting he’d learned, none of it was any help against a sheet.

Lee’s arms were bound to his sides as the thing wound around him. He struggled and cursed then was lifted to his feet and Lee knew he’d either completely lost his mind or…or something. If he was lucky then this was all a dream. The edge of the sheet peeled back then unwound with a quickness that left Lee spinning like a top. He flailed his arms as everything sped by in a blur, then he was stopped suddenly by some invisible force.

“Christ,” Lee gasped, blinking rapidly as everything else still seemed to be spinning, then he saw Darren standing in front of him. Bound by the fitted sheet, eyes wide with terror, and unable to scream because a portion of the material was wedged into Darren’s mouth.

Lee hadn’t been so scared before in his life. He yelled as he grabbed the sheet and pulled. The material didn’t budge for a second then Lee was tumbling back onto his ass as the sheet came off Darren in a flash. Lee tossed it aside and pushed himself up, reaching for Darren immediately.

Darren began to shake, his body jerking with the violent waves rolling through him. Lee enfolded Darren in his arms and peppered kisses over whatever part of Darren’s face he could reach.

When Darren’s teeth stopped chattering, Lee was almost recovered as well. He didn’t know what had just happened, or why or how, but he knew he was getting Darren and himself out of this motel immediately.

“Can you finish getting dressed?”

Darren blinked at him. The high-pitched laugh Darren let loose sounded off, tinged with a hysterical note. “Y-you’re still naked.”

Lee nodded, keeping the fact that he hadn’t even thought of that to himself. Darren was on edge, it wouldn’t do to spook him any more, and Lee was barely keeping himself from freaking out, only the knowledge that Darren needed him giving him the strength not to run from the room butt naked and screaming.

“I’ll be dressed and packed in two minutes, then we’re out of here.”

Darren’s nod was more of a twitch, Lee thought, but he released Darren and stepped back. “You’re okay. Whatever that shit was, we’re both okay.”

“Yeah.” Darren shuddered then resumed dressing, not looking at Lee. “You can stay with me if you want, unless you’re going to leave after this.”

Lee paused mid stride and turned back to Darren. “I’m not leaving yet, and I would like to stay with you.”

Darren flicked a glance at him that made Lee’s heart lurch. “Good, that’s good.”

That decided, they each returned to their tasks and in under two minutes, Lee and Darren were out the door.

* * * *

Red was in a mood when they pulled up in Lee’s Camaro. The rooster made getting to the house a challenge, chasing after them and nearly catching them as Darren and Lee ran up the porch steps.

“Christ,” Lee panted, “between that damned rooster and the sheets, we’re lucky we haven’t been hurt.”

Darren snorted as he unlocked the door and turned the knob. “Yeah, we’re physically unhurt. Mentally I know I may be scarred for life.”

“You and me both,” Lee muttered. “I want to know what the hell happened back there, but maybe if we get a good night’s sleep we’ll be able to think a little more clearly about it. Right now I just keep getting more confused the more I think about it. I cannot make sense out of it!”

Lee sounded so frustrated Darren wanted to hold him and soothe his frayed