Chapter Twenty ~ Hide and Seek-2

Once we entered the maze, the music disappeared. Our hands linked as we wandered. The hedges were tall, so tall that we couldn't see where we'd come from or where we were going. In fact it, it didn't take long before we couldn't see or hear anyone at all. "Wait up," Felix said. There was a smirk on his lips. I expected him to tell me something important, but instead he stopped me, his hands grabbing my lower back and pulling me close to him. He kissed me hard. "I wanted to do that why I had you alone," he said. His voice held so much affection I was temporarily mesmerized. I wrapped my hand around his neck and kissed him again, moving so close to him that his heat enveloped me. I felt leaves against my back, but ignored the itch as twigs poked me, only wanting to be closer to him. This is what it was always like, the moment Felix captured me like this. I was his from the second his lips touched mine. "Are you ready?" he murmured against my ear as his hands wandered over my dress, caressing places that he couldn't caress if we weren't completely alone... "For what?" I asked, my breathing shallow. "To find me," he said, a flicker of humor in his voice. He kissed my throat, making me yelp in yearning before he let me go. "You ass!" I yelled after him as he winked and jogged around the corner. By the time I caught up he was out of sight. "Felix!" I yelled after him again, my breathing quickening from arousal to fear. Did he really just leave me in the maze? I walked as fast as possible, my heels sinking into the damp grass and my fingertips tracing the leaves as I rounded each corner. In the distance, I could hear people laughing. But I didn't have any idea where I was or which turns to take. "Felix, this isn't funny!" I closed my eyes, trying to hear something—anything—that could lead me back to the party. But there was nothing. Taking a deep breath, I told myself that if I just kept walking, I'd have to bump into someone. I rounded another corner and almost did. Two figures were wrapped in one another—apparently Felix wasn't the only one who thought it was a good opportunity to make out in the bushes. It was a dead-end and I was about to turn around, but after a moment of my eyes adjusting I realized who it was. Cole's red hair and height tipped me off that it was him. And in front of him, I recognized the black glossy hair as Penelope's. She was wearing a fitting black dress, a golden crescent-moon anklet sparkling beneath a nearby lantern. I jumped back around the hedge, pressing my back to the leaves. It looked like they'd kissed and made up, I guess. I turned on my heels and headed in the opposite direction, hoping to avoid her for as much of the night as possible. "Got you!" I'd barely made it thirty-yards before someone grabbed me around the waist, making me yell in surprise. "I'm going to kill you!" I said, pushing Felix off me. He was laughing. "That was not funny." "I'm sorry," he said. He hugged me tightly. "But you were supposed to find me." "That's what I was doing!" "Well, I think I won," he said. "Whatever." I glowered at him. But a smile was breaking through as I admired the smug pull of his lips creasing his cheeks. "It's not like you'll get a prize." "We'll see," he whispered in my ear, taking my hand. "I found the exit. I think we beat Poppy and Ella." By the time we returned to the hall, waiters were walking around with finger food. I found a vegetable skewer and stood to the side of the space with Felix as we waited for Poppy and Ella to come back inside. "I'm sorry," Felix said again. I wasn't giving in. My heart was still racing from his touch, and I was half pondering grabbing his keys back from the valet and disappearing into the woods to make out some more. "It could have been worse," I said. "In fact, it could have been a real maze. I'm talking Goblet of Fire style deadly maze." "Maybe it is," Felix said. "That would have been very Penelope-like." "What would have been very Penelope-like?" I almost choked on my food. Penelope was wearing a glittering gold gown that brushed her ankles. Her hair was up in a tight ponytail, showing off huge dangling earrings that brushed her shoulders and a white-crystal mask framing her big brown eyes. "Just your sociopathic tendencies," Felix said charmingly. He air-kissed Penelope in greeting. "This is Josie. My girlfriend." I almost choked again at the word girlfriend, but I was too busy trying not to lose it as Penelope leaned forward to air kiss me. "Wonderful to meet you. I have so much in store for you both tonight." "Wh-what do you mean?" I said. She laughed elegantly, raising her voice again and gesturing to the maze. "The maze. The dance floor." A shiver ran down my back. I didn't like her tone. Her eyes lit up in recognition at the figures behind me. "Cole!" I watched as Cole and Penelope embraced. Cole wasn't alone, though. "Of course you guys beat us!" Poppy said. She looked out of breath. "But it's okay, look who we found!" One hand gestured to her brother, and the other to Jada. I stared at her with wide eyes, my gaze taking in the tight black dress and sparkling gold anklet, Jada's dark eyes meeting mine carefully behind her lace mask.