As I reluctantly followed Phoenix across the parking lot, he stopped at a 2013 Subaru brz in a blue pearl with black exterior.

"Nice car, your dad buy that for you?" I asked as he walked over to the passenger door and held it open.

"See? That's offensive." He said, furrowing his eyebrows. "What makes you assume my mom didn't buy it for me. Kind of sexist of you, wouldn't you say?" He grinned and I shook my head, trying to hide my smile. 

I started walking towards the door to step in the car, before noticing something surprising. Phoenix had actually held the door open for me. He didn't exactly strike me as the polite type, which was honestly the understatement of the year.

"Thank you." I said cautiously, entering the car. As soon as I settled in the seat he smiled and leaned over until he was eye level with me. I looked at him cautiously, as a smirk came over his face.

"What can I say, Gia Pet? I can be a gentleman when given the chance." I rolled my eyes at the annoying nickname, and he straightened himself up as he prepared to close the door. "You've got an amazing ass, by the way." With that he closed the passenger door and walked around the car towards the driver's seat.

I was regretting this already.

"When you said you wanted to spend the day with me, I didn't know you'd be taking me out of town!" I could hear the panic in my voice as I took in my surroundings. We had been driving for twenty minutes and I had no idea where he was taking me. I was starting to regret this whole thing.

He rolled his eyes in my general direction, one hand resting on the steering wheel and leaned back in his seat. "What is it you think I'm going to do to you exactly?"

He smile was mischievous as he looked over and saw me glaring at him. "Just so we're clear, people will notice if I go missing." I was being serious, but he laughed so hard I thought he was going to start crying.

"Relax...we're just going to have a little fun, blue eyes." He looked at me up and down, his voice emphasizing the word 'fun' as if there was a double meaning. I heard myself gulp from nerves, and he raised his eyebrows suggestively.

"Oh my God, I'm not hooking up with you! Forget it." He laughed again while I defensively crossed my arms over my chest as if I was shielding myself. I was seriously considering jumping out of the moving car.

"Who said anything about hooking up? You're a real pervert, you know that?" The sarcasm in his voice was heavy and I covered my face from humiliation. He chuckled to himself, and brushed back a strand of my hair with his free hand. "Don't worry though, I've already thought of seven different ways I can punish you."

Oh, for crying out loud. Why did I get in this dude's car?! Why?! I could be home right now living my best life. I have been saying this whole time I need to stay away, then the first time he asks me to go with him my response is 'lead the way?'

"Reason number thirty-six." I mumbled out loud, ignoring the confused look he gave me. When I didn't elaborate further, he asked.

"What are you doing?" He asked, sounding completely perplexed. I shrugged indifferently, looking out the car window while I spoke.

"Oh, nothing. Making a list of reasons why I need a car. Reason number thirty-six..so I can run you over with it." Of course I was half-kidding, but I said it very deadpan manner. He was quiet for a moment registering what I just said, until he finally laughed.

"Reason number twenty-five." He mumbled thoughtfully. I raised my eyebrows inquisitive,  so he continued. "I'm making a list of things I like about you. Reason number twenty-five..you make me laugh."

Awe, that was actually kind of...sweet? What the hell? I briefly felt my hearts hardened outer shell melt a bit, before I reminded myself that he's a player just like my ex was..he's probably got a million of those lines up his sleeve.

"Yeah? How many of those reasons are body parts?" He laughed and shook his head, and even I cracked a smile..though I wasn't really joking.

"Thirteen, if you must know." He said very matter-of-fact, and I couldn't tell if he was kidding or not. But before I could respond, we went over a speed bump and it bounced me off my seat. "Make that fifteen." He mumbled.

I stared at him for a long moment, not quite sure I believed the audacity that was his mouth. "That's it, I'm calling the cops." I said as I searched for my phone, making him laugh again.

I was confused when he finally pulled over and parked overlooking a grassy field. On this field was red and blue inflatable barriers that were fenced in and surrounded by trees. It appeared to be an obstacle course of some kind.

I turned to look at him suspiciously as he turned the car off. "Where are we, and what are we doing here?!" I demanded, sounding more panicked then I had intended.

"I thought you might want to let me corrupt you behind one of those inflatable beams over there." He gestured towards the field, his voice full of playful sarcasm. He quickly changed his tune when my eyes narrowed in anger. "Oh my god, kidding! Unless you'd be into it, I mean." He smiled one of his signature cocky smiles, and just as I was thinking of slapping him again he practically jumped out of the vehicle.

"Wait! You still haven't answered my question!" I called out as I awkwardly stumbled out of the car. I walked up to where he stood waiting for me, with a Cheshire Cat  grin on his perfect face.

"I was thinking, from the moment we've met, you've seemed to have a lot of hostility towards me. Wouldn't you agree?" He asked with his eyebrows raised, and I suddenly felt awkward. Because the truth was..yes. I have.

"That's because you're annoying as hell." I pointed out, resting my hands on my hips. He laughed and nodded, as if he didn't disagree.

"Well, that's what we're doing. I thought you might want to let out your..frustrations, on me." His voice purred and he bit his bottom lip, causing my face to blush a bright red. Just as I exhaled a deep breath from nerves, he started laughing again. "I didn't mean like that, you nasty. I understand you want me real bad Gia Pet, but there are other ways to let that anger out. Believe it or not." He winked at me, before walking away towards the field.

I assumed I was supposed to follow and so I reluctantly trailed after him, though I still didn't understand what we were doing. But hopefully it's something that causes him physical pain.

Instead of walking onto the field with the inflatable barriers like I thought he would, he kept walking around the fence and disappeared into the trees.

I got an unsettling feeling as I took note that if this were a movie, this would be the part when he'd chain me up in some underground bunker where he'd torture me until he eventually got bored and killed me. I made another note to lay off on the serial killer documentaries I watched, because they were turning me into a twisted individual.

"Seriously, Phoenix! Where are you taking me?!" I shouted as I had to practically run to keep up with him.

"Are you always so uptight, Gia Pet?" He sounded slightly annoyed with me, and my insecurities got the best of me for a moment. My ex used to call me uptight, too.

"Forgive me for having questions for the perverted weirdo leading me into the woods." I said defensively, almost tripping over a rock.

He didn't turn around, but I could hear him chuckling to himself. "You're the one who got in the car with a perverted weirdo, what exactly does that say about you?" He countered, annoyingly making a point. Just then I saw a small shed come into view just up ahead, and he pulled out keys out of his pocket to unlock the door.

I scanned my surroundings while trying to catch my breath. What the hell are we doing? Why won't he answer me? Is this where I die? Okay, maybe I'm being dramatic..but how am I supposed to know for sure? I didn't think through this decision at all.

Another scary thought came into my head that I hadn't thought about..what's my mother going to say?! What if she drives by the diner and sees her car abandoned in the parking lot?

How am I supposed to explain that? 'Well you see mom..remember that boy you told me to stay away from? I spent the day with him just the two of us out in the woods. How was your day?' Crap!

I began searching for my phone through my pockets, and as luck would have it..it was nowhere to be found. "Ugh!" I grunted in disgust. Phoenix turned around and looked at me in confusion just as he had opened the shed door.

"What's the problem now?" He asked raising his eyebrows as he observed my mini-freak out. I stomped my foot in frustration as he disappeared inside the shed, leaving the door open.

"My phone, I think I left my phone in your car!" I rolled my eyes in the back of my head, hating the idea of walking all the way back. One might assume just because I was thin that I was in good physical shape..hahaha yeah, no.

"Eh, it will be there waiting for you when we're done." His voice sounded nonchalant, like it was no big deal. Except for the fact my mother was going to kill me when she finds out where I've been,  but you know..whatever.

"Speaking of when we're done..you still haven't told you what we're doing here." I said accusingly just as he reappeared from inside the bunker. I stubbornly folded my arms over my chest and studied him while he began digging through a large black trash bag in his hand.

"I told you. Letting out our frustrations. Now put this on over your clothes." He pulled out two padded black overalls from the bag and tossed one to me. I caught it in my hands and exchanged glances from it to him like he was off his rocker.

He rolled his eyes, as if inconvenienced him having to explain himself. "It's a combat suit." He rushed the sentence out and grew quiet as if he said all he had to say. I blinked at him several times, mentally stuck on the word 'combat.'

"Now, you need your marker." He mumbled as he went back into the shed. 'Marker?' Like to write with? What?! I was so damn confused.

I stood there in silence, still holding the black overalls in my hands. I was beyond startled when he walked back out with two metal..."Are those guns?!" I shouted, panic in my heart. He rolled his eyes, like I was being ridiculous. "I thought you said they were markers!" He started laughing hysterically, but I didn't see the humor.

"Gia, these are Paintball Guns. 'Marker' is just another term for it." He chuckled at the idea of me thinking they were real  guns, and I had to admit to feeling stupid. The inflatable barriers in the field, the padded overalls, and now paintball guns? Of course we're playing paintball.

"Paintball? I've-I've never played paintball before." I could hear the nerves in my voice, although..the thought of hitting him with a paintball gun was intriguing. "Does it hurt?" I wondered out loud, already plotting.

"A little bit, but it's not that bad." He mumbled as he searched through the black trash bag again. So it doesn't cause any real pain? That's too bad. "Don't worry, I'll teach you how to use it." He reassured me when he saw me studying the 'marker' in my hands.

I couldn't help but notice we were the only ones here, and Phoenix seemed very comfortable coming and going as he pleased. "What is this place? Are we trespassing or something?!" 

He gasped dramatically and pretended to be offended. "Do I look like the kind of hooligan who would trespass on someone's private property?" I shook my head and widened my eyes, taking this as meaning that's exactly  what happened.

"Phoenix! No way! Count me out!" I stubbornly held out the 'marker,' gesturing for him to take it. He watched me for a long while before a cocky smirk fell on his lips.

"Oh, I get it. You know you could never beat me so you're looking for a way out?" He tried to look innocent as he made the statement, but I got the feeling he knew how much it would anger me.

Just as he reached out to take the marker, I snatched it away and attempted to hold it like a regular gun, but it felt awkward. "Show me how to work this thing, so I can kill you with it."

He rolled his eyes and set his marker down on the ground to help me with mine. "First of all, they won't actually kill someone so don't get your hopes up." He said sarcastically, taking a few cautious steps toward me. "Second, you're holding it wrong."

He came up behind me and grabbed my arms to show me how to hold the marker. Part of me eye-rolled at how cliche this moment was, but another part of me got really nervous having him this close to me.

He lifted the marker up higher and gave me shivers as he whispered in my ear. "See that? Hold it steady and bring it to the central of your nose. Keep your upper body strong and with one hand forward get a firm grip on the marker." He sounded like an instructor and I had to admit, it was really cute somehow. But his husky voice in my ear and his arms wrapped around me sent chills down my spine. Who could have known someone teaching you how to hold a paintball gun could be hot?

"When you shoot, you're going to want to look straight down the center of the barrel of the gun through both eyes." He continued as I practiced holding it the way he showed me. "The aiming takes some getting used to so I think we should have you practice a few times first." I laughed at his words, and he looked at me inquisitive.

"You do realize you're teaching me how to shoot you, right?" I laughed again, but was caught off guard when I looked at his face and saw something wild in his eyes. His arms were still wrapped around me, and he was staring into my eyes with a thoughtful look on his face.

"So you can laugh, huh? I was beginning to wonder." He grinned and I scoffed, his sarcasm temporarily bringing me out of the trance. "You really are beautiful..you know that, blue eyes?"

I looked at him again, startled by the lovely compliment. His eyes traveled down from my eyes to my lips, and I knew he was about to kiss me.

But then, my brain reminded me of what a player he was..and how I didn't want to ever go through what I went through with my ex back in Denver. Remember, Gia. Nothing good comes from being the rebound.

I awkwardly peeled myself away, taking a few steps forward and out of his arms. I heard him let out a sigh, frustrated I had ruined the moment.

"So, you teaching me how to actually shoot this thing or what, Portland?" I tried my best to sound casual as I practiced holding the gun without his help.

He rolled his eyes and nodded, but something in his face told me he doubted my ability to actually shoot him.

That's just going to make this ten times more fun.

Phoenix  not only made me put on the padded black overalls but this bulky, black mask/helmet looking thing. He said it was for protection, and he wore one, too.

After some time of practicing hitting a tree, I was ready to try a moving target. Preferably a moving target with dark, brooding eyes that smelled like sandalwood. Phoenix just laughed at my excitement, obviously noting I was at a disadvantage, being the beginner at this.

As we walked back to the field with inflatable barriers, I asked myself once again...what is this place? More importantly, were we seriously trespassing? The last thing I needed was to get in some kind of trouble with the law. Mom was going to be pissed enough already.

"Okay, these barriers are obviously for you to hide behind..the usual rule of paintball is no physical contact, but I'd be willing to let that one slide." His voice sounded playful as he flirted once more, and I just shook my head at him.

"Let's just get to the part where I shoot you." I said confidently, though I had to admit to being nervous. He laughed at me, further pissing me off.

"Sorry, it's just kind of like a kitten who thinks they're a lion. It's super adorable, actually. But it's just not happening, Gia Pet." He shrugged as he put on his mask. His cockiness angering me and make me that much more determined to prove him wrong.

This was going to be really satisfying.

After a short but rather intense game of chasing each other around the field and dodging paint-balls, I squatted behind an inflatable beam..determined to at least get one good shot in. The truth was, he was really good at this. But I was having a lot of fun, I had to admit.

Just one good shot to cause him at least a small amount of physical pain, and I'll be happy. I peeked out in the field from behind the beam and spotted his location. He seemed to be looking around, trying to find me. He he, I felt like an assassin right now. The only thing that would make it better is if there was some type of Mission Impossible  soundtrack playing.

I held the gun to the center of my nose and looked down the barrel of the gun with both eyes like he showed me, keeping it steady. I took a deep breath, put my finger on the trigger and...

"Ouch!" Phoenix  was so startled by the sudden paintball hitting his back he almost fell over. I started laughing uncontrollably and  jumping up and down like a little kid celebrating, not caring about giving away my position at the moment.

"Whoo! I am the greatest paintball player alive! In your face, Santiago! Who wants some of Gia Asher? Definitely not Portland, that's who. Whooo--OUCH!" I was thrown out of my celebration dance by the sensation that someone had flicked me on the arm. But instead, I looked down, and Phoenix  had managed to shoot me while I was celebrating my victory. Rude. He was bent over laughing as I glared at him, but when he saw me hold the gun up and aim it toward him, he took off running.

The two of us were totally acting juvenile right now, but it was the most fun I had in a very long time. For just a moment, I let myself forget how much he drove me crazy.

"That was actually really fun!" I couldn't hide my child-like excitement as we headed back to town in his car. He didn't say much, just smiled..seeming very satisfied he had managed to bring me out of my shell.

"It really was, and you know...you didn't do too bad for an amateur." He winked at me, knowing the comment would get on my nerves.

"That reminds me..I still hate you." I said stubbornly as I looked out the window. He just laughed, and startled me by putting his hand on my leg.

"I think we both know by now that's a lie, don't we?" I found myself blushing at his words and at how amazing his touch felt. Luckily for me we were thrown out of the moment by the sound of a ringing phone.

Noting it was my phone, I rescued it from the cup holder in the middle and checked the caller ID. Crap. "Hello?" I asked, my voice breaking from nerves.

"Gianna Marie Asher!" My mom's voice yelled from the other end of the phone,  causing both of us to cringe. "You are in so much trouble when you get home!" She sounded pissed, obviously figuring out where I was somehow.

Why living in a small town is a pain in the butt, reason number twenty-three.

author's note: If you enjoyed this chapter, please don't forget to vote :)