"You wouldn't have a clue as to what their talking about, would you?" I asked, quite grateful to the fact that I could get some time to talk to Derek.

"Honestly, I haven't got a clue."

I tried to hop my chair over to Derek but after the first two hops, I'd felt myself loosing balance.

Hearing a small snicker from across the room, I tossed Derek a death glare as I tried my hardest to tip the chair back onto its front legs.

"Course you'd try something like that, miss me that much already?"

"I haven't spoken to you in years, of course I miss you, you were my best mate." However after having said that, there was something in his eyes that looked a lot like hurt after I'd said those words.

"I need to apologize about that. I'm sor----"

"Stop. I've been meaning to tell you for a while why I can understand why you'd not want to help me out after everything but given our situation, we don't really have any other choice than to be friends again. I'll be real, chances are that we won't be getting out of here anytime soon unless we help each other."

"Damn, when did you become an inspirational speaker?"

"Since I got kidnapped and tied down in a basement opposite my best mate, of course."

After a few moments of silence, I mustered up the courage to ask him something that had been bugging my mind for a long time.

"Where have you actually been for the past two years?"

With a few moments of hesitation, he looked at me as if to say it doesn't matter.

"Nuh uh, you're not getting away with that today, mister. You're going to tell me what you actually did while I was out of the picture before I come and press down on those lil cuts of yours." I threatened with a grin playing at my lips.

"Fine, just because you asked so nicely, I moved into Birmingham and got a little house in a little neighbourhood."

"Well, carry on."

"What else do you want me to say?"

"Tell me everything."

So after about half an hour of catching up and me avoiding all his questions, he had ran out of things to tell me so of course, he inevitably asked me the few questions I didn't want to have asked.

"So, what you been up to for the past few years?"

As hypocritical as it sounded, I didn't want to answer and this was probably because after he had left, I had become an A class bitch, as you could probably tell right from the beginning. So instead of answering his question, I awkwardly sat, trying to think of a different question to ask.

"Derek, did you start going gym?"

"Why'd you ask?"

"Well, erm, you're arms look.... nice?"

"What, only nice?"

"Fine, they look pretty good."

"Still not having it."

"Well, what do you want me to say?" I replied, knowing that I would definitely not be in the right mindset to repeat whatever he makes me say.

"I want you to tell me 'Wow, Derek, your arms look well sexy.'"

Called it.

"You're literally aware I will definitely not do that."

"Why, you remember that time from when we were kids when you told your mum that you---"

"OK, ok, fine. Wow, Derek, your arms look well sexy."

"Awh, you're too nice, Maya." he replied and I sent him a warning gaze.

Oh he doesn't know what's coming after we get out of here.

Out of nowhere, he started chuckling to himself.

"Should have taken you to an asylum when I got the chance." I said as I watched him with amusement.

"No, I was just thinking about what a messed up situation we're in. Both of us have no clue what's going on, yet here we are, tied up opposite of each other, catching up like we both haven't been tortured in the past day."

"Well, I haven't actually been tortured."

"Oh yes you have, it must have tortured you to see that guy slash up my oh-so-amazing chest right?"

"Well with you saying crap like that, I might call him in to give you another round."

"Oh hell you wouldn't."

"Watch me. JA----"

"SHHHHh, ok fine, I'll stop now." he said with a cute, but fake, pout.

I laughed but just as the moment began, I heard the door slam open and the hazel eyed man from before come in.

He came down and completely disregarded me, as if I wasn't literally standing two metres away from him.

He dropped down to his knees with a little bag in his hands. He pulled out a few packets of something which I quickly identified as alcohol wipes as Derek winced when they came in contact with his wounds.

Slowly dragging his hands up and down Derek's cuts, I felt something warm but hostile growing in my chest.

Oh hell no, I'm not jealous, I have absolutely no reason to be.

Derek must have noticed, however, because as soon as he caught my eye, he sent me a smirk.

I've seen way too much of that smirk today.

Tanner raised his head and looked at Derek but Derek avoided his eyes as he looked anywhere but at Tanner.

"Hey, Derek."

Silence.

"How you feeling?"

Silence again.

"I'm sorry."

This seemed to get Derek to stir because as soon as he'd said I, Derek jumped up - at least he tried to - and sent a glare at Tanner.

"Unless you want my girl to knock you out again, I'd step the f*ck away."

"You're girl?" he asked in a mocking tone. "You mean, the girl who nearly tried to shoot you up and then leave you on your own? Sounds proper healthy to me too."

"And that, Tanner, is why you'll never understand even the first aspects of friendship."

With the tension in this room, I could have literally used a block of cheese to cut it and it would cut perfectly.

It makes sense in my head, alright?

Wait a second.

His girl?

I looked at him in confusion but before I could have said anything back, Tanner got up and murmured something about getting us dinner.

Just as quickly as he left, he came back and carefully loosened our arm restraints and placed down plates.

Let me rephrase that.

He placed down Derek's plate and flung mine across the floor. Now half the contents were all over the floor.

"Enjoy dinner." he said with a smirk as he left the room, staying at the door though to keep watch.

Wasn't like I was going to eat your stale bread anyways.

However I felt my heart physically clench as I saw a piece of roast chicken halfway across the room.

How could someone even waste food like that.

Derek must have noticed my absolute agony as I watched the wasted chicken that sat abandoned across the room because he chucked a bit of his chicken into my plate.

"Awh, thanks darling."

"No problem, you weirdo."

"Sorry, why am I a weirdo."

"Eat your food, weirdo."

"Not until you say why."

"I just watched you regard a roast chicken with more emotion than you have ever showed anyone."

"I like chicken, no, food, more than most people I know."

"Good thing I'm not most people."

"You couldn't have said anything cheesier." I said but in my head, I knew it was the truth aswell.

Eating the smallest piece of roast chicken and the vegetables that I could salvage, I filled myself up.

"Times up, hand over your plates."

"Tanner shut up, I'm not done." Derek said and I widened my eyes ass I watched Derek talk to him like that.

Definitely not going to get us on his good side.

But I could say I was surprised when I just saw Tanner give Derek a lopsided grin.

Coming towards me, he snatched my plate from out of my hands and sent me a nasty glare aswell. Then he just left.

"Wow, someone's playing favourites." I said as I watched Derek scarf down the rest of what was left on his plate.

Tanner came back and took the plate off Derek - a lot gentler than he did with me, can I just say.

"I'll be back in a minute to tie your arms back."

He must have gave the plates to Isten because he was back in an instant and when he was back, he very clearly couldn't take his eyes of Derek.

Oh my god, does Tanner like Derek?

It would be helpful if I knew how they knew each other from before though, I've been trying to set Derek up with someone for so long although I think sleeping with the enemy, quite literally, wasn't going to do us much good here.

Just for the fun of it though I asked Derek if he was gay and in less than a second, he screamed at me a 'NOO."

Ok, maybe Derek isn't gay.

But, of course, the sadness in Tanner's eyes didn't go unnoticed by me, even if it were only for a fraction of a second.

He must have been getting tired to listening to us because as soon as he was done with our restraints, he placed our gags back in our mouths.

He whispered an 'I'm sorry' to Derek before heading towards the basement door again.

But before he could reach the door, a massive bang erupted from outside the basement, a bang so big that it resounded through my bones many, many seconds after it was heard.

That better be a friend because I swear if it's another foe, I will spontaneously combust.

No joke.

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a/n: WOOOOOOOO GUYSSSSS lowkey so proud of myself for actually sticking to my daily updates because those of you who have been reading from the beginning of target knew how temperamental my update schedule was - t basically didn't exist!

So, this was obviously more for my #Deraya fans out there - I've got you all in my heart ;)

So, I hope that this chapter was good enough to leave a vote, it takes some good hard work to get this work out here tehee.

Other than that, I hope you guys have a banging night, night lovelies!

Lolaalvilivi