“Can you get the hose? It’s time to water this bad boy.”
“Right.” I swallow, rising with more grace than I feel. I tear off my gloves and walk through the forest, shaking my head at myself.
How could I be so foolish? This is all a game to him—it is for any man, and?—
“AH!”
My gloves fly from my hands as I jolt forward, tripping over a root. There is a lot to trip over in this place—yet another reason I shouldn’t be here—but I’m the only one clumsy enough to fall face-forward into the earth.
My hands fly out, catching me before I get a mouthful of dirt and leaves.
I should have worn pants, not this skirt. What was I thinking? It’s a long skirt, but rocks and twigs still press into my palms and knees. Bare skin. It sings, but nothing hurts worse than the embarrassment lighting up my cheeks. All I have to do is stand up and hope no one else saw me.
“Evie!” Theo calls my name and runs over, forcing more heads to turn in my direction.
Bury me in the ground like a tree. My time is over.
THEO
The fall happens in slow motion. I give her a simple task—a way to catch my breath and get a little space from her. Just a second to breathe. That’s all I need. She leaves me breathless, and I know it’s not her fault.
Seeing her fly into the ground snatches my breath away again. I watch her fall to… well, not to her death, but she definitely falls. I’m on my feet before I can stop myself, sprinting across the forest to reach her.
Maybe she hit her head. It feels like a real possibility. Perhaps she broke an ankle. I’ll carry her to the hospital my damn self if I have to. God, how far away is the nearest hospital, anyway?
I would do the same for any of my employees. They all sign waivers when they come on the trip, just in case, but that doesn’t mean I want them to get hurt. These things happen—scrapes and bruises.
This is different. This time, it’s my fault. I shouldn’t have sent her off alone. If I were with her, I could catch her. I could keep her safe.
Everett will kill me, and I’ll deserve it.
My heart races, and my palms are coated in a layer of nervous sweat as I help her to her feet. My hands linger on her elbows—a safe touch I can finally give, and I wildly search her face for answers.
“Are you all right?” I murmur, holding her tighter.
She nods. “Just… just scrapes, I think.”
I take her hands in mine, inspecting them without a care for who may be watching. Who am I kidding? They’reallwatching; this is the most entertaining thing they’ve seen all day. Physical comedy is popular for a reason.
Evie is right. Her hands are all scraped up. I’ve had worse, and I’ve seen worse, but it makes me sick to my stomach to see any harm come to her. This is my damn fault. I never should have invited her here.
“Did you hit your head?” I ask, forcing my voice to remain even.
“No. Nothing like that.”
“And your knees?” I drop down and lift her long skirt, inspecting her scraped knees.
“Theo.” She murmurs my name, but there’s a warning in her voice—and I don’t realize why until it’s too late.
We’re too close, and even though it’s new, I’m familiar with how it feels to be this close to her. She takes my goddamn breath away—again. It’s a wonder I’m still alive, with how often she makes me feel likethis. My heart may beat right out of my weak, pathetic chest.
“Sorry,” I mumble, letting the fabric drop. “You’re right. Just scrapes.”
Warmth flushes across her face. “Can we skip the lecture where you tell me I should have worn pants?”
I stand up, running my fingers through my hair. “Sure, sure…”
I don’t want to lecture her—I want to lecturemyself. This is my fault. I should have let her stay in the cabin instead of dragging her out here. It was selfish, a desire to show her the place I love most.
