An hour later, my banana and protein bar are gone, and Bear and I share the only water we have, but I found the end of thedriveway in a fair amount of time. I have to remember how he turned into the drive now, so I don’t go the wrong way.
I think it was right…
So, I need to turn left.
Hesitating for a minute, I question my memory.
The monitor on my ankle goes off every few minutes, increasing my urgency to find town. With my pace and any stroke of luck, I’ll find it by nightfall tomorrow.
Hopefully, we make it that far.
I take a deep breath as I prepare to cross the driveway to the trees on the other side, where I can follow the road tucked away in their safety until I spot passersby.
I feel more confident once I get back into the opposing trees, which is stupid because I’d been so focused on figuring out which direction to go in, I didn’t notice that I was being followed.
“Wrong way, poison.”
Bear growls, and I freeze.
Turning, I find my stalker standing behind me. He’s leaning against a tree, his arms crossed over his chest, and he’s not even breathing hard.
I’m winded as fuck and sweating my ass off, and yet he looks like he’s out for an afternoon stroll.
“Where are you going?” he asks, his lips lifting in the corners to taunt me.
Bear realizes it’s someone he knows and clearly doesn’t hate and tugs on the lead to go to him.
I pull him back toward me.
“I told you I know your every move, and I even tagged you so that you couldn’t wander off and get lost, and yet I get a text that you’ve left the cabin, anyhow. Some balls you’ve got there, G.”
“Don’t call me that!” I snarl.
“Can’t call you G. Can’t call you poison. What can I call you?”
“Why do you have to call me anything?”
He ignores my question. “Where’d you think you were going?” Pushing off the tree, he walks closer.
When he gets close enough, he snatches Bear’s leash from me, disconnects him, and lets him loose.
“Don’t do that! He’ll run off and get lost!”
Bear takes off as if on cue.
“He’ll be fine. Answer the question.”
“I was going home.”
“Going home.” He nods at my audacity. “With one protein bar, a banana, and one water bottle?”
Anger fills every pore of my body, spattering through me like buckshot. “I would’ve made it!”
“Would you?” he taunts, still the picture of calm, which is pissing me off even more.
I’m on the verge of more tears and don’t want to shed them. I’m sick of crying. “Just let me go. Please. I won’t tell anyone where you are, I won’t say a thing. I’ll call the cops off.”
“You could’ve done that before. This could’ve all been avoided,G.”
