“Stop it,” she ordered herself, but the darkness seemed to press closer, amplifying every breath, every heartbeat, every doubt she’d pushed away.
This was exactly why she worked alone. Other people complicated things. Made you doubt yourself. Made you need them.
Another tremor rattled through the canyon. A larger rock broke free, rolling into the cave based on the sound, landing inches from where she stood. Ripley’s growl held an edge of fear that matched the ice forming in Sabrina’s veins.
The temperature was dropping. How long before the cold became a real problem? Before the dust in the air made breathing difficult? Before that guy with the gun decided to start digging through the debris to reach her?
Before someone noticed she was missing?
Would anyone notice? She’d made it such a habit to work alone, maybe no one would think twice about her absence. After Bonner had thrown his weight around, she’d come straight out here to do whatever she could to best him, not a word to anyone.
A tremor shook the cave, dislodging more debris. The temperature had dropped at least ten degrees since the rockslide sealed them in. Or maybe that was just her blood running cold as reality sank in.
She was going to die in here because she couldn’t stop running long enough to let anyone catch her.
Ripley pressed closer, offering warmth and comfort she didn’t deserve. The lab hadn’t hesitated to follow her into this trap, trusting her judgment completely. Just like Noah had trusted her with his heart.
And what had she done with that trust?
The same thing she always did. Push away anything that threatened to matter too much.
Her father’s voice echoed in her head:Showing weakness is the same as admitting defeat.She’d lived by those words, turned them into armor, used them to justify keeping everyone at arm’s length.
Even the one person who’d never tried to change her.
She had to do something other than sit here in her own misery. Minutes bled into each other as she worked her way around the cave’s perimeter, testing for weaknesses, fingering the walls for any crack that might let in fresh air. Her hands ached from scraping against rock, but she kept going.
She’d always been good at the physical challenges. It was the emotional ones that tripped her up.
Ripley bumped her leg and Sabrina took a long moment to be grateful she wasn’t alone. There was something to be said for taking chances on something new and scary that ended up being great.
For her. Not for the dog, who was terrified and counting on her owner to fix this. She had a responsibility to get them both out of here safely. Then she could wallow in regret.
If she and Ripley actually survived.
“It’s okay, girl.” She kept her voice steady as Ripley pressed against her. The lab’s anxiety vibrated through both of them. “We’re going to figure this out.”
How, she had no idea. There were no cracks in the walls, no light. This particular crevasse had exactly one entrance.
Which was now blocked by several tons of rock.
She slumped against a semi-straight wall, trying not to panic. Or think about Noah. But it was hard not to give in as the minutes stretched and her brain seemed determined to put memories of his smile on repeat.
Plus, he was really warm. She would give anything to be pulled into his embrace right about now. Maybe for more than the warmth.
“I don’t need anyone.” Darkness swallowed the words as her own voice betrayed her, cracking on the lie she’d told herself a thousand times.
Ripley’s tail thumped against her leg, calling her on it.
“Okay, fine. Maybe I do.” The admission scraped her throat raw. “But needing people is dangerous. They leave. They disappoint you. They make you question everything you thought you knew about yourself.”
Like how Noah made her question whether being strong meant being alone.
A rock crashed somewhere in the darkness, the sound amplifying her pulse. How long had they been in here? An hour? Two? Time stretched like a rubber band ready to snap.
The cold seeped deeper into her bones, but she couldn’t stop shivering long enough to think. To really examine why she always chose the hardest path, the one that led exactly where she was now.
Alone in the dark with no backup plan.
