The universe surely had it out for us, but this was an unprecedented string of bad luck. It was almost comical, except I didn’t feel like laughing.
“Look on the bright side,” Sebastian said. “We can only go left, right, or straight, so we have a decent chance of getting it right.”
“That is not a bright side.”
“I know.” He sounded tired. “But it’s all I got.”
After a short debate, we opted to go straight.
My stomach rumbled, unsatisfied with the half a protein bar I’d fed it for breakfast, but its grouchiness took a back seat to my feet.
I hadn’t packed sneakers, so I was forced to hike through the woods in leather flats. They weren’t made for long distances, but it was either that, my black stiletto pumps, or my fluffy bedroom slippers, the latter two of which I’d left in the car.
“How are you holding up?” Sebastian asked.
“Fine,” I lied.
The discomfort of the flats rubbing against my heels had morphed into outright pain, but unless he had an extra pair of women’s sneakers stashed in his bag, he couldn’t help me.
He slowed down and waited for me to catch up. “You’re limping.”
“I’m okay,” I insisted. “Let’s keep going. I want to get to the main road before it gets dark.”
Based on the sun’s position, it was already past noon. It was also early November, which meant darkness fell much earlier.
I’d been nervous enough sleeping in the car; sleeping in the woods without shelter would be worse. Way worse.
A shudder rippled through me.
The fear helped me push through the next half mile, but after that, a fresh spike of pain sliced through me.
I gritted my teeth.Keep going. We were almost there. We had to be.
My breaths came out in short pants. Something wet smeared against my heels, causing me to nearly slip out of my flats. I stumbled and would’ve fallen flat on my face had a strong hand not grasped my elbow.
Sebastian stared down at me, his face etched with horror. “You’re bleeding.”
“It’s a small cut. It’s not a big deal,” I panted.
“Maya.” His grip tightened. “You’rebleeding.”
I followed his gaze to my feet and almost whimpered when I saw the bloody mess awaiting me. No wonder I was in agony; the skin on my heels had been rubbed completely raw.
“Fuck, I can’t believe I didn’t notice earlier. I was so focused on—” Sebastian stopped. His jaw worked as though he were debating what to say next. “Take off your shoes.”
“I can’t walk through the woods barefoot,” I protested.
“You’re not. I’m going to carry you.”
Something unsettling flickered in my chest before I shut it down. “You can’t. You have no idea how far we are from the main road. It could be miles.”
“I’m well aware,” he said, his expression neutral.
The flicker burst to life again. This time, I couldn’t squash it.
I didn’t want to waste more time arguing, so I did as he said and took off my flats. He wrapped them in one of his shirts and tossed them in his bag.
I hesitated for a split second before I climbed onto his back and hooked my arms and legs around him. Between me and his duffel bag, he was carrying a good amount of weight, but he simply adjusted his grip beneath my thighs and started walking again like I weighed no more than a rag doll.
