I shudder, biting back the moan that so desperately wants to escape me. He laughs slightly, dropping his head to look between us. Glancing back up at me with one arm holdinghimself up, he runs his fingers through my hair. My eyes flutter shut as I revel in this moment, just the two of us together, the cool breeze from the waterfall and the shade from the tall trees. When I open my eyes and gaze back at him, I notice Miles staring at something towards the cabin.
“What? What is it?” I ask, panic lacing my tone, only he isn’t answering my question.
He’s just…staring. Unease settles in my gut when I feel Miles’ heart rate pick up against mine.
“We need to leave,” he insists, picking himself up off me and quickly throwing his clothes back on, paying no mind to the sand that’s still on them. I stand, looking around frantically for whatever it is that has him so startled, but find nothing.
“What do you mean, we need to leave?” I ask, alarm thick in my tone. “We just got here.”
Miles grabs his boots, tugging them on quickly and grabbing my hand, pulling me back the way we came. I turn around briefly and look back toward the cabin. It’s then that I see what he must have seen. Inside the cabin, peering out the window, is a silhouette of a man. The moment our gazes meet, the man vanishes from the glass pane and I gasp, tightening my grip on Miles’ hand.
“Holy shit! Who the fuck is that?!” I yell, my heart hammering in my chest.
“C’mon Maddie!”
Miles tugs me towards the direction of the Jeep, causing me to trip slightly over my feet, but I recover quickly. I don’t know who’s in that cabin, but if this is the reaction Miles has to whoever it is, then I don’t want to be anywhere near it. I’m just glad he’s not trying to be like those idiots in horror movies that get themselves killed trying to be the big, strong hero because, honestly, I don’t think I could handle that right now.
We make it back to the Jeep and quickly hop in. My heart is beating wildly in my chest, full of adrenaline, and I can’t seem to catch my breath. I look back at the cabin and watch as it gets smaller in the distance as Miles drives off.
There has only been one other time in my life that I felt the wild beat of my heart pounding the way it is now.
Images of my father cloud my vision, and I watch as the blood pours from his head, mixing with the dirt beneath him. Blood splattered across my face, my chest rising and falling quickly as I hold the heavy rock above my head. I drop it, watching as it bounces off my father's head and splashes into the pool that’s gathered there.
I scrub at my burning eyes until the ache dulls. As I lower my hands, a sticky warmth clings to my fingertips. My breath catches when I see the deep crimson covering my skin.
His blood.
9.Miles
She’s been screamingin her sleep for the last ten seconds, but it feels more like ten fucking hours. The second she started thrashing, I jerked onto the shoulder of the road.
My hands find her shoulders, giving them a gentle shake.
“Maddie,” I call, trying to keep my voice steady despite the panic clawing at my chest. “Maddie, wake up. It’s okay. He’s gone.”
Her eyes fly open and she laches onto me so hard, it knocks the breath from my lungs. Her fingers are digging into my shirt like she’s afraid I’ll disappear if she lets go.
“Hey, hey, it’s okay,” I coo. “It’s just me. He’s gone, baby. I’ve got you.”
The second she actually sees me, all color drains from her face. Her fiery eyes widen until they look like they’re ready to spill tears, and her lips part as ragged breaths leave her. Her chest rises and falls so fast, I’m convinced she’s about to hyperventilate.
Fuck. She’s having a panic attack.
I carefully lift my hand, meaning to brush a few strands of hair away from her face, but the moment my fingers get close, she recoils like she’s expecting me to hurt her.
The movement hits me harder than it should.
“How do you know he’s gone?” she whispers, her voice trembling.
For a second, I don’t understand the question. Then I realize she’s still trapped in whatever nightmare dragged her under.
“Baby,” I say softly, glancing toward the windshield, “We’ve been driving for a while. We’re almost back to campus.”
I hesitate before adding, “Unless…you’d rather stay with me tonight?”
Her gaze slowly drifts away from me and out the windows. As she takes in the familiar roads surrounding us, recognition settles across her face. Little by little, her breathing evens out. Relief loosens the knot in my chest, but I still have to fight every instinct screaming at me to cup her face in my hands and convince myself she’s really okay.
That flinch fucking hurt. It shouldn’t have—I know she wasn’t pulling away from me. Whatever nightmare had her screaming moments ago hadn’t let go of her yet.
