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“It won’t work,” I said, my voice breaking as I grabbed his wrist. “Jackson, look at me.”

He didn’t.

He kept trying.

Metal scraped uselessly against metal.

“I’m not leaving you here,” he choked, his voice rough with something close to panic now. “I’m not doing that again. I can’t⁠—”

“We have no other choice, th-this is our only chance. He was already suspicious of me before.” I knew from deep within my soul that Wayne had suspected something was amiss with me earlier; I hadn't been that jumpy during breakfast since my first week upstairs. It was only a matter of time before he caught on and turned his Ute around. This was truly our only chance.

“No, Evie.” He surged forward, grabbing my shoulders, his grip tight, despite the tremor running through him. “I’m not going anywhere without you. Not again. Do you hear me? I’m not leaving you.”

I opened my mouth to make him see, but he was already moving. He pushed himself up from the ground so fast, he nearly stumbled before catching himself on the desk. Then he started tearing into it, yanking drawers open, sending them crashing to the floor, wood splintering against concrete.

“Jackson,” I cried, my voice breaking as I forced myself up, dragging the chain behind me. “You have to go get help,” I forced out, shaking my head, even as my chest caved in. “Jackson, please⁠—”

“No!” he snapped, not even looking at me as he dropped to his knees, digging through the mess he’d made. “I’m not walking out that door without you. I won’t survive that. I won’t.”

“You have to go get help,” I insisted again, my voice cracking as I rushed to him, grabbing his wrists before he could tear through another drawer. “Jackson! Listen to me, please!”

He tried to pull away immediately, shaking his head, his breathing uneven. “There has to be wire cutters or something around here,” he urged, his eyes frantically searching over the tools. I grabbed his hand as he brushed past me and pulled him to a stop. “Evie, please,” he begged, his eyes glistening with pain. I stepped closer and reached up, cupping his face in both hands, forcing his eyes to meet mine.

“You have to,” I whispered. “Because…I’m not getting out of these chains.”

His head shook immediately, his lips trembling. “Don’t say that.”

“You know it’s true,” I said, softer now, but unrelenting. “Jackson, please,” I breathed. “You’re the only one who can get out. You’re the only one who can come back for me.” I was tearing my own heart out making him leave me here, knowing that Wayne could come back any second.

“No,” he said again, harsher this time, like he was trying to drown it out. “No fucking way am I leaving you here. I won’t do that to you. I won’t do that to us.”

I pulled my hands away, a broken sob tearing out of my chest as I stepped back.

“No, baby, don’t,” he begged, his face crumpling as he closed the distance between us in an instant, grabbing the front of my dress and pulling me into him like he was afraid I’d disappear. I collapsed against him, sobbing into his shoulder, my hands clutching at him like I could somehow keep him here and still send him away at the same time.

“I can’t lose you,” he choked, wrapping his arms around me tightly.

“You won’t if you go!”

He shook his head against mine, his breath uneven, his body trembling. “I’m not strong enough to walk away from you,” he admitted, his voice breaking in a way I’d never heard before. I tightened my hold on him, pressing my face into his shoulder, inhaling him like I needed to remember everything.

“Please Jackson,” I begged, thumping my head against his chest. He clenched his eyes shut and tightened his hold around me, dropping his head to my neck as his tears dampened my dress. “Please. We don’t have time for this,” I cried, the words breaking apart as they left me. “You have to go get help, or this was all for nothing.” Every part of me wanted to stay exactly where I was, buried in him, safe for just a second longer.

“I can’t, Evie,” he said, his voice wrecked. “I can’t leave you here again. I won’t survive it if something happens to you. I swear to God, I won’t.”

“Please,” I sobbed, pressing my forehead hard against his chest, like I could force him to understand. “I don’t want to die down here, Jackson.”

His arms tightened around me instantly, like the words physically hurt him. He dropped his head to my neck, his breath uneven, his tears soaking into the fabric of my dress. “I can’t lose you again,” he whispered, his voice barely holding together. His fingers dug into me like I was the only thing keeping him upright.

I pulled back just enough to look at him.

“You will if you don't go.”

The words felt like they were tearing something out of me as I said them. His eyes searched my face, like he was trying to find a reason to stay, something to hold onto that would justify it. His hand slid from my hair to cup my cheek, his touch trembling. “Please,” I added, softer now, reaching up and wrapping my fingers around his scarred, tattooed wrists. He exhaled shakily, his thumbs brushing under my eyes, wiping away tears that wouldn’t stop falling.

“If anything happens to you…” he said, his voice cracking as his gaze dropped for a second before finding mine again. “I’ll never forgive myself.”

“I know,” I whispered.