Page 98 of Possess Me! (I Want You To)

Oh.

Apparently there was something to be glad about. My hands clenched into fists, and my cheeks grew hot as I struggled to figure out how to respond. Was I okay? I wasn’t sure. It’d been sixteen long years since I’d felt okay. But then again…even before Lydia had taken me, had there ever been a moment that I was just…

That I was…

“Your phone is broken.” I ignored his words, blurting out the first thing that came to mind.

“Yeah, I figured.” Luca chuckled, like it was no big deal. I swallowed the lump in my throat, confused as he squeezed me tight.

It hit me then that I could’ve lost him today.

This confusing, strange, creature—who waited till we were miles away from the road, safe from danger, to break down because he knew how important it was we find safety first. This man who laughed and cried freely—sometimes at the same time. Who danced in his bedroom, who sang at the top of his lungs, who force-fed unsuspecting civilians fries, watched way too many romantic comedies, and always listened when you needed someone to talk to.

This man who was brave.

And silly.

And stupid.

And surprising.

Innovative, flirtatious, cunning—

And maybe…maybe…

Maybe…mine.

Yes.

“The screen is done-zo.” I found myself using one of his favorite phrases, just to hear his laugh. And I thought…I thought…maybe—for him. Maybe if I stuck beside him, being alive wasn’t so awful, after all.

“Definitely,” Luca chortled, his tears forgotten already. He shook me hard enough my teeth clacked, happy, despite our dire circumstances. His stomach growled.

I hugged him tighter.

I hugged him tighter.

I hugged him tighter.

Everything hurt, but my heart was full as I forced Prudence to hold my hand and we continued on our way. Leaves rustled, wild life chittering from hidden shadows, as slashes of sunlight danced through the overhead branches and lit the way. The air was crisp and cool. A little chilly despite it being summer.

After my embarrassing cry-fest we’d made good ground.

I’d camped inside these woods dozens of times in my teens. After I’d gotten my license, any time Mom was working a full weekend, or was out with boyfriend numbers eleven through seventeen, we’d drive through the switchbacks and spend the night under the stars. It always felt like escape. Like the world was bigger out here, with the stars dancing and the thick tree trunks stretching sky high, timeless as a cathedral.

Privately, I’d always wondered how it was possible that the world could be so fucking large…and yet my world…felt so small.

Adam and Betty had always done their best to help me with preparation, though the first time we’d gone camping on our own it’d been a bit painful as we figured out how to make a fire, or set up a tent. We’d been forced to get over our growing pains quickly. By the time Paul had come around, we’d pretty much perfected our survival skills.

And he’d joined us.

For those few, glorious years, back before—back when I hadn’t known what it felt like to have the weight of a fortune on my shoulders—we’d spent months memorizing the paths that led through these mountains.

It should’ve felt relieving to climb the familiar peaks once again.

Instead I just felt…confused.

“Why did the hunter want you?” I asked, stumbling a little, and swearing under my breath as I shook the pins and needles out of my feet, then pushed onward.

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