Page 18 of Broken-Hearted

“Uh, Nathan. What are you doing?” I ask, worried.

He pulls the car to a stop on the forest-lined side of the road and cuts the engine.

Alarm bells aren’t just ringing at this point. They’re blasting me like the loudest church bell in the world.

He unsnaps his seatbelt and reaches for his door. “Dealing with the problem that won’t leave us alone.”

He gets out, slamming the door shut as I fumble for my seatbelt to follow him out.

This isexactlywhat I was hoping to avoid.

I scramble out and around the back of the car, hissing, “What are you doing?”

He barely spares me a passing glance. “Like I said, dealing with whoever the hell has been following you and probably who tried to kill me in Dawley.”

As I stare at him, all I can see is Nathan’s dead body on the ground, throat torn open, blood everywhere. I see it so clearly it’s like it’s already happened.

“Are you insane?” I hiss. “You can’t shift here. Someone will see you.”

But other than the headlights in the distance, we’re the only ones on the road.

Thanks, universe, for helping me make my point,I sarcastically tell myself.

“Nathan. Listen to me.”

Nathan isn’t listening. He’s trained his narrowed gaze on the green Ford heading toward us on this lonely stretch of road.

An image of Nathan’s mangled body inserts itself in my mind.

My lips flatten. I refuse to let that happen. Nathan can’t die because of me.

Nathan reaches for the hem of his shirt. “Just stay back, Clara. I have everything under?—”

I shove him as hard as I can, flinching when he thumps down the side of the road with a yelp and disappears down a hill.

“Sorry!” I yell after him, wincing at another yelp.

I glance back at the road. The green Ford is still a few miles away, so I throw myself down after Nathan and hope I don’t break anything.

5

My head is spinning and I’m flat on my back when Nathan’s face appears over mine.

His expression is a mix of bewildered, amused, and shocked.

“You pushed me down a hill.”

I wince. “But only to save you.”

He nods, then lies back down beside me.

I watch him for a beat. “Nathan?”

“Yeah?”

“Are you okay?” I feel terrible for shoving him, but I had to.

He blows out a breath and heaves himself upright. “I guess.”

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