Page 6 of Rescued by the Captain

“You did mumble black truck earlier.”

I bury my head in my hands, causing my drink to spill over. The chocolate is searing, but the pain is no match to the overwhelming nature of this situation.

“I remember nothing. Not where I’m from, what my name is, why I wound up here.” I sigh. I have nothing to rely on, yet so much to battle. How could I have gotten amnesia? Why me?

Donte sights my distress, and dives to my side to calm me. “Hey, hey, no worries. We’ll figure it out,” he whispers.

I shake my head, feeling the tears gather at my eyes. “But what if I can’t remember? What if I don’t ever remember?”

Donte pulls me into his warm embrace. I’m startled. His face and muscles make him look so hard on the exterior, but when I crash into his chest, he’s so gentle and soft. I feel that I can take my first breath of relief since waking up in this nightmare. I allow my tension to ease, melt into his piney musk as he rubs my back.

“It’s going to be okay,” he coos and my body relaxes just a hair.

But there’s a feeling that won’t go away.

A lump forms in my throat. “I hope so.”

4

DONTE

Until today,I’ve never thought that you could feel so familiar with someone you’ve just met.

My arms are locked around this woman like I’m guarding her for dear life. I can feel her chest rise and fall against mine, the flow of air departing her lips.

We’ve gotten close. Dangerously close. I didn’t mean to become intimate with this woman, but I can’t stop my mind from whirling into a frenzy.

She’s like Nina. When I touch her, when I talk to her, I remember the feeling of my wife. And I know I shouldn't be having these thoughts— or, should I say, that I don’t want to allow them.

But they hit me like an infinite meteor shower. Just as I think I’ve dodged one meteor, I’m smacked with another in my blindspot. Each strike leaves me vulnerable, pries me open to be broken apart.

I don’t want to crack and I don’t want to resurrect the past.

Clearing my throat, I shoot up from the ground. The woman is visibly confused as I sever our hug.

“Sorry, I’ve got to go check on something…” My eyes drift for an excuse. “I’ll be in the bathroom for a bit.”

The woman says nothing. I hate that she’s so understanding. She must be unfazed by this all, meanwhile I’m twisting myself up trying not to stare at her voluptuous body.

I beeline across the room. The first door I see is cracked ajar— I throw myself inside, despite not knowing if it’s a bathroom or storage unit. I don’t care to make out the difference in the dark. In the moment, my focus is getting away from the tension outside.

My hands flail for a light, and I turn on a switch. There’s a mirror in front of me, and an ancient- looking toilet beside the sink that hovers underneath. Guess I did end up finding the bathroom I was searching for. I plant my hands on the sink’s ledge, and gaze at my reflection. My jaw is clamped tight, and the veins in my muscles bulge.

This woman has shaken me up. And the more that I think about it, the less that I get it. If we had to be brutally honest, it’s not like I’ve been a saint since Nina left this world. I’ve shown lust towards other women, I still get urges from time to time.

But when I’m around this brunette, the tension is different.

She’s broken. Someone was out for her. When I saw her trembling helplessly on the couch, I wanted to pour every bit of strength I had into her. But maybe I’m getting too attached, and that’ll sabotage our chances of solving this incident.

I need to temper my emotions. Something intense is brewing inside of me, and I fear that if I allow it to unleash, I won’t be able to take it back.

Sighing, I loosen my grip on the sink and head into the living room. The woman still lays on the couch. Along the walls, the windows have been fully plastered in snow and a nasty blizzard is starting outdoors.

I decide to check in with the sheriff.

When he hops on the line, his connection cuts in and out. “Can’t get… hold of the rental… company... for the holiday. I’ll let… when I know.”

“I think someone was after her, Colt,” I reply. I’ve moved near the entrance so we can talk in semi-privacy. “There were multiple tracks going back to the road.”

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