Page 129 of Haunted Prey

I don’t know how long I sat there with her, but I think I must have lost myself for a moment too. Even then I kept talking, calling out to her. Over and over.

Let go. Let go.

It took me a second to realize something had changed. That her heart rate had started beating a little faster, her chest rising a little higher, her body shifting against me.

Her knuckles brushed against my head, and I shot my face up from her chest.

Her eyes fluttered open, and she glanced up at me. I stilled as her gaze trailed over me, and she really saw me.

“Emery,” she murmured and trailed her fingers across my jaw, wetting her fingers. “I’m not dreaming again, am I?”

I stared at her, speechless. Then I took her face in my hands and kissed her hard. “Don’t leave me,” I said against her mouth.

She pulled back, looking concerned. “What happened?”

“Nothing,” I said. “You just scared me.”

Her eyebrows rose. “I did?”

“Yeah, baby, you did.”

She studied me closely. Then, by whatever force in the universe, I was given the prettiest sight ever.

She smiled at me. “Wow. I didn’t think I ever could.”

I breathed out a laugh. “Yeah, you didn’t know it, but you scare me all the damn time.”

“Liar.”

“It’s true.” I took her hand in mine. “More than anyone.”

Eve guided Lena down the path and I followed behind her. I took them to a park close by, one that was in an abandoned neighborhood. It was dark, save for a single orange light in the middle of a field. One side had a swing set and a slide, and on another, a set of picnic tables.

As we walked, I studied her every move. I didn’t believe she was suddenly fine, not for a second. I wanted to laugh at the sheer fuckery knowing it was her now that I had to watch out for, to make sure she didn’t have an episode. Thankfully, I knew she was stronger than me, and she’d always come out in the end, she’d always find her way back. And I’d be there to make sure she did.

The worst was finally behind us, burned and buried. I had to believe that. Now, all I wanted was to just heal with her. Now that I knew we could.

We stopped at one of the tables. Eve placed Lena on one end. They both looked up at the sky.

“Nice night,” Lena said. “Would be great for a fire.”

As they settled, I handed them their phones. “Remember, Eve,” I said. “You were nowhere near Severfalls.”

She nodded, turning on her phone from sleep mode.

As if no surprise at all, they both had several missed calls and texts. Most of Eve’s were from her friend Jamie, one from her aunt, and another from Liam which I was more than happy to see her delete. Lena had a couple from her sister and several from a boy named Marcus.

“Something tells me they caught wind about what happened at Severfalls,” Lena remarked.

They reassured them they were fine, Eve making sure her friend understood she was with Lena and they were, in fact, coming home.

Jamie was not satisfied with just a text because he called less than a minute after she replied to him.

“I’m fine,” she said to him, looking back at me. “I’m coming home this time. Just for a little while.”

I felt my heart sink a little at the realization. She didn’t want to run away just yet, and I understood why. It might look suspicious if she left now so soon. I just had to wait a little longer.

I gave them five minutes to wrap up what needed to be said. Then I took the phones.

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