Page 15 of Broken Skulls

And I do.

My fingers automatically grip his t-shirt, and I plaster myself against his back as he pulls forward. When his speed evens out, I wonder if we’re on a highway.

The smell of the outdoors suddenly strikes me. Pine. The smell is so intense. And the wind. I lift my head. This man is brutal in his torture. Not for kidnapping me, but for shoving me face-first into my senses. Something I’ve tried desperately to suppress.

He pats my leg. “Relax. Enjoy the ride.”

Enjoy.

He wants me to enjoy something. No one has wanted me to enjoy anything for a very long time.

It can’t hurt. I mean, I could allow myself this one last little glimpse of feeling what it is to be alive.

A goodbye of sorts.

His hand remains on my leg. The rhythmic way his fingers brush back and forth over the seam on my jeans lulls me into relaxing in the seat. There’s really nothing I can do about the situation I find myself in anyway. JD is in charge.

You must be crazy! This man kidnapped you.

“Shut up,” I tell myself.

I meld with JD as he takes a curve, leaning with him as if we’re all three one. The bike, him … me.

I’m almost sad when the bike slows down, coming to a stop. He slides off and then helps me to do the same.

I sway on my feet, adjusting to the ground firmly beneath me. He pulls my back against his chest, wrapping his arms around me. “Keep your eyes closed.”

His beard brushes against the side of my cheek as he speaks.

The minute he removes the blindfold, I cover my eyes, even though they’re closed. It’s so bright, the sun is blinding me behind my eyelids.

“Shit,” I complain, tears pooling at the corners of my eyes.

“Take it slow. We’re in no hurry.”

Slowly, I blink my eyes open. Once they adjust to the light, I gasp.

It’s so beautiful. Everything. The trees, the flowers, the sky. I’m sure it’s never been this blue.

JD continues to hold me as my gaze bounces over the horizon. It’s like I’m seeing everything for the first time. It’s so colorful.

“For me, this view alone is worth living for,” he says in my ear.

“It’s enough for you?”

He sighs. “For right now it is, and now is all that exists. So yeah.”

“You make it sound so easy.”

“If it’s not enough for you, that’s okay,” he assures me.

Again, he doesn’t try to change the way I feel. He’s not telling me it’s wrong. He’s letting me know it’s okay. I’m okay.

Slowly, I turn in his arms, tilting my head back to look up at him. He’s tall with dirty blond hair and incredibly deep blue eyes. They’re soulful and kind … and maybe a bit playful. The wind blows his hair over them as he stares at me.

I try to pull away from him, but he doesn’t budge.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

---