Page 42 of Into The Darkness

“I cannot fucking tell you right now, Ember Solis,” he rasped through gritted teeth. He was pissed? Good.

“You can. You are just refusing to. You said you want to put me first, then tell me what happened that night,Ash Ortiz.”

“Fuck you, Ember. Everything I do is for you.”

“That is a fucking lie,” I barked back at him while running ahead of him, dodging large tree trunks. I was acting like a child having a tantrum, but my emotions were just too consuming for me. Everything I’d learned had changed my life, and I needed to . . . run.

“No, you do not,” he replied. “Slow down.” I ran faster, hoping to lose him.

Amid the labyrinthine branches, my tears flowed as I grappled with the reality of letting this man take a piece of me. He remained as enigmatic and maddening as ever, a constant source of frustration that seemed to define our interactions.

Eventually, I evaded his pursuit and found solace behind the sturdy trunk of a colossal tree. My face buried in my hands, I surrendered to the torrent of emotions, my body convulsing with the weight of my sobs.

Amid the tears, I couldn’t ignore the profound complexity of what had transpired tonight. Despite his endless web of deceit, there had been a fleeting moment of intimacy, a connection that defied his usual façade. Yet, true to his nature, Ash remained a master of half-truths, perpetually casting me as the innocent damsel, a role I had long outgrown.

But he brought me here, outside of Isles, where we were potentially in the arms of danger, just to show me there was a place outside of this darkness we lived in. There was a world where just Ash and Ember could exist together.

I curled up against the tree, hugging my knees as I cried, then realized that running into a thick forest when night was falling, in a place where everyone wanted me dead because I was a part of the enemy, was probably a dumb idea.

“Ash?” I whimpered aloud, but it was my mother’s words whispered back to me.

“You will see, my little Ember, you are the light that will guide us all to see the good in this world.”

I jumped up, the tears still falling. Stopping them was impossible, as I was scared and now alone in the woods in the dark. I looked around at the utter gloom surrounding me.

“If this isn’t an analogy for my entire fucking life,” I whispered. I was always alone, and now I was in the shadows.

Amid the depths of the forest, my surroundings merged into an indistinct blur as the night deepened its hold. Anxiety gnawed at me with every step, the fear of being lost intensifying with each passing moment, and the jumble of trees seemed to grow more confounding.

Then, like a resonant melody piercing through the obscurity, Ash’s velvety voice cut through the darkness, accompanied by the beam of a flashlight that heralded his approach. Swift and purposeful, he navigated the wooded terrain to reach me, his flashlight casting erratic shadows that danced around us.

“Ember.” His voice was a tender whisper, an oasis of reassurance as his arms enveloped me, checking to make sure I wasn’t harmed. I leaned into him, the warmth of his embrace a comforting shield against the chilly night air. Tears flowed unabated, dampening his hoodie, yet he held me, his touch a lifeline in the darkness. “I’m sorry, Ember.”

I didn’t lift my gaze, allowing his words to weave their way into my heart.

“I need you to believe that outside of Isles, our families may clash, but I am doing everything I can to protect you. There are just certain things I can’t tell you.” The gravity of our families’ adversarial history cast a long shadow over our connection, but his earnest words sought to bridge the divide, imploring for a fragile thread of trust.

In the muted darkness, his eyes gleamed with an intensity that was disarming and captivating. It was as though an invisible force drew me closer to him, an irresistible undertow that defied reason.

And so, in that dimly lit realm, where shadows played tricks and time seemed to stand still, I confessed, “It is so shameful and embarrassing not knowing what happened to me, Ash.” His grip on me tightened, a gesture of solidarity that anchored me to the present, offering a glimmer of light amid the prevailing darkness.

“Into the darkness I’ll go, and into the light I’ll be,”he whispered while pushing his face into my hair and breathing me in. He grabbed my hand, and, with the flashlight in the other, guided me back to the car, which wasn’t as far as I had thought.

The headlights were already on, and the car was running.

“Ash?” I said before he opened the car door for me. He turned to face me, the headlights illuminating the woods.

His fingers reached up to my jawline, gently tucking my black hair behind my ear as his other hand wrapped to the back of my head and pulled me closer so our cheeks were touching.

“You’re not thinking of falling for me, are you, mi sol?” His voice crackled with the same heat we had exchanged earlier.

“I hate you,” I said, knowing damn well it was a lie.

“I know.” His lips were now touching mine, but we weren’t kissing. We sat there, breathing in each other for a few moments before I couldn’t take it any longer. I didn’t know what it was about Ash, but I was totally and utterly addicted to him. My rational brain somehow escaped me when I was in his presence.

“Promise me?” he said, breaking the silence surrounding us.

“Promise what?” My voice came out a little more ragged and breathless than I had expected.

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