Page 46 of Escaped
Erin was like the sun, and with her entire focus fixed on me, I basked in the warmth of her attention.“I know.Thank you.”
She moved toward me as if she wanted a kiss, but I held her back.
“Oh, and one other thing.”My lips twisted as I imagined her face at what was coming next.“I am going to spank you for that lie just as soon as I’m up to it.”
I couldn’t fucking wait for that day.
“Okay.”The flush of heat at her face deepened, and relenting, I allowed her back into my embrace.“I guess I deserve that.”
Closing my arms around her, I held her until Owen’s voice splintered our serenity.
“How’s that tea coming along?”
He sounded skeptical from the doorway and, releasing Erin, I found him leaning against the frame, arms crossed.
“It’s almost ready.”Darting away, Erin returned to the kettle without meeting his gaze.“It’ll be the best cuppa you’ve ever had.”
Chapter Eighteen
Return to Niantes
Erin
Following the twisting road, we drove onto the grounds of Niantes Wilderness Park in the car we’d borrowed from Owen.It was nearly a week since we’d been carried away by Hawkins’ men, and in that time, the snow had melted away to reveal the same lush greenery I remembered commenting on to Chelle when we’d first arrived.She’d been so animated that day, eager to see James and get hiking.Staring out at the passing landscape, the weight of her loss seemed suddenly suffocating.
How could I have got so swept away in my own feelings that I’d forgotten how much losing her hurt?
“Are you okay?”Eli’s tone was knowing, but glancing his way, all I could focus on was my rising anxiety.
What had happened to Chelle?
Was she okay?
Had she made it out of the park alive?
I’d considered calling her from Owen’s place to discover the truth, but I was ashamed to say that I didn’t know her number by heart.Modern technology had rendered my ability to recall basic information like phone numbers obsolete, which was all well and good until I didn’t have my phone and I needed to contact people.Without her number, there had been no way to reach out.
My next thought had been to contact the tourist office at the park to ask for information about Chelle’s fate.That was a number I could find online, but I couldn’t bring myself to make the call.The idea of receiving terrible news over the phone terrified me, and while I didn’t relish the thought of dealing with the blow face-to-face, there was something more tangible and comforting about the experience.If the worst had happened, I was in the right place to ask questions and learn more.
“It’s going to be okay, little girl.”
I hadn’t even answered his question, but still, he tried to reassure me.
“I’m here with you.”
“I know.”Reaching for his thigh, I squeezed the hard muscle gently.“Thank you, sir.It will be good to know the truth, but…” My voice trailed away.
“Yeah.”His reply was wistful.“I get it.”
“How are you feeling?”I asked hurriedly.“I don’t mind driving on the way back if the pain is getting too much.”
Owen had checked Eli’s wound the night before and was pleased with how his body was healing, but I was still concerned that he was overdoing it.Less than a week before, he’d been beaten up and shot, yet he wanted to carry on as though everything was normal.
“Thank you, but I’m fine.”
He eased off the gas as we neared the parking lot, and as though the expanse of nature had commanded me to do so, my gaze rose to scale the heights of the wilderness we hadn’t even conquered.
Somewhere up there was the waterfall where Miles and James had fallen, and not far from there was the place I’d last seen my friend.My tummy cramped as that final memory lingered in my mind—an image of the back of her head vanishing into the falling snow.A recollection I suspected might haunt me forever.
