Page 15 of Only Everything
I’d asked her if she was camping in the woods. She replied,“You could say that.”She wasn’t saying yes, which indicated a lie, an omission, or…she truly didn’t know. But it was clear she was there. Doubt of Emmett’s motives could play into that response, plus the fear, but she’d been crying… There had to be a reason. Why?
I cursed under my breath as more droplets rained down. I barely noticed, I was so lost in the analysis.
Fuck. I needed to go deeper into our conversation. I had to look at the entire picture, and maybe it was themost obvious thing of all. Tauren had called me. After almost constant avoidance since I’d left, she had finally reached out tome. She needed me. Shechoseme. That meant trust was still there, and with trust could come love. She could love me again. …She could love me still.
No. Stop. I fisted my hair, trying to slow the obsessive thoughts. The focus was on the trust. I could think about the love later. She trusted me. It spoke volumes in a moment where she seemed distraught. I was the one she ran to. The one she called.
But in the realization, came a bigger truth, and it barreled right over the fact that she’d chosen me. It hit so heavy that it had me stopping in my tracks.
Tauren had given me a map to find her. She wanted me to help, whether she realized it or not. Why else would she give me so many hints?
Mini Mart—middle of nowhere,deeper into the mountains. As I went over her clue on the Mini Mart, I knew only one.
My forehead creased as I headed for the door of my cabin. I grabbed the handle, turning back to stare in the darkness.Road, fifteen to twenty minutes later, turning from asphalt to gravel.Did I know that place? Why did I feel like I knew where that was?
I was isolated and about that far from Asheville. And there was a turn off a few miles from here, but that made no sense. Why would Emmett bring Tauren so close to me when he’d spent years making it impossible for us to speak? And he had questions. Ones I doubted he wanted her to know about. But he knew where I was.I told himmygeneral location. It wouldn’t have been hard for him to discover the truth if he really wanted to.
Opening the door, I headed inside, walking to the small counter to grab my truck keys. More, my mind raced. I let the minutes pass, going between motives and cliffs I knew of in the area, and whether my extreme paranoia over Tauren’s safety was valid. Could I even trust that anything she told me was the truth?
Buzzing had my head slowly dropping back down to take in Emmett’s name on my screen. What the fuck was happening, and what was this bastard up to? Was he coming to me? Here, to my cabin, with Taur? I almost wanted to smile, and not in a nice way.
Hitting the button, I lifted it to my ear.
“Hello?”
“Reid, this is Emmett. I meant to call earlier, but I was busy.”
“It’s cool. What’s up? Did you figure out a time when we could meet? I really need to talk to my sister.”
He laughed under his breath. “I’ve been thinking a lot about that. I even considered that we should all meet in person.”
“Alright. When?”
“I’ve changed my mind. I don’t think it’s a good idea after all. You see, things are looking up for me and Tauren. We recently got engaged. This very evening, actually.” My body tensed as a rage-induced shaking took over. “I really think she’s finally in a place where your presence may disrupt her healing. I’m sure you understand how delicate of a situation this is. I mean, what she saw—what she lived through—why ithappened—I just don’t see how it would be a good idea to make her face that again.”
“We lost the same thing. I lost my mom, and she lost her dad. We were a family. We may have gotten into a fight, but Tauren needs me. I need her.”
“So you’ve made clear on countless occasions. If she finally wanted you in her life, don’t you think she would initiate?”
She had.
A deep breath left me. All I saw was red. It was almost impossible to keep my cool. Had it not been for Tauren and the fear I detected, I would have told him the truth just to shove it down his throat so he could choke on it. “You had questions for me.”
Another soft laugh.
“Only confirmation. I’m pretty sure I already know. Thing is...” He paused, and I could hear crunching under his feet with every step. “I think I can get the answers from her on my own. Might be better that way.More fun.”
I picked up my truck keys, letting the grooves bite into my palm at my squeeze. “Did I ever tell you what I did in the military?”
Seconds passed. “No, but I already know. I also know you couldn’t handle it. It’s why you got out.”
It was my turn to laugh. “You’re wrong. I got out because Icouldhandle it. Because Ilikedit,a little too much. That’s what fucked me up, not necessarily what I did. And if you know my specialty, then you know your cryptic insinuations are not going undetected.” I licked my lips. “I’ll tell you what. I’m willing to let your threats against Taur go if you do one thing.”
A huff sounded. A rustle. More crunching, this time louder.
“First off, you can’t threaten me. Second, you’re really not fucking seeing her now.”
“Shut the fuck up, Emmett. Look down. The leaves under your feet are wet, but that crunch I heard a few seconds ago told me you walked somewhere dry. You’re in the woods. That slight echo behind your tone tells me you’re not just in the woods, you’re in the mountains. Elevation…more than decent. You’re high. And as you know, I’m also in the mountains. I grew up in them, which gives me the advantage. Given the echo, you’re not far from the edge of something. A cliff. Maybe one hundred-fifty feet? Three hundred, at the most? You’d be smart to take my sister home. Unharmed. Otherwise, youwillmeet me. It just might not be by choice.”
