Page 47 of Chalk Outline
Why am I crying over a stranger?
I want to forget my past, and he’s just a reminder of what I’ve lost.
The rifle strap across my shoulders shifts with every movement. I scan the tower’s garden for any suspicious rabbit holes, hidden doors, or perhaps a sign that reads, “Prison entrance.” Not that I expect to find one. I follow every path and examine most of the area for at least three hours, yet I uncover nothing.
I ruffle my bangs in frustration and wiggle my body from side to side, easing the tension in my bones.
“What are you up to?” Jason’s rough voice blares from the radio clipped to my thigh bag.
I turn my head toward his balcony to see him watching over me. Shirtless, he still wears the mask. The radio sits on the top rail as he aims a sniper rifle at the trees surrounding me.
I bring my radio to my mouth. “I’m searching for something. You should rest.” I scan the ground again and follow a trail of rocks leading to the cliff’s edge. I raise an eyebrow when I notice they are perfectly aligned. Too perfect. Flipping each one, I check underneath and work my way up.
“I’m fine.” The lack of emotion in his voice suggests otherwise. “Not my first.” He already mentioned that yesterday.
“How’s the wound?” I flip the sixth rock. A note is tucked underneath it. Even in the middle of nowhere, someone finds a way to mess with my head.
Your death weighs more than my sins. But don’t be mistaken when you hear the echo of a gun. There’s a bear out here and a killer on the run.
A shiver races up my spine as I try to decipher those freaky rhymes. I don’t know who else might be here besides Jason and me, and there is no clear access, either. But Jason is the only one of us who knows how to navigate through this forest. Even though he’s injured, he might have hidden it when he brought me here yesterday.
“I’ll survive.” His impatient tone fuels my anger. “I’m not the one fucking with the forest. You have no idea what’s out there.”
“Cut the fucking attitude, Jason. You are not here to saveme, and I’m not here to saveyou.“ I rage, standing at the edge of the cliff, looking down at the stream below. “What happens if I choose to jump?”
“Winona…” His panicked voice pulls me out of my thoughts as I scrunch the note in my hand and slide it into my pocket. “Tell me something real?”
What kind of game does he play?
I squint my eyes, but they stay fixed on the waters. “Why do you care? The real world is broken. It’s bleeding. And I feel lost no matter where I go.”
“So, talk to me.”
Small rocks roll beneath the soles of my boots. I kick them off the edge, watching them tumble into the stream. Hypnotized, the urge to jump in myself sends a prickle of horror through me, but he brushes the thought away once more.
“What doesn’t kill you—”
“Makes you wish you were dead.” I finish, flicking my eyes up to his balcony. He snaps his head in my direction as if he heard something forbidden, or perhaps a painful truth.
“Don’t you know it? They break you to make you lethal,” he says, and the pain in his deep, husky voice calls to mine. He scratches his nape, contemplating something before he scans the area through the riflescope.
I know for sure he’s not trying to kill me, but he holds a secret I’m determined to uncover.
“My husband was my bodyguard. He was like my shadow. I knew he would always be there.” A cold wind drifts as the skies darken. “It was the safest place on earth when he harbored me between his arms. He never let anyone touch me.”
“Wise man,” Jason comments.
“His untamable nature drew me repeatedly.” A blush creeps up my neck and cheeks. “But he had a weak spot for me. He was my best friend, and I could talk to him about anything. He shared his good days and dark days with me. He gave me everything. He gave life to a caged bird.” I blink back tears, but they quickly blur my vision.
“What happened?” I rush to my bodyguard as he enters the front door of the house with a busted lip and a deep cut under his left eye. “Who did this to you?” I demand an answer, slightly panicked but primarily relieved, knowing he is safe now.
“You’re going to punch them for me? Or better, strangle them with your ninja moves.” That idiot fucking smirks. Inching closer, I cup his cheek and assess the wounds. “It’s nothing,” he assures me.
“You finally found someone your size?” I joke, as I caress his cheek.
“You got jokes, huh?” He grins and softly nibbles on his bottom lip. “I’m leaving tomorrow.”
My stomach drops, and an inconceivable pressure weighs down on my chest.
