Page 96 of Charlie and Her Sweet Escape
“The show is going to pay off your mom’s medical bills. Every single one of them. All you have to do is tap out.”
Why did listening to Greg feel like swimming through a dense patch of seaweed? “I don’t understand.”
He laughed like I’d said something funny. “Seriously? Tap out, baby. Come home to me.”
I was shaking my head without even realizing it. “What about Bennett?”
“Don’t worry about him. He was only doing this to help you anyway.”
“If I tap out, does he get the money for his fishing business?”
“Charlotte.” Greg’s voice lowered. “He’s made his choice. I can’t believe you even have tothinkabout this. What are you waiting for?”
“There’s still a chance I could win.”
“There isn’t. Not really,” he said. “The other couple is on the brink of winning. Maybe moments away. If you don’t take this opportunity, you’ll lose everything.”
Fear ate at all the confidence I’d gained earlier today. I couldn’t lose everything. Just one word, and I could be back at base camp in front of a heater. Fresh clothes. A full meal. A real bed. Protection from spiders and bears and my own dark thoughts. I wouldn’t be alone anymore.
“I know this is a lot,” Greg said. “But I forgive you. You were in a tight spot with the show, and Bennett took advantage of that.”
“That’s not what happened.”
“He used you to get the thing he wanted most. And he abandoned you the moment it benefited him.”
His words were the emotional equivalent of a kidney kick. How did Greg always know exactly what to say to hurt me the most? “I’m not ready for this to be done yet.” I felt the pleading rise in my voice, and a part of me hated myself for it. Hadn’t I grown past trying to please Greg?
He sighed. “Look. I’m sorry about the dog. I let my anger get the best of me, and I know you have a soft spot for them. I’ve even come around to being okay with you owning that little one. It’s so small, I’m sure I’ll hardly notice it. It makes you happy, which makes me happy.” He paused and sounded almost chokedup when he spoke again. I’d never heard Greg cry. “I just want to make you happy. Can you let me?”
Springy shoots of moss tickled the back of my neck and ears. A rock dug into my hip where I didn’t have it thick enough. A mist was taking over the mountain, promising another downpour—and nearly freezing temperatures—tonight. The sun was setting, and unless I tapped out this moment, I was looking at another night out here. I squinted into the distance and wished Bennett would come walking through the trees.
“I love you.”
His words brought me back to our conversation.
“And I know you love me too.”
“Greg, I?—”
“What if I told you Bennett is back at camp?” he said, his voice filled with heat. “What if I told you he chose to take the money?”
My breath caught in my chest.
“Charlotte, it’s time to end this. Come home.”
43
BENNETT
Dad stepped out of the bushes, zipping up his pants. “It looks like rain is heading our way, so we want to make sure we get as far as we can before the trail gets washed out.”
I stared out into the distance, wishing I could see some hint of Charlie anywhere. “We lost the trail last night.”
“No, we didn’t.” He motioned for me to follow him several feet past where I’d collapsed in exhaustion last night. “We kept following it. The grooves in this area were deep enough to see even in the dark. We were lucky.”
I leaned back against a tree and ran my thumb and pointer finger over my eyes, but the moisture still fell from them. I thought last night had ruined everything. That we’d lost the game. That Charlie was out there, somewhere, waiting for me to come, while I wandered through the forest like an Israelite.
“I’d guess we have maybe half a day before that rain comes our way,” Dad said as he peered into the sky. “We don’t want to lose a minute.”
