Page 57 of Madness & Mayhem

I glance up at the cliff, wishing I could see him looking down at me, but I can’t, and he’s not there.

I silent sob rips through my chest, and I float onto my side, kicking softly around the side of the cliff. I’m as silent as I can, and eventually, the noises drift away.

They’re gone. Did they get him? Is he in the back of the police car?

I shake my head, silent tears tracking down my cheeks and mixing with the ocean water. I paddle heavily against the waves until I find a clearing, almost like steppingstones up to the forest above.

I drag my weak, cold body to the top of the cliff, my fingers raw as I grip onto the sharp and dull stones. Once I reach the top, I collapse, falling onto my stomach on the forest floor. Shivers rack my entire body.

“It’s so cold,” I whisper, wishing Reign was here to protect me. But he’s not, and fear grabs hold when I realize I don’t know where he is.

Please don’t leave me.

I dig my fingers into the dirt ground, my nails becoming embedded with pebbles and twigs. I can feel them pierce my skin, and it’s so painful as I pull myself up, my body so cold, so tired.

I grip onto each tree branch as I wander through the woods, knowing the general direction of where the cabin is, but worried I won’t be able to find my way.

“Help me,” I whisper, my cheeks drenched with tears, my teeth chattering as I glance left and right.

Where the hell do I go?

I pull myself through, the only light is the crescent moon shining down on me. It lights up the forest, only slightly through the branches, and I stumble north, swallowing down my cries as my body starts to ache.

I can feel it shutting down.

I can feel my entire being shutting down.

My knees eventually give out, and I fall to the ground, my palms slamming against the rough forest floor.

“Lakyn,” the voice sounds so far away, but I gasp, knowing his voice anywhere.

“Reign?” I choke out, sniffling my runny nose and attempting to blink through my blurry tears. “Reign? Where are you?” I whimper.

“Look,” he mumbles.

I blink, blink, blink, and eventually, through the thick trees, is the cabin in the small clearing. Sitting on the front steps is Reign. He’s hunched over, gripping his shoulder as he stares at me in pain and awe.

The sob finally breaks through my chest, and I crawl forward, all the way across the woods, the clearing, and up to the front steps.

He stares at me, his face filled with worry and hesitation, fear, relief, anger. It’s all there, and all I can do is reach forward and grip onto his ankle.

“I thought you were gone,” I whisper, my face falling to his shoe.

He leans forward with a grunt, grabbing me beneath my arms and hauling me up. A groan breaks from his throat as he lifts me into his arms, shoving himself to a stand. “Never, Lakyn.”

“Where’d you go?” I whisper as he opens the front door and steps inside.

He says nothing as he pulls me across the living room and kitchen, into the small bathroom.

He drops me, but keeps his arm around my waist as he holds me up. His jaw clenches as he watches me. His hands drop to the hem of my sweatshirt, and he pulls it over my head and drops it to the ground in a wet plop.

“Where’d you go?” I repeat, staring at him. “How did you get away?”

He shakes his head. “I just… bolted.”

My brow furrows. “Why’d you push me over the edge? I could’ve died.”

He shakes his head. “I would’ve never been able to get away with you with me, Lakyn. I had to run, and you were growing tired. I couldn’t risk it, Lakyn. I did what I thought I had to do. So, I pushed you.”

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