The XOXO New Adult Collection: 16 Full Length New Adult Stories (246 page)

I released the safety on the gun, cocked it, and waited for exactly five minutes. Nothing happened. The birds still sang, and the wind rustled the leaves over our heads. I looked up—nothing. I looked around—still nothing.

Lisbeth raised her eyebrows at me as if asking, “What’s going on?”

I kept listening and watching. Still not a thing. If there was a danger, it would reveal itself by now. I mouthed to Lisbeth to stay put while I go and check the area. She quickly shook her head, pleading with her eyes for me not to leave her.

I mouthed, “It’s okay. I’ll be right back.”

She did as told. Bending low, I quietly ran alongside the trail, stopping about ten yards from my cabin. I hid behind a leafy bush and observed. Nothing out of the ordinary. What was going on? I was convinced there
was
something different about this place.

Finally, after another few minutes, I stepped out from the bush, gun at the ready. I crept toward the cabin. It was quiet everywhere. I snuck around, peering in the windows, and searching the soil for any footprints. None were visible. Nobody was around. Everything was the way we left it this morning. I wasn’t giving up though. Whenever in the past I had a feeling like I had now, nasty stuff always happened.

There were no signs of strangers or a break-in. I examined each first-floor window, the front and the back doors, the garage doors, but all was normal.

Then my silenced cell phone buzzed in my pocket. Damn. I jumped, not really expecting anyone to call, which was a mistake. There were always calls, mostly from my ever-present family. So who the hell was it this time? I was about to ignore it, when the phone stopped buzzing, but a few seconds later it started again.

Someone was determined to get ahold of me. I pressed my back against the cabin wall and slid my phone out of my pocket. It was a text from Jack: COME ON, BRO. YOU CAN DO BETTER THAN THAT.

What the fuck? It was him! He was here! I knew it. I pledged to beat the crap out of him. Another text came in: PUT THE PIECE AWAY.

Clenching my jaw in frustration, I put the safety back on and deposited my M9 in the knapsack. The window above me opened and Jack, laughing and hooting in delight like a complete maniac, stuck his head out. He was in my bedroom. Bastard.

“Hey, asshole! How did you get in?” I asked, not pleased at all that he made such a fool out of me.

“A little bird gave me the key. You should install an alarm in here.”

“Smartass. Who’s the little bird?”

“Auntie Eva.” He grinned.

My mom. Figures. Jack must’ve come up with some convoluted story why he wanted to go to the cabin without actually getting the key from me. I also wondered how many copies of said key were in Mom’s possession. Knowing her, more than three. Great.

“How the hell did you convince her to give you the key?” I decided to ask.

Jack shrugged. “I have my ways.”

I snorted. He closed the window and a few seconds later he came outside through the back door.

“Where is the girl?” he asked, looking around.

“I’ll get her. Stay here.” I said angrily, still fuming at my cousin’s questionable sense of humor. I could have shot him by accident! Dummy. “And behave. This wasn’t funny. She’s been through some heavy shit, so none of your crap, bro.”

That must have hit the right spot, because Jack’s eyebrows raised and his face registered a complete surprise. “Hey, I’m here to help.” He put his hands up in a conciliatory gesture. “Relax. What the hell?”

I shook my head and walked away to find Lisbeth. I was pissed at Jack, more than I should’ve been. Or maybe it wasn’t enough. If it were just me here, I would’ve laughed and congratulated the asshat for fooling me so badly. He was good, I had to admit—no footprints, nothing. He must’ve parked his truck somewhere else too. But this wasn’t a game. Lisbeth was scared and alone in the woods. She had no idea what was going on; probably going nuts, thinking the gang found us. I should’ve punched Jack in the face. Well, it wasn’t too late to do that anyway.

I came to where I left Lisbeth. She wasn’t there. I turned around, scanning the area. Nothing.

––––––––

I
t was a miracle I didn’t scream. No, it was a miracle I didn’t get a panic attack when Ethan indicated he felt something suspicious around. I was paralyzed with fear. But, at the same time, I was strangely focused, watching for any signs of danger.

Crouching behind that tree was pure torment. I couldn’t see much for the overgrown greenery around. I held to the trunk, trying to calm my raging nerves. It helped for sure. I was so edgy, sitting there while not knowing where Ethan went and what he found out.

I was sure I would hear a gunshot at any moment. Or actually more than one. When none came, I should’ve felt relieved, but that brought even more dread instead—maybe the gang captured Ethan quietly? What should I do now? All my belongings were in the cabin. That alone served as enough proof I was somewhere close by. What if they had a dog? If they did, they would find me for sure. These minutes were as agonizing as the time I watched Helen tortured and was unable to do anything.

I bit my finger, trying to catch a nail between my teeth. My nails were already chewed to the quick, so it hurt. A metallic taste of blood swirled in my mouth. I hated it. I covered my mouth with my hand and pressed hard, trying to concentrate on that feeling. I had to remain calm enough to keep my anxiety at bay.

Ethan! Where was he? I wanted him to be here; not to comfort me, but because I was afraid he was getting hurt. I didn’t want anything bad happen to him. I kept looking around, trying to see between the thick shrubs. This was a good hiding spot. I was invisible from the trail. But I needed to go deeper into the woods, hole up in the even thicker greenery.

I crawled on my hands and knees, careful not to move the taller plants so if anyone was watching, my position wouldn’t be revealed. I really didn’t want to think again of a dog possibility. I would have no chance to hide, even in the densest of the undergrowth. I was sure that if the gang had dogs, they wouldn’t be friendly; not like Pasha was. Remembering Pasha’s smiling face and her sweet disposition helped my heart to slow down. Right then, I made myself a promise that if I ever got out from this whole mess alive, I would adopt a dog like Pasha.

Pine cones, small rocks, and pieces of bark on the ground hurt my hands. But that wasn’t important. I kept on crawling, deeper into the woods. And I listened. No sound came from the direction in which Ethan disappeared. I wanted to stand up and see better, but that would be stupid. What if they were there? They would see me. I couldn’t let that happen. This time they would get me. Third time’s the charm, right? Now would be the third time.

I crept between some dense bushes growing close to one another. They formed a circle around me as if protecting me from harm. I sat down on the forest floor and drew my knees to my chest, hugging them with my arms. I was shaking, terrified, and unable to find out what was happening around the cabin. The silence was scary. It made me think they got Ethan and were soundlessly closing in. No, I couldn’t stay here. I had to run. Fast!

I got up to my feet but didn’t straighten all the way, only enough to peer around. Nothing. Not even the softest crack of wood breaking under a heavy boot. My heart pounded so rapidly I had hard time breathing, as if my lungs were about to collapse.

And then I heard Ethan’s quiet voice, “Lisbeth. It’s me, Ethan. Come out, it’s okay.”

My knees gave out, and I quickly grabbed onto a small tree. It was a miracle it didn’t snap in half. The trunk was no thicker than my wrist. I peered out from the cluster of bushes I was hiding in. Ethan was searching for me. Our eyes met, and I immediately felt lighter as if a huge weight was suddenly lifted off my shoulders.

I was so happy. I had to stop myself from rushing to him and throwing my arms around his neck. Fortunately, my legs shook so much, I was sure I couldn’t do more than maybe walk slowly; definitely not run.

“Oh, sweet Lord, Ethan. I was so scared. What happened?” My breath hitched and my chest constricted. I started to breathe much faster than normal. There was no way I could control that anymore.

By now, my whole body violently shuddered. My vision went gray. I thought I heard Ethan say something, apologize for something maybe, but I couldn’t understand his words. They came like from under the water.

“I’m... I can’t see...” was all I was able to utter before I felt his strong arm around me, lifting me.

I leaned into him, and my legs gave out. He helped me down onto the grass and told me to slow my breathing. I couldn’t concentrate on what he was saying. My mind was on and off, as with a click of an invisible button. Was I fainting? It was a strange sensation, like falling but not hitting anything. I felt light, too light, and really weird. Did I step out of my own body? My limbs didn’t belong to me. They felt so unfamiliar.

When I cracked my eyes open, I was lying down. Ethan’s concerned face hovered over me. It swam in and out of my view. Blue sky and the tops of the trees provided a fascinating background for his striking features.

It was like looking at a painting of some beautiful angel. A beautiful
fallen
angel. There was nothing purely angelic about Ethan. Certain kind of darkness emanated from him—a dangerous but oh, so captivating. I closed my eyes to hold on to that image. It was too amazing to let it go.

Getting enthralled by Ethan seemed like the most natural response from a woman. Was I plenty strong to fight the attraction? Was I broken enough to prevent more suffering? If these questions were asked about any other man, my immediate response would be
hell yes
. But with Ethan... no matter how much I wanted to fight it off, my battle appeared already lost. 

––––––––

I
inspected the spot where she crouched last. The grass was flattened by her boots, but that was it. I looked closer at the ground, searching for the footprints. None were visible, but then I noticed the grass farther away was trampled in two narrow, parallel tracks. She must have crawled away. I followed that path.

“Lisbeth,” I hissed. “It’s me, Ethan. Come out, it’s okay.”

A moment later, she stuck her head from behind a large bush about ten yards to my right. She looked small and scared. I had a strange urge to go to her and pull her into my arms. But I suppressed it immediately. I had to.

“Oh, sweet Lord, Ethan. I was so scared. What happened?” her voice shook. She stepped out from her hiding spot but kept grasping tightly onto the trunk of a skinny tree.

She trembled all over, and her breath came in and out too quickly. I went to her, afraid she might faint from emotional stress and hyperventilation. I recognized the symptoms. “It’s okay. There is absolutely nothing going on. I’m sorry to have frightened you like that. It wasn’t my intention.”

The last thing we needed was another panic attack.

Lisbeth looked pale—too pale. “I’m... I can’t see...”

I grasped her around her back and eased her down to the ground. She closed her eyes but was still conscious.

“Breathe slowly, not that fast,” I said gently, kneeling down by her and then sitting on my heels. “That’s it. Good girl.” I checked her pulse.

Her breathing gradually started to slow down, and the color was coming back to her cheeks.

She looked at me from half-closed lids and smiled weakly. “Uh-oh, I almost checked out.”

“Yeah, it happens when blood flow to the brain decreases.”

“It must be useful to have all that medical training,” she said feebly.

I shrugged. “It comes in handy when a girl faints.”

She chuckled a little and then turned her head to look up at the sky. Her eyes were clear, and so bright-green; beautiful, and intelligent. I wanted to run my fingers through her unruly hair, but that would be stupid, considering the earlier
situation
we had. So I hurriedly looked away, trying to concentrate on anything but Lisbeth.

“I heard voices. Who were you talking to?” she asked.

“Jack. The idiot is in the cabin,” I huffed.

“Oh. Your cousin?” She seemed surprised and comforted at the same time. And very confused.

I nodded. “Do you think you can sit up?”

“I will try.”

“Now slowly. No sudden movements.” I put one hand under her upper back and lightly grasped her shoulder with the other.

“Yes, doc.” She smiled.

“Far from being a doc,” I corrected her.

“Enough for me.”

What a tease.

When she sat up I asked, “How are you feeling? Still lightheaded?”

“No, I’m good.”

“Don’t get up yet. Drink some water.” I took my water bottle from my knapsack and unscrewed the lid.

She accepted it without hesitation and put the bottle to her mouth. Those lips parted for me not long ago... why was I so tormented by this girl? How was she different from the other women I knew? I’ve never been affected like this before. Damn.

“Thank you.” She returned the bottle to me, pulling me out of my reverie. “I will try to stand up now.”

“Slowly,” I insisted, helping her up. “Good? How is your head?”

“Fine. I’m fine.”

“Can you walk?”

She nodded. I held onto her in case she started to faint again. I was kidding myself—I just wanted her close to me. She didn’t move away, and that wasn’t making it easier for me. I had to force myself to let go of her.

“Okay?” I asked.

Lisbeth nodded again, keeping her eyes down. “So where is Jack?”

“At the cabin. You can yell at him for worrying you.”

“I might just do that.” She smiled a tight smile, but her face lightened up a notch. It looked lovely and open. I had to be on a constant alert not to do something stupid again. But just like that the tension between us lessened. It didn’t completely disappear, but it seemed less rigid somehow. Or so I hoped.

“You have a gun,” she said quietly, watching me as we walked.

“Yes. As a precaution.”