I smiled and took the bag. “Yes, good thinking.”
When I stood up from bending down to get the bag we were closer than before. I could smell her hair, her skin, and it drove me crazy. I missed her so much. Everything was entirely my fault, I’d lost the best thing that had ever happened to me, and I had no one to blame but myself.
Her eyes locked me in, preventing me from moving or even speaking. She was so beautiful, inside and out. “Noah,” she whispered and the softness in her voice made me ache. Even if it was only for a moment, she remembered how we were, how she loved me. It might not be much, but that tender look was enough for me. I didn’t deserve more. I didn’t even deserve that.
“I know,” I replied. “Let’s try to find this house.”
She stepped back first and the warmth I felt when I was near her subsided. I put my hand on the small of her back to guide her in what I hoped was the right direction. I didn’t need to but the urge to have some physical contact with her was overwhelming.
She tried not to look at me when I touched her, but I caught the glance in my direction. I took it as a good sign that she didn’t push me away. We only had each other right now, but I desperately wanted her to, at the very least, not hate me.
“Are you feeling warmer?” I asked as we power-walked ahead, being careful to watch the ground as well as the surroundings since we couldn’t see that well anymore.
“Yeah, thank you.”
“Sorry we couldn’t have stopped for you to change earlier.”
“It’s okay, I wasn’t that cold back then anyway. Not sure if it was because it was warmer or if the shock has just worn off now.”
“You’re not going to faint on me, are you?”
She smiled, looking out into the distance and then in front of her feet. “No, I’m pretty sure I’m saving that for when we get to town.”
“Noted,” I replied. “I’ll remember that for when we step into the police station.”
“That’s where were going first?”
“Of course.”
“You’re really turning them in?” she asked, genuinely surprised. I could just take her home, let her parents run away with her and go somewhere myself, but I would never do that. Eternal Light were dangerous and had to be stopped. Besides, the police were looking for her. Jonathan and Marissa weren’t the type of people to think of themselves first, they would tell the truth and get themselves into trouble to save their daughter.
I pulled her to a stop and spun her around. “I understand that I have no right to ask anything of you, but I need you to believe me when I tell you I love you. They would have killed you, Scarlett, and I have never felt fear like that. I felt physically sick from the moment I woke, worrying that something would go wrong with the escape. Nothing matters but you and maybe I’m blinded, but I don’t care. Bottom line is you come first, and there’s not one person in this world I wouldn’t betray to keep you safe. So, yeah, I’m really turning them in. I’m keeping you safe.”
She looked like she was going to cry in a good way. I loved that I could still affect her.
“We need to keep moving. They could be anywhere,” I said. There was a dirt track road to our left, so it had to lead somewhere. I led her down it and prayed somewhere safe was at the end.
Ten minutes later, we found a small cottage. An old Ford Mondeo was parked outside. Eternal Light had 4-wheeled drives because of how deep into the forest we lived. I was confident we’d be safe here.
Scarlett’s hand slipped into mine, and she squeezed. She was afraid.
“It’s alright. Just let me do the talking.”
With a little nod she replied, “Okay.”
I hated the next words out of my mouth; “We can’t be holding hands for this. I’m going to tell them you’re my sister.”
She let go, and I wanted to punch myself. That may well be the last time I’d get to hold her hand. I shouldn’t have said anything until we were closer. I needed more time.
“What will you tell them?”
“We’ve lost our camp.”
Frowning adorably, she said, “Huh?”
“Don’t worry, just follow my lead,” I said, knocking on the faded red door. When it opened an elderly man smiled at us. “Hello, my name is Jacob, and this is my sister, Amelia, we got lost in the woods with the loss of light and wondered if we could stay until morning, please? We won’t be any trouble, but we’re cold and need a floor to sleep on.”
“You’re lost? Where are you parents?” he asked.
“We know our way around here but ventured further than usual, and I would prefer not to have my sister walking through the woods in the dark. And our parents will be at home drunk, sir. We camp out a lot, they know about it. I’m eighteen, old enough to take care of us both, but right now I just need a little help.”
“Who is it, dear?” the man’s wife said, leaning around his shoulder.