Holding on to the hope that I can go home keeps me safe, keeps me sane. But him? He crushes that whole desire and replaces it with a need I’m not sure I want to feel.
However, none of his reasons are more important than mine.
He has no right to stop me. No right to keep me here.
“What now?” I hiss. “Are you going to keep me here forever?”
He grimaces and shakes his head, then turns around and walks off into the jungle again.
Frustrated, I grab my torch and immediately follow him.
“Hey, where are you going?”
“Back home,” he growls, not even looking around.
He keeps stomping ahead.
“Yeah, well, I want the same thing, but that’s not going to happen now, thanks to you.”
“Go light your fire.”
“What?” I mutter, trying to keep up with his steady pace.
What is going on in his head?
“I don’t care.”
I don’t get it.
It’s as if he’s lost the will to fight me. But why now?
Is it because of what he said?
“But why?” I ask. “Why now? Why not let me be before?”
He shrugs and keeps on walking, completely ignoring me.
I don’t understand this man.
“Answer me,” I ask, trying not to sound harsh. “Please.”
“Why?” He suddenly stops and turns around. “You want to go? Go!”
I’m shocked by his outburst and don’t quite know how to respond.
“Go,” he repeats. “I’m not stopping you.”
I frown. “Lighting that fire will take ages now. The wood is wet. It’ll take me an entire day to gather all that wood. Will you help me?”
He stares at me with a blank face, as if he doesn’t give a shit.
Right.
I sigh. “Should I just go back to the helicopter and look for more cell phones then? Maybe something survived in the wreckage. Something with a battery. Maybe I could get reception if I go up higher. Up on a mountain or something?”
“No!” He grabs my wrist and pulls me closer. “No. Absolutely not.”
I’m taken aback by his sudden abrasiveness. I don’t get why he can go from uncaring to completely enraged in a split second. It’s as if he cares … and then he doesn’t.
Or maybe he’s trying not to but can’t help himself anyway.
I swallow away the lump in my throat and say, “Why not?”
“It’s dangerous. Lots of animals.”
“So?” I shrug. “I’m a wildlife biologist. I know my way around animals and nature.”
“You don’t know this place. This jungle. I do,” he says through gritted teeth. “You don’t know the wilderness as I do. You haven’t lived it.”
I jerk my arm free and say, “But you have … so you can take me there safely. Help me.”
His brows draw together. “No. Absolutely not.”
I put my hands on my side. “Then I’ll go by myself.”
He grinds his teeth and points a finger right at my face. “Don’t try me.”
“Or what?”
He cocks his head. “The pit.”
Is he threatening me?
I narrow my eyes. “You wouldn’t …”
Out of nowhere, he picks me up again and starts marching into the jungle.
“No!” I yell, pounding his back. “You said you wouldn’t!”
“I will if you don’t stop putting yourself in danger,” he growls, still pushing through.
Goddammit. Why does he keep doing this? I’m not some toy he can play with and do whatever the hell he wishes with. I can take care of myself perfectly fine.
However, from the corner of my eye, I already see the bars on the ground, and it makes my blood rush.
The pit.
We were closer than I thought.
“No, no, no!” I say as he lifts the bars with one hand while the other is firmly on my ass.
“Please!” I beg as he pulls me off his shoulder and holds me in his arms.
But the moment I see his pristine eyes, I stop struggling entirely. The sheer dominance he exudes forces me to come face to face with my own limits. My own desires.
I can’t stop looking at him and neither can he.
We’re stuck in a battle of wits, both as headstrong as can be.
Neither of us will quit.
With his sturdy arms around me, protecting me, I realize something.
He’s not trying to hurt me or put me there because he’s mad at me for making that fire. He doesn’t want me to hurt myself.
And we’re both trying to run away from one obvious thing.
The sexual tension drifting between us.
Accompanying Song: “No Witness” by LP
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For some reason, I find it hard to look away.
Those eyes keep making something tug in my chest, making me want to do things I really shouldn’t.
This woman isn’t healthy for me.
She flew into my life and hasn’t stopped trying to ruin it bit by bit.
Yet I can’t bring myself to hate her. Not even when she wants to leave so badly.
When she says this place isn’t right for her … when me being here isn’t enough for her.
I sigh and shake my head.
Women.
I slowly put her down on the ground, making sure to hold her wrist in case she’s thinking of running away again to start some other fire. I gave her a chance, and she followed me instead.