2
ASPEN
My back aches, my ass is sore from sitting for so long, and my limbs are stiff. I’m dying to get out of this car and get a good stretch in. Shifting around in the seat, I try my best to get comfortable, but the worn-out seat doesn’t get any softer.
We’ve been on the road for almost five hours without a single stop, not that there is any place to stop or that we are even technically on a road. I haven’t seen any signs of life, at least not human-wise, since we left Takotna, and most of the time, I’m not sure how the driver knows where we are, let alone where we are going.
I wonder if he’s been out here before. According to their welcome packet, most people fly into Corium, but of course when I called to get a seat, there was no room on any of their helicopters, leaving me no choice but to make the grueling trip to the secluded university by car.
The Jeep bounces heavily, and the seat belt digs into my shoulder as we drive over a fallen tree unannounced. I glare at the back of the driver’s head, who didn’t even tell me his name. The middle-aged local with black, uncombed hair and a full bushy beard seems to be just as happy to make the trip as I am. At least he’s getting paid.
“Sorry about that, Miss,” the driver grunts from the driver’s seat.
Wow, that’s the most he’s said to me since we got in the vehicle. Since he’s opened the lines of communication, I figure this is a good time to make sure we’re still on track.
“It’s okay. Are we almost there?”
“Twenty-five miles to go,” he answers, and I sink back in my seat. Twenty-five miles driving on a dirt road through the forest can take a good forty minutes, maybe even longer. That thought barely leaves my mind when the Jeep comes to an abrupt stop, and I sling forward in my seat at the press of the brakes.
Confused, I look around, scanning the area for any sign of civilization or another reason we would stop so carelessly. All I see are trees—trees, trees, and more trees. He certainly didn’t stop because of a tree in the road, not when he just drove over one less than a mile back.
“Out of gas, I need to refill the tank, or we’re not gonna make it to the base,” the driver explains before unbuckling and opening his door. He’s been calling Corium University the base, which doesn’t surprise me since most people have no idea what that place really is.
Not wanting to miss the opportunity to stretch my legs, I follow his lead and climb out of the Jeep. My legs protest at first, but as soon as I pull my arms above my head and lengthen my limbs, my muscles thank me.
A shiver skates down my spine at the nippy breeze that blows through the trees. It’s much colder here than I’m used to in North Woods, but the fresh air and tranquil landscape make up for it.
Now that I’m up and moving around, I realize that my bladder is pretty full, and I wonder if I should find a tree to relieve myself or wait. Then I think about the bumpy ride and the fact that I really don’t know how much longer it’s going to be.
“Um, I’m going to go pee. Please don’t leave without me,” I joke, well, half-joke. A part of me wonders if he would leave without me.
The driver comes around the vehicle, gas can in hand, and a frown on his face. “Hurry up then,” he snaps. For a moment, I contemplate holding it and climbing back into the seat, but then he continues, “Well, go piss. I’m not stopping again until we arrive at the base.”
I’m not sure why he’s being so rude, but I ignore his nasty tone, spin around, and speed walk out into the forest to find a spot that’s far enough away to be out of sight but not too far that I risk getting lost. Quickly, I undo my jeans and pull them down along with my panties.
Cool air washes over my naked skin as I squat down behind a large tree and relieve myself. When I’m done, I dig an old tissue from my pocket and wipe before straightening back up.
I turn to walk back to the car but freeze before I can take a single step. Not even ten feet behind me is the driver… staring straight at me. A mischievous grin dances on his lips as his gaze darkens. His pants are undone, and his hand is wrapped around his dick, his piss spraying onto the ground.
That pervert was watching me. Fear slithers up my spine like the wind slices through the leaves surrounding us. I’m alone, out in the middle of nowhere, with a man I don’t know. A man who just watched me while I was peeing. He could easily overpower me and take whatever he wanted, and not a single soul would hear my screams. Running enters my mind, but where the fuck do I run to? I have no idea where I am, and there is no way I would survive a night out here on my own.
So I do the only thing I know how to do. I steel my spine, puff out my chest, and look him straight in the eyes. “Was that necessary?”
“What? I had to take a leak too,” he says innocently, tucking himself back into his pants.
My stomach churns, and my breakfast is threatening to make an appearance as the realization sets in that not only did this asshole just see me half naked but I’m also going to have to get back into the Jeep with him. This feels all kinds of wrong, and I wonder how my parents would feel if they knew how messed up the man who’s delivering me to Corium is.
I’m back in the Jeep and buckled up in no time, wishing I had even more clothes on besides the jeans and thick sweater I’m wearing. Then again, it probably wouldn’t matter how much I’m wearing. I’d still feel exposed in his presence.
Fuck. He’s such an asshole for making me feel this way.
I spend the rest of the drive even more uncomfortable than I was before. Now, it’s not only my body that is protesting but my mind as well. All my instincts are telling me to stay away from this man, yet I’m inside this all-terrain Jeep with nowhere else to go. It’s this man or the wilderness, and neither looks like good odds.
After a while, the trees become thinner, and the dirt road becomes a little less bumpy as the terrain opens up. The forest thins out as we get closer to the side of the mountain. The peak is covered in snow, reminding me I’m far away from home.
I know we must be close, but I don’t see the university nestled into the mountain as we approach. Instead, the first thing I see is a large gray wall. The road we are on leads us straight to it, and as far as I can see, there isn’t a way around it.
An enormous metal gate comes into view, and I can’t help but sigh in relief. We’re here, and once I’m out of this car, I never have to see this bastard again.