His Bounty

chapter twelve: beneath the surface

As the fire crackled between us, I let myself indulge in the rare comfort of feeling almost... normal. It was strange how, with Jake around, the usual weight of everything I was running from seemed to fade just a little. We fell into an easy silence after the meal, the sounds of the forest filling the gaps between the occasional shared glance or half-smile.

But in the back of my mind, I knew this moment couldn't last. We were still out here in the wild, exposed, and every second wasted meant more time for someone to close in on me.

Jake leaned back on his elbows, staring up at the treetops. "You know," he began after a while, "if I didn't know better, I'd say you're almost enjoyin' yourself."

"You think too much of yourself if you believe you're the reason."

He grinned, unbothered by my retort. "You don't give me enough credit, pretty lady. Could be I'm just growin' on you."

I rolled my eyes but didn't bother with another sharp comeback. Instead, I let the fire's warmth seep into my bones, watching the last of the sun's rays filter through the trees. A breeze rustled the leaves overhead, carrying with it the faintest scent of pine and distant rain.

"You ever gonna tell me what's really going on?" Jake asked, his voice softer now, his gaze still fixed on the sky.

"You don't need to know."

"Maybe," he said, sitting up to meet my eyes. "But I got a feeling it's a lot more dangerous than you're lettin' on."

I kept my expression neutral, even though my heart raced. He wasn't wrong. I could feel the threat creeping closer every day, the shadows of those hunting me drawing nearer. But Jake didn't need to get involved. Hell, I didn't even know why he was still sticking around.

"I told you, I can handle it," I replied, my tone firm.

He studied me for a moment, his eyes searching mine for something—maybe trust, maybe truth. I wasn't sure. But whatever he found seemed to satisfy him for the time being.

"Alright," he said, leaning back again, though his gaze lingered on me a little longer than before. "Just don't go getting yourself killed."

I smirked, more out of habit than amusement. "I'll try my best."

As the last of the sunlight faded and the stars began to speckle the sky, I realized we hadn't yet talked about where we were headed next.

"What's your plan?" I asked, breaking the silence.

Jake shrugged, still laid back and carefree. "I was thinkin' I'd stick with you for a bit. Least until you stop treatin' me like a stray dog you found on the road."

I shot him a look. "You're not sticking with me. This is temporary, remember?"

"Sure, sure," he replied, waving me off with a lazy grin. "Just long enough to see you don't get yourself caught."

I sighed, knowing there was no winning this argument. Not tonight, at least. Maybe part of me didn't even want to win. Having Jake around, as irritating as he could be, was strangely comforting. But I couldn't afford to let myself think that way for too long. I had to stay sharp. Alone was safer.

I couldn't shake the sense that Jake's presence was about to complicate things more than I realized. And despite everything, a part of me didn't mind that as much as I should.

The night had passed quietly. Even though Jake had kept his distance, I still wasn't used to anyone being around this long. I ran a hand through my hair, trying to shake off the haze of sleep as I moved to check the fire. I couldn't stay out here forever. Sooner or later, I'd have to get moving.