The Heart of Seasons

Chapter 15: Rescue

~Blake’s POV~

Blake woke with a start, sweat glistening on his skin. He looked about his truck, confused for a solid two minutes. Suddenly everything from earlier that day came racing back to him.

And so did the dream.

Somehow, the dream felt more real than the actual events of the day. He sat up and squinted in the golden light that was streaming into the passenger window from the setting sun. He tried desperately to get the images out of his mind, to get the feeling of Adam’s cool hand on his cheek out of his head. Dreams were supposed to fade when you wake up but Blake could have sworn it was only getting clearer the longer he was conscious.

Running a shaky hand through his hair, he looked around outside the front windshield and realized he was still in the middle of the woods in the middle of nowhere. Thinking back, he couldn’t remember what road he took to get there or how long it had taken him. He’d been so upset from his conversation with Carson and his mixed emotions with Adam that he hadn’t been paying attention. He pulled out his phone hopefully, then threw it into the passenger seat with a sigh when he saw the no signal symbol in the corner.

“Great. Just fucking great.” He rested his hands on the steering wheel, his eyes trained on the hood of the truck but not really seeing it. His mind was a jumbled mess, and he wasn’t sure if he was mentally prepared to return to the studio and the questions he would have to deflect when he got there.

He sighed again and looked at the gas gauge. Half full.

“If I get lost I better not run out of gas...” he mumbled as he started up the truck. Carefully turning the truck around on the narrow dirt road, he slowly went back the way he had come. After about a half hour of driving the way he guessed he had come, he was convinced he had gone the wrong way. He had yet to see anything resembling civilization, so he clearly wasn’t heading towards the city.

His phone started vibrating just as he made the decision to turn around and go the other way. Pulling over, he squinted in the dark until he saw it and snatched it up before he missed the call.

Adam Cell

Blake stared at the phone long after it stopped ringing and went black. He continued to stare at it for a while afterwards. He jumped and nearly dropped it when it lit up and vibrated again.

Adam Cell

Why can’t I answer? What is wrong with me? The truth was, the dream was still very fresh in his mind and he couldn’t think of making contact with the guy after that. But he was lost, and it was dark, and he needed to get back.

Attempting a shaky breath he slowly reached his thumb across the screen and lightly tapped the answer button. There was silence and Blake was sure he was going to pass out from the painful knot in his stomach.

“Are you okay?” It wasn’t what he was expecting. The gentle, concerned voice that floated out of the phone was the opposite of the loud, demanding voice he was prepared for. He had afterall taken off a good twelve hours before without letting anyone know where he was going or when he’d be back. Now he was out past dark and as good as lost.

The only problem with Adam’s question was that it was so concerned that Blake didn’t know how to respond. He certainly couldn’t tell him the truth. No, I’m not okay. I’m an emotional wreck because I can’t get over you and now I’m dreaming about you and it hurts and I can’t take it.

That wouldn’t go over well.

“I’m fine. Well, I mean, I’m kind of...lost. But besides that, I’m fine.” He decided to play it safe. But he did honestly need help. He didn’t know how Adam or anyone was going to find him, but at least letting him know why he wasn’t back yet was deserved.