Hide and Seek

| 9 |

I swear I heard a branch snap.

My eyes scan the surrounding forest, pulse racing with the adrenaline of being so close to confronting Roy and Harlow. I ditched my car a ways back when I left the road to trek through the woods. Dusk has fallen and I need to set up camp. I'm still a good half days walk from the Tunnels and I want to be rested and alert when I ambush them. 

I can't ambush them if something else attacks me first. I try to scent any unwelcome visitor that may have stumbled upon my camp and almost gag.

I reek of the deer urine I rubbed on to disguise my scent. The potent odor makes it difficult to focus on anything else. My muscles bunch on instinct, ready to shift at a moments notice. I feel like I'm blind or missing a limb without my power of scent to know if someone's coming.

I wait, frozen.

When nothing happens for another ten minutes I start to convince myself it was just a deer. I feel a presence shift behind me but before I can shift or move an inch, there's a thick, tanned arm around my chest and stomach yanking me back against a hard body and warm lips pressed behind my ear.

"Shh. It's me, Princess."

For a moment my muscles relax, going pliant as I realize the intruder is Jeff. Then my anger takes control and I drive an elbow to his solar plexus and jab a foot to his instep, making him release me with a grunt.

"What the hell was that?" He growls.

"That's my line." I fume, smacking his shoulder. "What were you thinking sneaking up on me like that? You were asking to be hit."

"That's the last free pass you get, Princess." He warns, eyes flashing. "Hit me again and see what happens."

"I'll do whatever the hell I want, Jeff." I huff, the adrenaline of his sneak attack still pumping through me. "And what the hell are you doing here anyway? How did you find me?"

"No, the real question is what the hell are you doing here?" Jeff takes a step forward so we're nearly chest to chest. We're both breathing heavily. "Not grocery shopping, that's for sure."

I look away and cross my arms, feeling my jaw clench at being caught in a lie.

"Did you think I wouldn't immediately know something wasn't right when I heard you were grocery shopping? Like it wasn't bad enough I had to hear it from Dana, who informed me you were getting things for the dinner you're supposedly making her tomorrow?"

"Hey," I shove a finger into his chest. "Dinner was your idea. Just because you wanted it to be a date doesn't mean I did."

He grabs the hand that's pointing at him and yanks me into him. "Why did you feel the need to bring a buffer to our dinner? Do you not trust yourself to be alone with me?"

"No." I curse myself internally at the breathy sound of my voice. "It's not me I have to worry about."

"What is it you have to be worried about, Princess?" Jeff presses a large, hot hand to my lower back, making my breath hitch.

"This." I press my palms against his chest to create space. A move which he denies. "You're stupid mind games. You're using our connection to make me vulnerable and more susceptible to whatever plan you've got cooked up."

"And what plan is that?"

"I — I don't know." I'm frustrated now in more ways than one. "It's confusing. I don't know what's up and down with you anymore."

"You mean now that you can't lock me safely in a box in your mind and avoid me?" He cups my cheek, brushing his thumb across my cheekbone. "You mean now that you've repeatedly driven home the biggest fucking mistake of my life? I never rejected you, Jamie, I just wasn't ready for you."