YOURS

Chapter 27

COLE'S POV

There was a man sitting in my living room. He is an older guy probably in his late 30s to early 40s. He had a beard and bags under his eyes and black hair with bits of grey. I wouldn't doubt it if this wasn't his first time breaking an entering to kill. He had that look.

Emily was pacing back fourth from my bedroom to where I am.

"Can you settle down?" I asked her.

She didn't stop.

I tried not to pay much attention to her but every few seconds when she'd walk back into the living room and pass me I'd glance and try to look her in the eyes. Emily wasn't scared, was she?

Not the Emily I know.

Emily passed me and I put my knife down and arm out to stop her from walking too far away.

"Hey." I put my hand on her waist and stood across from.

She didn't look up at me.

"He's not going to hurt you." I whispered. "I won't let him."

Emily slowly let out a breath and put her arms around me. She sunk into my chest as I placed one hand on her head and the other on her back.

She was scared.

"You might not want to be here when he wakes up." I told her.

She backed away and made eye contact with me.

"I mean go into the bedroom or something. He probably won't want to talk..." I grabbed the knife I set down. "Without a little help." I sighed.

She knew what I meant.

"I'll stay." She grabbed a stool and set it down across the room.

Emily's POV

The way that Cole was looking at me was not what scared me, not even the big guy who laid unconscious against a wall.

I felt uneasy because I thought about how different this could've gone.

Not just us coming back here and there coincidentally being a hit man waiting for us. But how different my entire life could've been if my dad just didn't have a drink the night of my 10th birthday.

What else is waiting in my future that will make me regret ever surviving those woods?

I sat on a stool as far away from this mystery murderer wannabe as I could while still being in the same room waiting with Cole for him to wake up.

What is he going to do to him? Probably the things he use to do the poor girls who weren't as lucky as me to escape him. I haven't escaped him really, though. I know that.

"Cole?" I piped up hoping I could ask Cole questions and if (let's be real, when) he got angry he'd take his anger out of the man and not me.

"Yeah?" He looked to me.

I took a big breath. "Why do you have a bag of zip ties?" I tilted my head to try and show empathy.

Cole shifted his sitting position showing that he didn't expect me to bring that up.

"Not for you. If that's what you're thinking."

I was. I didn't believe him.

He stayed quiet. I wasn't going to get the answer I wanted.

"Thank you...for not letting him get to me." I told Cole.

I was thankful that he fought this dude but knew that Cole wouldn't of had to do that if I wasn't here.