The Woods are the Safest Place

Chapter 3// Kiss

I had been in the woods for about three days when I suddenly realised I hadn't ditched my phone.

"Shit! I'm screwed!" I said loudly. Brad came into the room and asked me why I was screwed. "I had to ditch my phone somewhere because the government can track me down and I haven't done it yet! ", I explained. " I've been here for three days! Oh my God! I am such a fucking IDIOT!!" He looked into my eyes and I felt myself blushing. He calmed down and promised that as soon as we had lunch we would go find a pond and ditch my phone. In the mean time he told me to take out its battery.

Lunch came and passed. We set out to find a pond. It took about half an hour but we finally found one. I was really attached to my phone so I couldn't bring myself to do it. I told Brad to do it for me. He had to prise it out of my fingers and when he threw it in the pond, I stifled a sob. He put his arm around me and gave me a reassuring squeeze.

It started to get darker so we decided to head home and catch some dinner on the way there. We arrived at the cottage in forty minutes, by which it was quite dark. We feasted on pheasant and some more roots by the fire.

"Don't you ever want to get out of the woods?" I blurted out. "You have been here virtually your whole life, it must be getting quite boring with no one to talk to."

"I was mute before you came along, Gemma. I hadn't spoken since my mother died. My life was boring until you ran into me. And to answer your question, yes I would like to get out of the woods someday. Someday but not yet." I guess that was actually a personal question so I apologised. He looked into my eyes and said "There is something I have to tell you."

"What? What tell me," I tease.

"No," Brad grinned. "Not telling."

" No seriously now that you have said that you need to tell me something, you have to tell me what you were going to sa---" he cut me off with a kiss. It was good. So I kissed him back. He was older than me by four years but who cares?! This was my first kiss! And Brad was extremely good looking.

"I was going to say that I really like you. For the past few days, all I've been thinking about is wanting to kiss you." Brad explained. YAY!! He liked my back. Brad was first crush. Nearly all the boys in my year were so unattractive they would all be the before in a male make over. There was a couple that were quite fit but their personalities were so horrible they may as well be the same as the others. But Brad wasn't like them. He was handsome and he had a great personality. There was one question in the back of my head which slipped out of my mouth before I could stop it.

"What made you like me? You're so gorgeous and I'm just ugh"

"You think I'm handsome?" I nodded. "Really?" I nodded again. He leaned down and kissed my on the top of my forehead. I'm not gonna lie, I felt that sensation again.

" Brad? You didn't answer my question. What made you like me?" I had to ask again. I just had to know.

" I knew stuff about you. You're beautiful. You're kind. You're sweet. And I thought you needed help. You were running and I thought I should help you. You could have run into anyone who was looking for you. They could tell you things, gain your trust and then they would take you too. You can't trust everyone you meet. That's why I thought it was a good idea you asked who I was. So you got to know me. So I wasn't a stranger. You can't go wandering off with a stranger can you?" He finished.

"No you can't because they could be a murderous, raving lunatic and you wouldn't even know." He beamed and fell into a fit of laughter. "I wasn't trying to be funny," I bluffed. He saw I was annoyed. As he leaned in for another kiss I burnt my hand on the fire grate. I gasped with pain. "HOLY SHIT MY HAND!!!!! It fucking hurts oh my God."

Next thing I knew I was on the worn out couch, with my hand in icy cold water, the pain becoming less intense with every second it was in the water. I didn't even notice Brad beside me stroking my hair murmuring small words of comfort.

"You passed out for about ten minutes. I'm gonna guess you don't like burns."

"Yeah I really don't like burns. They're so painful! And then when they have heeled a little, they look even worse than before!" I huffed. Brad smiled, I think he likes it when I'm annoyed. For some reason that tickles my nerve a bit more. Then I had a realisation.

"What's the date?," I ask Brad. He looked at his phone.

" Tuesday 15th November why?" Shit my period was due tomorrow. Did I bring pads? I had to check in my bag.

"Brad? Where's my bag?" I ask.

" In the bedroom" he answered. I got up and started to walk to the bedroom when he grabbed my waist and hugged me tight, burying his face in my hair.

"What was that for?" I asked when he had let go of me.

"You looked like you needed a hug" he said.

I made my way across the vintage style living room towards the bedroom that my bag was in. The bedroom was plain with a humongous bed with a goose feather duvet. There was a deer head hanging on the wall and there was small-ish cupboard. My bag was right by the bed, in front of the nightstand. I looked inside and had to unpack my clothes and my toiletries. I couldn't find my pads. I looked in the side pockets. Nothing. Back pocket. Nope. This was a matter of life and death. I need to find these. I put my hand into my coat pocket when I heard a rustle. They were in my pocket. That was what relief felt like.