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"Fine, but please be careful."
"You worried about me?"
"Yes. You aren't allowed to die in the woods. I forbid it."
He reaches out, brushing his thumb along my bottom lip. "I'm not going to die in the woods. If I did, you'd be on your own. You think I'm going to get out of the way for some other motherfucker to make a move? Hell no."
Of course, that's what he's concerned about.
"Go push the car, Atlas."
He chuckles and backs away from my door.
I take a breath, send up a prayer, and work with him to get us unstuck. Half an hour later, it's apparent that the car isn't going anywhere without a tow truck and Jesus.
Atlas reaches the same conclusion a few moments later. He gives up trying to He-Man it from the mud and starts around the side of the car toward my door. He's covered in mud and swearing. He's also stumbling slightly.
"There's no way out of that fucking pothole."
"We could call for help. Do you have signal? I don't."
He's shaking his head before I even finish talking. "Tried it already. I don't have a single bar. Tried to call Coach while I was rummaging through the trunk, but it wouldn't even try to connect."
My face falls.
"Hey." He tugs me into his arms. "We're okay, Temptation. I'll just hike until I reach civilization. We're in the middle of Texas. Civilization can't be that fucking far away."
"That's a bad idea. We're already lost. The last thing we need to do is split up and one of us get even more lost. Besides, I'm not staying in this car by myself."
"It's not safe out here, Temptation."
"Exactly!" I cry. "That's exactly why you shouldn't be out trooping through the woods alone. Either we both go or neither of us goes."
"We're not staying out here tonight, Gabbi. Fuck that. It's already cold and will only get colder. We've got a fourth of a tank. It's not going to last until morning. Not to mention, there are all kinds of wild animals in these woods. I'm not going to risk your safety."
"It would be at risk if we stayed in the car," I argue.
"We'll walk until we find something," he says, his voice firm.
I open my mouth to argue, but he silences me with a hard kiss. "I'm not risking you freezing to death by sleeping in the car, Gabbi. Forget it."
"Fine," I huff. "But if we get more lost or get eaten by a tiger, it's your fault."
"Tigers don't live in the woods."
"I know!" I cry. "But every other terrifying thing does, so they might as well join the party."
He chuckles quietly, pulling me from the car. "Come on, baby. Let's get our gear and go find help."
Forty-five minutes later, I'm ready to crawl out of my skin. We haven't come across a single other person or vehicle. Every little sound in the woods freaks me out. I feel like we're being hunted, and I'm ready to cry.
I had one job, and I failed epically. Now, Atlas is stuck in the woods with a concussion, and no one knows where we are. We don't even know where we are. If we get too lost, it could be days before anyone finds his car and starts looking for us.
It's not a good position to be in.
"Hold up, baby," he says suddenly, shining his flashlight into the woods.
"What? Why?" I grab his arm, my heart leaping into my throat.
