AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The window on the other side of the cabin suddenly glows orange, but before I can wrestle with myself about whether to look inside or not, the curtains close, and the light is gone. The forest is quiet and still; the only sound is my breathing as I take a few more steps away from the cabin.
My head is a mess. I know what I’m doing is crossing a big fucking line, but at the same time, I can’t bring myself to leave. If I go back to my cabin now, I know I’ll spend the whole night tossing and turning, worrying about Scarlett.
Shielding myself in a thicket of trees, I find a place where I can see the cabin without being visible from the windows. I crouch down, watching. At least if an intruder comes, I’ll know about it. I’ll stay here and guard Scarlett; I’ll protect her, even if it means I’m getting no sleep tonight. As I begin my watch, I run over all the things I know about the beautiful angel sleeping in the cabin right now.
She’s a night owl…from Oklahoma…likes cookie dough ice cream…watches Law & Order…not used to being out in the forest…doesn’t want to talk about why she came to Colorado…
It’s frustrating how little I know. I want to learn everything about Scarlett—every tiny detail of who she is and why she came here. But for tonight, I’ll have to settle for keeping watch. Keeping her safe. It’s a deep, primal instinct that I can’t explain, something stronger than logic and reasoning, stronger than my sanity. I need to protect this girl, and I’m not leaving this spot until I’m sure she’ll be okay.
***
It’s a long night, but eventually, the sun rises and the sky above the forest brightens to orange. I’m exhausted but now that it’s light out, I feel calmer, like Scarlett is safer now. But thatdoesn’t stop me from waiting for signs of life from the cabin, my heart thumping hard as I see the curtains open and the shadowy figure of Scarlett moving around inside. I don’t have any excuse to stay now that she’s awake and it’s morning, but I still don’t move. I watch as the cabin windows are thrown open, and a few minutes later, I hear Scarlett’s sweet voice drifting toward me.
“Hi, this is Scarlett, I came in yesterday—” she says, clearly on the phone.
There’s silence while the other person speaks.
“Yeah, that’s me,” Scarlett continues brightly, followed by another long pause. “Sure, today would be amazing!” Another pause. “Nope, that’s perfect, I can be at Mountain Brew in twenty minutes…okay, thank you! See you soon.”
I frown as the talking stops, thinking over what I just heard. Mountain Brew is a coffee shop down in Winterdale, and it sounds like Scarlett is going to meet someone there.
Who? Why?
Fuck, it’s none of my damn business,I think to myself as I finally get up from the ground, my legs sore and stiff. I can’t justify staying here any longer. I watched her in the woods because I thought she was in danger. I watched her last night to make sure there were no intruders. There’s no reason to follow her into a coffee shop in Winterdale…what the hell could possibly happen to her? Is she gonna be attacked by coffee mugs or something?
I’m not gonna follow her,I tell myself firmly.No fucking way. Last night was a one-off.
But I’m already speeding up as I wend my way through the trees back toward my cabin, heading for my truck. I reach it in fifteen minutes and jump inside, speeding back toward Scarlett’s cabin. I’m just in time to see her small green car turning left at the end of the road, and my heart is in my throat as I tail her. I could try to tell myself I’m only following her in case she hasan accident on the road…making sure she gets to her destination safely…but I know I’d be bullshitting myself. I’m following her because I’m fucking obsessed. From the moment I saw Scarlett wandering through the woods, all I’ve wanted to do is look after her. Protect her. Guard her. It’s a dangerous game I’m playing, but I can’t stop. I can’t risk not being there when something bad happens…not like before…not like last time…
I shake the thought away, but not before grief punches me in the stomach. I failed to protect somebody in the past, and I won’t let it happen again. Scarlett must have moved to an isolated cabin in the woods for a reason. Maybe she’s running from something. Maybe she’s in danger. But fuck, even if she just wanted a change of scenery, I’m going to do whatever it takes to keep her safe. This curvy angel is mine to protect, and that’s all that matters to me now.
5
Scarlett
I smile to myself as I drive down the mountain path toward Winterdale. Yesterday, during my trip to the grocery store, I had a stroke of good luck—my second since I arrived in Colorado, the first being Gunner rescuing me from the creek. I stopped at a quaint little coffee shop to grab a latte after I’d bought my groceries and noticed a sign saying they were urgently looking for new employees. I asked the smiley woman behind the counter about it, and she gave me her number, telling me to call her this morning so we could schedule an interview. I did as she asked, and she said I could come in straight away to see if I was a good fit for the job. While working at a coffee shop isn’t my dream,Mountain Brewseems like an awesome place from what I saw yesterday, and it could help me keep my head above water while I try to settle into my new life here.
Normally a job interview would make me nervous, but I’m still too giddy after yesterday. I haven’t stopped thinking about Gunner since he emerged from the trees and pulled me out of the creek. After spending the whole evening daydreaming about him, I finally had to put the TV on to try and distract myself. It’s not healthy to be thinking about a stranger this much—I need to focus on building a stable life here for myself, not fantasizing about a guy I’ve only met once. But there was just something about him…
As I make a left turn, I force my attention back to the road, noticing a truck in my rearview mirror. I’m pretty sure it’s been there since I left my cabin, and as I take another turn, I see the truck follow. I guess it’s not that unusual—there’s bound to be other vehicles on this mountain road now and then, even if I’ve hardly seen any since my arrival. Once I finally enter Winterdale, I expect the truck to turn off, but it follows me onto the main street, slowing down as I pull up outside Mountain Brew. When I get out of the car, I shoot a curious look at the truck which is now parked a little way down the street, but the sun is reflecting off the window so I can’t see the driver.
Must be a coincidence,I think to myself.Just somebody from the mountain driving into Winterdale. Don’t get paranoid.
With renewed purpose, I walk away from my car and head into Mountain Brew. It’s small, rustic, and smells deliciously of coffee. The smiley woman I met yesterday, a brunette called Felicity, beams at me from behind the counter as I enter.
“Scarlett, great to see you,” she says. “Come on through.”
She leads me into a backroom, leaving her coworkers to keep serving customers. The interview doesn’t last long. Felicity asks some questions about my work experience back in Oklahoma City, and I show her my résumé, which she skims over approvingly. Soon enough, we’re done talking about the job and Felicity starts to tell me about Winterdale.
“You’ll love it here,” she assures me. “It’s a very friendly place, and so beautiful too. I moved to Florida a while back but couldn’t stay away.” She smiles. “It has that effect on people.”
After we share some more small talk about the area and the beauty of Crave County, Felicity finally claps her hands together. “Well, this all sounds great, Scarlett. We’d love to have you on board!”
I beam at her, shaking her hand as she offers it to me. “That’s wonderful! I’m looking forward to it. When can I start?”
“As soon as you like. You can work your first shift tomorrow if you want.”
Relief rushes through me as I accept, and I stop to grab another coffee before Felicity and I say our goodbyes.
