“What the hell are you going to do with fifty acres of forest?”
“Nothing,” I say simply.
Sawyer’s eyes narrow at me, incredulous. “Nothing? You are going to buy fifty acres of forest and leave it as forest?”
“You’re meant to be the smart one, Sawyer… For someone so smart, you’re taking an awful long time to figure this out.”
His face reddens. “Please, explain it to me…” Even though his voice is calm, he certainly is not.
“I’m buying serial killer forest, and I’m going to leave it exactly how it is.”
“But why?” he presses, exasperated.
“Because it’s at the back of my property. Because it’s beautiful, tranquil. I can go for small hikes. It covers the cottage and offers privacy. Plus, wildflowers grow around there. They’re important for the bees.”
“Those fucking bees again. I swear, if Noah or Kevin get stung…”
“Can you find the guy and make him an offer for me, or do I need to find new legal representation?” I deadpan with a lifted eyebrow.
“I’m charging you double for this shit,” he grumbles.
I grin. “I thought you lowered your price for the locals?”
“Yeah, well, you don’t count. You should rename it.”
“What to?” I hadn’t thought of that. As creepy as it is, serial killer forest is what Charlotte and I call it, and I would like it to remain.
“Think with His Dick Woods sounds more fitting.”
I huff a laugh, shaking my head. My brother grabs his car keys and heads into town, and I know I’ll own fifty acres of trees by the end of the week.
34
Charlotte Titan
“Is that going to last in the weather?” My brother watches me from the porch as I push the pipe into the smaller one I have coming from the roof.
The sun’s shining today, although the rain is still threatening. It always is, almost like a metaphor for my life.
“I hope so,” I grit out as I force the two pieces together, smiling when I feel them seal. I’m trying to harvest the rainwater from the roof and put it in a small tank. I might as well, but now I just need to find a tank.
“Is Sutton coming back?”
I quickly turn to look at him, and my brow scrunches. Sutton’s stayed with us almost every night for at least the last couple of weeks. Still in hiding, in my bed. He bought me a new one, so sick of the constant squeaks every time we moved. It made sense.
“At some point. He said he had to go and do a few things.” I inhale a deep breath. The guilt at not telling Sutton everything continues to gnaw at me every day. I told him our names, but he hasn’t connected any more dots. I need to tell him exactly who we are and why we’re hiding, but I’m scared. Not of him knowing, I know he’d never turn us in to the authorities. But once I say it all out loud, it becomes real. It becomes a bigger burden, a bigger issue. The target on my head gets bigger. At the moment, no one knows. Preston and I are just small-town folk.
“I like having him around,” he says softly.
I look at Preston as he sits on the porch in the sun. He’s smiling, happy, relaxed, has more color in his cheeks than he ever has. He sleeps well, eats well, his studies are excellent. He’s really thriving. He’s never really had a strong male in his life, aside from Dad. Given that Dad hasn’t been involved or around as much in the last few years, a big brother figure like Sutton is really good for him.
I smile right back. “I do too.” Sutton and I haven’t talked too much about what the future holds. At first, I thought he might be a bit of fun. A safe space for a while, and he was that. But now, my feelings have grown. I’ve completely fallen for him.
“I really like it here in Whispers…” Preston trails off, staring at me, and I stop what I’m doing to give him my full attention. “Do you think we could stay here? I’ve got awesome friends now. I’ve never had friends like this before.”
I swallow. This town has wrapped us up; it really has become our home.
“I’d like to stay… but…” I shrug, because I don’t know what the future holds. For any part of my life. I’m just taking each day as it comes.
