Page 139 of XO Karma

“Could explain the presence of her jacket and shoes.”

A crashing sound comes from outside the window, and my heart stops. We turn towards it, and a shadow passes in a split second.

“Stay here,” Aster commands, and he’s through the house and out the front door without another word. I’m a second behind him, but he’s already halfway across the overgrown lot, running towards the woods.

A gunshot rings out, and he freezes.

Please, no.

No, no, no, no, no.

He spins, eyes wide, and runs in my direction, barreling into me.

“Are you okay?” he asks, hands flying over every inch of my body.

“I’m fine.” I peer around him. “Why did you stop chasing them?”

His brows furrow. “I thought you’d been shot!”

“And I thought you’d been shot!” Another bang goes off, and we both flinch.

“Come on.” He throws an arm around me and ushers me towards the forest. “Someone does not like us being here.”

“But we don’t have any answers,” I argue, turning back towards the house. Back to her.

I won’t go. Not when I’m this close.

“We have to leave.” Aster tugs at my arm. “Now.”

“No.” I rip out of his grasp, running towards the steps. “Her clothes are here.” Tears prick my vision. “This is the closest I’ve ever been…” A sob escapes as my boots hit the wooden porch. “To finding her. To figuring out what happened.”

As I reach the door, I’m hoisted in the air and over a broad shoulder. “What are you doing?” I shout, banging my fists against his muscular back. “Put me down.” Aster sprints towards the tree line, ignoring me entirely, his shoulder digging into my stomach as he goes. “I swear to God, I will stab you!”

“Then stab me,” he growls, gripping my legs tightly, and I struggle to catch my breath. “I’m not letting you get yourself killed.”

“That’s my choice.” My protests echo off the trees, and I’m aware I’m acting like a petulant child and possibly even giving away our position, but I can’t find it in me to care. The emotions I’ve bottled inside for months are exploding like a grenade, and Aster’s the victim of the verbal shrapnel. I’d feel bad if I weren’t so damn pissed off.

“Not today,” he barks, and my tear-filled eyes lock on the cabin. “Not if the risk is losing you.” It fades out of view as he rushes toward where we left the car, and my chest aches, heavy and dull. I was so close. So damn close.

There’s something in that cabin that could lead me to Kodak. Give me answers about Violet’s death. I can feel it.

Aster might not want me to go back… but what he doesn’t know won’t hurt him.

My body slumps in defeat over his shoulder. After a few hundred yards, my feet finally return to the ground, and he places a hand on my waist.

“Don’t fucking touch me.” I shove him away, and he flinches, pained eyes connecting with mine. I don’t have the energy to worry about his feelings right now. Not after what he just did.

Uncomfortable silence blankets the rest of our journey, and while my mind knows he was right to make us leave, my heart aches. What if she was there? Was her body in the overgrown yard? How close was I, really?

Around dusk, we finally reach the car we left on a hidden dirt path by a lake that’s completely shielded by shrubbery. Aside from my screeching freak-out, the dense trees provided a shield the rest of our journey here.

“Are you okay?” he asks, eyes swimming with concern.

“I’m fine,” I grumble, pushing past him.

“Wait.” He grabs my wrist, pulling me to face him, and I rip away, anger thrumming through me.

Tears prick at my vision once more, and I rush forward, shoving his chest. “She was so close!” He stumbles. “The answers were right there.”