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“I have a cabin out here,” he says, tugging me along.

There isn’t even a path, so I am unsure how he knows where he is going, though he does look at some device with a screen in his hand a few times.

“How can you tell where we are going?” I ask, trudging along.

I jump when I feel something run across my bare foot, making me practically jump on him as I cringe away from whatever it is. Breathe, Adeline. It was a butterfly, just a friendly butterfly, not some creepy insect with eight legs, I tell myself.

Who in their right mind would own a cabin this far into the woods that doesn’t even have car access?

After another twenty minutes, I see a small clearing. Sam squeezes my hand, and I look at him.

“Home sweet home,” he whispers, kissing my hand.

My brows furrow, confused at his words. As we step out of the trees, I can see the outlines of a decent-sized cabin.

“Watch your step,” he says as we walk toward the door, and I go up the three little steps.

Sam pulls a key from his pocket, unlocking the door. He flicks a light on, and I see we are on a little porch.

Walking inside, Sam lets go of my hand and walks off, flicking the lights on. It is a cozy little place with a brick fireplace. I can tell it is an A-frame cabin. The floorboards under my feet creak as I step inside, looking around.

I find a small living room, a kitchenette, a bathroom with green tiles, and two doors off the living room. I walk over, opening one and twisting the handle, only it doesn’t open and requires a key. Going to the next one, I find it is a bedroom.

“So, you like it?” he asks.

“It’s cozy. Why did you buy it, though? It’s in the middle of nowhere.”

“I bought the land and built it, completely off the grid and self-sufficient. Has solar power and a backup generator.

“Wait, you built this?” I ask, wondering how the hell he got supplies in.

He nods. “Yeah, I cleared the trees and used them to build the place, and what I couldn’t make, I had dropped in by chopper.”

“Why, though?” I ask, and my blood runs cold at his next words.

“For us. I built this place for us, Addie. No one would find us out here, and we would be happy here, having some kids running around. We can build a life here.”

“Woah, wait, Sam. I can’t live out here. And why are you talking about kids?”

His answers are making me uneasy.

“Kids later, obviously. Not now. But you will like it here.”

“No, Sam. We need to go back. I can’t live here, and what about my family and my mates? They will find this place,” I tell him, scratching the mark on my neck.

“Yeah, we can take care of that!” he says, flicking my hair aside.

“Come, I will make you something to eat,” he says, and I feel bile rise in my throat.

What does he mean we can take care of that?

He tugs me over to a small table and chairs, and I sit down, relieved to give my aching feet a break. I prop one on my knee and see how swollen they are. My toes are bleeding, and I have scrapes and cuts all over them.

Sam comes over, looking down at my feet before clicking his tongue. He hands me a cup of tea before walking off and returning with a first-aid box. He opens it, grabbing out some Detol and cotton balls.

I sip my tea, scrunching up my face at the strange taste. I put the cup down, not willing to drink anymore.

“Drink it. It’s all we have at the moment. I will head into town tomorrow and grab some things I know you like,” he says, dabbing the cotton ball on my feet.