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“You’re hurt.” I commented as he handed over Mac’s leash.
Ro
nald’s shirt was stuck to the skin around his shoulder and I could tell that it was blood without him having to confirm. He’d been hit, possibly because I didn’t go out the window when he told me to. He was in pain and clearly pissed off, but I wasn’t sure whether or not he was pissed at me or Conlon.
“I’m gonna kill that fucking punk.”
Okay, so he wasn’t pissed at me.
“You need to go.” Ronald continued. He pointed over my shoulder. “You need to go that way to get to the main road. The police are five minutes out.”
I’d finally gotten a good look around. We were somewhere in the woods, deep in the woods, and the snow was coming down thick and heavy. The trees were dense and loomed over us like monsters, which was fitting considering there was a monster in that cabin. But I couldn’t find a proper path anywhere.
I wrapped Mac’s leash around my hand. “Please be careful,” I whispered and then turned, running toward where Ron pointed. But then I turned around. “Get him out of there in one piece, okay? I have things I need to say to him and I don’t want to say them to a gravestone.”
Ronald nodded and then jerked his chin towards the woods. I turned and ran, hoping Nicole had already made it to the road and was waiting for the police. Mac jogged next to me, his legs disappearing into the deep snow as we weaved around trees and dodged fallen branches, making our way towards the road.
I tried to ignore the way my heart ached at the realization that I had left Logan behind with Conlon. I had to believe that Ronald was going to help him, that they were both going to make it out somewhat unscathed. I had things I needed to say, things that Logan needed to hear, and I didn’t care that what I had said to Ron sounded dramatic. I couldn’t bear the thought of saying those things to a gravestone. Because if, God forbid, he didn’t get out of there, if all of this didn’t go my way, that’s exactly what was going to happen. I’d end up talking to a slab of stone protruding from the ground, and I didn’t want that.
I couldn’t lose Logan, because I’d already lost Gran.
I’d already lost a mother who never even wanted me in the first place.
I couldn’t lose him too. It would be too much and I was smart enough to know that I’d never recover.
Something good was finally happening to me, a happiness I never knew I’d have. Yes, part of me felt selfish for wanting to keep that happiness close, for wanting to keep it right there in the middle of my heart where it belonged. But who wanted to be sad? Who would be stupid enough to let that happiness slip away without a fight?
My lungs burned and my legs ached, it was so hard to run in the snow, and even Mac was panting as he ran along beside me. The forest was so dense as I stopped and looked around, even the cabin was barely in sight anymore. Where was the goddamn road? I couldn’t see anything. Was I lost? Was I-
A loud scream filled the air and the breath whooshed out of my lungs as I was tackled to the ground, landing in a heap on the snow. I screamed and flailed, immediately raising my fists for a fight as whoever it was thrashed on top of me, landing a hard jab to the side of my face.
Mac barked next to me and bared his teeth as my eyes opened, snow sliding underneath my jacket and up my back. It was so cold as I tried to identify who was on top of me trying to, apparently, kill me with loud screeches and sharp nails.
“Nicole!” I bellowed when I finally caught a glimpse of her blonde hair. I shoved my hands against her shoulders and pushed her off me, scrambling to my feet and grabbing Mac’s collar as he tried to jump on her.
“Juliette?” she asked and squinted into the darkness.
“Yes!” I shouted, frustrated and on edge. She’d been hiding behind a tree and impulsively jumped on me, probably thinking I was Conlon. But now I was cold, wet, and wanting to hit her for scaring me as bad as she did.
“I’m sorry,” she said quietly. “I… I thought you were Greg.”
“The red hair should have been a dead giveaway.” I snarled and then stopped, pinching the bridge of my nose. It’s not her fault, it’s not her fault. “Listen, we need to-”
Just then, in the dead of night, the unmistakable sound of three gunshots filled the air. My spine tingled, everything stopped, and my heart plummeted.
Logan.
I whipped my head around, barely seeing the cabin, and my breath shook. I needed to go back, I didn’t care if it got me killed. I wasn’t leaving him.
“I’m not leaving him,” I whispered.
“What?”
I turned back to Nicole, who looked scared, shaken, and so small. Making a hasty decision, I unbuttoned my jacket and tore it off, wrapping it around her shoulders before handing her Mac’s leash. She looked confused as I leaned down to give him one last scratch behind the ears.
“What are you-”
“I’m going back,” I said, surprised that my voice didn’t shake. “You need to get to the road, do you understand? The cops are on their way, just wait for them. Tell them we’re going to need an ambulance. Are you listening, Nicole? Do you understand?”
