AllFreeNovel
Share Us
My lips part, but I have no idea what to say.
I’m too far for him to hear anyway.
Instead, my inner coward takes over again, and I turn around and bolt away.
God, why? Why do I have to be such a wimp?
I couldn’t take the stare down. Couldn’t take seeing the defeat in his eyes.
It wasn’t just guilt that was eating away at him. It was the despair … the loneliness … and pure terror that he would lose me and be alone again.
That’s why he stayed there.
Not to give me time.
But to get used to the idea of being on his own again.
And it kills me.
It hurts me to the point of tears filling my eyes as I run.
I feel so much right now, and I don’t know how to give it a place. How to come to terms with the fact that I … feel for him.
That I feel things I shouldn’t be feeling for a savage on an island.
But I do.
I want to hug him.
Hold him.
Keep him close.
Shit.
When I come face to face with the hut again, I immediately go inside and clean the mess I made. I throw the pots and bowls into the water and clean them, then I wipe off all the dust and make the bed.
I grab the box and take out some of the smoked fish, prepping them, placing them on a plate. I open the other box filled with jerky and take a few out, placing them on the plate too. I fold over a few banana leaves and place it in back in the box to preserve it.
Then I sit down at the table and wait.
Accompanying Song: “Come Say Hello” by SuperHumanoids
Lock
With my head lowered, I open the door to the hut. I’m not sure what I’m going to find. Or why I even came. A part of me wants to turn around and leave. Hell, I forced myself to ignore her watching me from afar for a few good minutes. But eventually, I couldn’t take it anymore. I can’t be alone. I can’t let her be here while I’m there. I simply can’t let her go.
She came to me.
I never told her to, yet she came anyway.
Despite her running away again, I know it was a sign. She came to me for a reason. Instead of staying away, instead of fleeing the island, she actually came to me. That means something.
As I glance around the hut and our eyes meet, my whole body quakes with need.
I want to hug her. Hold her tight. Never let go.
I was afraid to lose her, but when I look into those eyes right now, I see none of the fear and rage from before. Something’s changed.
She’s changed … and the hut has as well.
Did she clean it?
She swallows and slips off the chair, her eyes never leaving mine. I stay put, watching her every move. I don’t know if I can trust her. If she’ll betray me and try to stab me with something. I wouldn’t blame her if she did, but I’d prefer it if it didn’t happen, so I have to stay wary.
She has every right to be pissed off at me; I expect nothing less.
But what I didn’t expect was this.
Her … slowly sliding toward me, grabbing my hands, pulling me inside.
What is she doing?
She’s supposed to hate me. Loathe me.
I’m poison. Everything I touch turns to ashes.
I’m someone who brings pain and suffering … and what does she do? She welcomes me inside as if she’s missed me.
But why?
I came here because I knew in my heart I needed to do everything I could to mend the situation. To apologize and give her anything she’d want in order to make her stay.
But she’s pulling me along, and I’m letting her.
She sets me down on my own chair and grabs something out of the box, placing it in front of me. A plate … filled with smoked fish and jerky.
Did she make this for me?
But why? I didn’t do anything to deserve this.
I stare at the plate in front of me as she conjures up another one filled with leaves and other greens, along with bits of fish.
She points at my plate, and the left side of her lips quirks up into a slight smile.
She wants me to eat?
But why? After everything that happened, after everything I did, everything I said … she wants me to eat with her?
She should want nothing to do with me.
That was the right choice.
“Why?” I growl, planting my fists on the table.
Her whole face turns red. “I don’t know.”
“You don’t know?” I raise a brow.
She shrugs. “I just … don’t want you to punish yourself.”
I cock my head and stare at her. I’m not even fucking hungry anymore. Not after this.
“Punish myself? After I sat there for fuck knows how long, now you suddenly care?”
