AllFreeNovel
Share Us
After a long moment, he throws his head back, laughing so loud it startles me at first.
What the hell? Did he not hear me correctly? “It’s not funny! She thought you might be a psychopath!”
“I’m sorry, but it’s kind of funny. Did she mention me twirling my moustache while tying a woman to the railroad tracks?”
A giggle escapes me at the thought.
“Look, I can’t blame them for not knowing who I was when it took me so long to figure it out. I don’t want to keep any hard feelings over it.” He peeks over at me. “She’s your best friend.”
“She said she’d believe it if the science proved it, so she probably does realize who you are now.”
It only takes us about thirty minutes to get to our destination. A long winding driveway takes us up to a shiny trailer perched on a hill. The front half of the property is heavily wooded, lending it privacy from the road. There are no neighbors in sight.
“It’s beautiful here.”
“You haven’t seen the half of it,” he grins, shutting off the car. “It’s Milo’s vacation property and where he intends to retire.”
The sun is starting to set, and instead of going inside, Alden takes my hand to walk me around the back. My breath catches. Behind the mobile home the ground falls into a gentle slope, leading down to a misty pond. The sky is a blaze of orange.
Alden wraps his arms around me from behind and rests his chin on my shoulder. “I sat out here to watch the sunset every evening when I was missing you. You were all I could think about.”
“I missed you so much the days were a blur,” I confess, tilting my head so I can catch his lips in a kiss.
“The worst is over, sweetheart.”
I lay my hand over his on my abdomen. “And the best of us is on the way.”
We stand there in the chilly air, watching the sky put the sun to bed while his hand caresses my stomach.
* * *
Milo’s mobile home is spacious and modern—clearly not more than a couple of years old. The minimal furniture is comfortable and practical. It’s a good place to hide from the world for a while.
A popping sound draws my attention, and I look out the window. Or attempt to. Rural dark is not like the city. I can’t even see my car that’s parked right out front. My body jerks when Alden walks up behind me.
“It’s just the trailer. The metal underpinning pops and cracks in the wind.” He pulls me back and plants a kiss on the top of my head. “We’re safe. There’s nothing to worry about.”
My body relaxes a little. “I don’t think it’s sunk in yet that everything is over. I’ve been running on adrenaline and anxiety for so long, my brain hasn’t had a chance to catch up. I feel hyper and tired at the same time.” I turn and hook my arms around his waist. God, those eyes that stare into mine, how could I not have known them? They’re everything. He’s everything. “How are you feeling?”
“So happy that I’m not sure what to do with myself, but…scattered. I know what you mean.” He steps back. “I think I’ll start with a shower. The jail stinks.”
“I mean…I wasn’t going to say anything.”
His lips curl up and he slaps my ass. “Don’t get naked or anything. Milo is coming to bring my phone and some of my stuff.”
“Damn, and I was going to be ass out on the kitchen table when you came back.”
He groans as he heads off to shower, and I peruse the fridge, trying to see what I could make for dinner. I’m not the least bit hungry. Things feel weird, for lack of a better word. I suppose we can’t just flip a switch and go on about life after what we went through and expect everything to feel normal. It’s another adjustment. If there’s one thing I’ve learned to do, it’s adapt.
I turn on the TV and find a mindless sitcom to keep me company. Anything but the news right now. Curiosity will get the best of me eventually, but for now, my phone is in the bedroom and that’s where it’ll stay. No social media or doom scrolling.
Alden returns wearing a pair of gray sweatpants and a tee shirt that’s a bit too small. It hugs his chest and abdomen, showing the outline of every muscle. My gaze climbs up his body until it reaches the smirk on his face. “You tell me not to get naked but then come out here looking like a slut.”
“Milo and Smith loaned me some clothes. It’s either too small, or too large.”
“Good choice.”
There’s a tap on the door and Alden pulls it open. Milo steps in, sets down the bag in his hand, and grabs him in a bear hug. “Congratulations, you son of a bitch. You’re officially alive again.”
