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I crouch down by the water, hoping, wishing,prayingto see a sign of Hannah.
The once sparkling surface of the water is dull and gray. The life and joy I once saw when Hannah caught her first fish in the depths of this very current completely gone. My chest burns at the memory of her lips, the way she kissed me that day in the forest. The softness of her body, the connection we shared as we held each other and made love.
We laughed. We had fun.
I showed her my world and how she belonged here with me.
I huff a long, drawn-out sigh that floats across the moisture in the dank forest. That same river rushes against the rocks, the rough patter of fresh water is now a melody of mourning, a song of loss and heartache.
I cup my hands in the river, splashing the freezing cold water against my cheeks.
I have to find her. If she dies out here… If she dies because of me…
My legs straighten instantly at the thought. I shake my head defiantly, my body tensing at the very idea that Hannah could well be in grave danger right now. She’s not dying on my count, so I ignore the crashing of the clouds above the forest and follow the river down the mountain.
It feels like another hour passes, another painful, gut-wrenching hour with not even a footprint to lift my breaking heart. Rain has started to fall beneath the towering trees and daylight beneath the darkened forest fades the moment thunder rattles the ground and lightning strikes the open wound in my chest.
My stomach lurches and I double over, rain smacking against the back of my head. The bitter taste of bile fills my mouth as I retch, my stomach spasming with a painful twist that forces me to my knees. Cool air mixes with the heat of sweat across my forehead and I’m heaving, wave after wave of nausea forcing my empty stomach onto the forest floor.
Rain falls harder, the leaves, branches and damp earth cushioning the blow of my exhausted body. I’m curled in a ball, roaring with agony and grief. My eyes begin to fade, the darkness in my mind coming closer. The soft sound of rain pattering around me offers some relief, but the thought that if I, a trained, acclimatized mountain man can’t go on… then how the hell is Hannah going to survive?
My eyes close and as I drift into the unknown, shivering and shaking, a haunting sound reminds me of my failure.
The gentle sobbing of a nearby woman, the whimper and cry of pain sounds more like a scream in my head. It reminds me this is all my fault, the noise suffocating me until… I feel nothing.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Hannah
It’searlymorningwhenI walk up the street, busy workers moving all around me on the sidewalk. The clouds that tortured me all night hang in the sky – they’re softer, gentler now than when I was stranded in the depths of the forest, the rain bucketing down over my limp body.
My belly grumbles with a painful roll that twists and pulls my insides. The longest night of my life is finally coming to an end. I did it. I made it down the mountain, and now my legs are carrying me across the solid pavement of Falls Creek’s small streets.
But only just.
I thought I was going to die. I hated myself for leaving Colt, down the winding roads and through the horrible, wet forest, I ate myself up inside, cursing and swearing for being so stupid.
But something funny happens when your life is in jeopardy.
No matter how weak you feel, no matter how betrayed, how broken and scarred you are…
Life must go on.
A few sideways glances from passers-by have me dipping my head, powering forward as best as I can towards the office. I don’t want anyone to see me like this and when I reach the steps leading up to the office, I’ve never been so happy to see the small concrete building.
Can I just resume my old life? Can I pull the chair out at my desk, listen to Matilda blabber about whatever it is that’s troubling her today and continue on like nothing happened? Can I file the report and just move on like I didn’t just experience the most intense, most beautiful feeling I’ve ever known?
Is that what I want?
“Excuse me, Miss,” a dark-haired security guard that I recognize holds his hand out, stopping me from entering the office. “Only employees ofMell Estateare permitted beyond these doors.”
I look at Jeffery and hold my hands out. “Um, Jeff? It’s me, Hannah Mell.”
His eyes go wide shock. “Shit, Hannah?! Holy shit, it is you!”
Panic takes over and he’s fumbling around, pushing me in the center of my back through the doors. My tired legs drag across the tiles but Jeffery forces me forward, appearing at my side as he loops his arm through mine and pulls me towards the elevators.
The doors ping open, and he pulls me in. “Hannah, everyone has been looking for you.”
