AllFreeNovel
Share Us
But there was no time for sentiment. I had to get to Laura’s. Once we were together, we could drive away in her old Toyota, heading for New Mexico. That was the plan, anyway.
Shouldering the backpack, I headed for the door. The house felt unnaturally quiet, like it was holding its breath. I paused, took a last, lingering look around, then stepped out into the bright morning light.
Before I could force myself onto the bike, my eyes were drawn to the stables. An overwhelming urge to say goodbye to the horses hit me hard. I dropped the backpack and ran toward the stables, my feet pounding on the ground.
“Ginny,” I called out as I approached the first stall. The beautiful chestnut mare whinnied, recognizing my voice. Tears blurred my vision as I reached out to stroke her velvety snout. She nudged my hand, her warm breath puffing against my skin, causing a fresh wave of tears to spill over.
“I’m so sorry, girl,” I sobbed, burying my face into her mane. “I didn’t want it to be like this. I didn’t want to leave you.”
Ginny snorted softly, as if understanding my turmoil. I stayed there for a few more minutes, my tears soaking her mane, the rhythm of her breathing providing a small amount of comfort.
Eventually, I forced myself to move. There were the others to say goodbye to—Dusty, Comet, Storm, Filo, and Rose. I went from stall to stall, murmuring soft goodbyes and promising that Mr. O’Riley would take good care of them.
I managed to gather myself enough to feed them one last time, my hands shaking as I poured the feed into their troughs. They whinnied and nuzzled me, oblivious to the heartbreak that filled me.
When I’d finally said my goodbyes, I took one last look at the stables. “I love you all,” I whispered, a fresh set of tears rolling down my cheeks. Then, with a heavy heart, I turned away and walked back toward the house.
The backpack felt heavier when I picked it up again, the reality of the situation pressing down on me. But I couldn’t afford to break down now. I needed to get to Laura’s. For Avery. For myself.
Each pump of my legs on the bike pedals was met with a harsh gust of West Texas wind, its heat tugging at my hair and whipping it around my face in a frenzied dance. Sweat trickled down my temple, my heart pounding in my chest like a wild drum.
There was a momentary calm—a deceiving respite in the incessant howling of the wind. And then I heard it, the distant growl of a motorcycle engine. An all-too-familiar sound that sent icy tendrils of fear spiraling through my veins.
Declan.
My grip tightened on the handlebars, my knuckles turning white. I had to think fast.
The roar of the engine was getting closer, blasting ominously through the barren landscape. The dusty road stretched out before me, an endless path leading me away from the life I’d known. The only cover was the sparse underbrush lining the sides of the road.
With a sudden burst of adrenaline, I swerved off the road, jumping off the bike and throwing myself into the prickly underbrush. I crouched low, the bike concealed behind the brambles.
The distant roar of the motorcycle grew louder, closer, its echoes a thunderous symphony of fear in the quiet morning. The sound filled the arid hills, a tangible presence that shook me to my core.
I held my breath, my heart hammering in my chest, the roar of the motorcycle now deafening. I could almost feel the heat of it, the vibrations of the engine shaking the ground beneath me.
And then, he was there. The motorcycle thundered past my hiding spot, the wind of its passage whipping through the brush. I squeezed my eyes shut, fear coiling in my stomach like a venomous snake.
I was trapped, prey in the desert, a helpless lamb caught in the trap of a predator. My heartbeat was a drum against my ribcage, its rhythm punctuating the silence of the deserted West Texas road. Fear coursed through me like a rogue river, threatening to tear me apart.
In the distance, the low growl of Declan’s motorcycle reverberated through the open expanse. Every nerve in my body screamed at me to disappear, to meld into the landscape that surrounded me.
The motorcycle pulled up beside my discarded bike, the plume of dust following its trail like a ghost of my dashed hopes. Declan dismounted, his boots crunching against the gravel of the deserted road, his ice-blue eyes zeroing in on my hiding spot.
“Clover,” he called, his voice a whip cutting through the stillness of the desert. He approached with an air of a predator, steps measured and determined.
Panic welled up within me. Without a second thought, I scrambled out from my hiding spot, my heart pounding like a wild horse in my chest. The sparse desert vegetation offered little cover, my movements betrayed by the swirling dust.
Before I could make my escape, Declan was on me. His arms coiled around me like a vise, halting my progress. His body was a wall of unyielding muscle against my back. I stilled, my body quaking with fear, adrenaline, and a desperate desire to escape.
“Don’t,” he hissed, his hot breath stirring the loose strands of my hair. His voice was low, almost a whisper, yet it boomed like a thunderclap in my ears.
His grip tightened, trapping me in his formidable embrace. His words were more than just a threat. They were a promise, a vow.
“You’re never leaving me, Clover,” he murmured, the harsh certainty in his tone ricocheting through the tense silence. The land bore silent witness to his words, his oath. “Not ever.”
* * *
The Texas sun was unrelenting, hammering the dry earth without mercy. The farmhouse, old and sturdy, stood out against the barren landscape. I was held captive on its porch steps, forced to reckon with my betrayal.
