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I shrugged to myself as she disappeared. There was nothing I could do about it... right? I mean, if the woman wanted to go, then there was no reason for me to stop her. She was a grown ass adult, who had traveled across the country in a shitty van. There was no reason I should feel the need to make sure she made it safely.
But for some reason, I did.
Shit.
ChapterFive
Cheyenne
“He’s the biggest jerk I’ve ever met,” I said to Takoda as we wandered down the gravel road back toward the highway. I wasn’t completely sure which path would take me to the van, but I knew my cardinal directions well enough to know the general direction—and that’s what I was going to go off of.
Takoda trotted beside me, his tail mostly tucked between his legs as the rain continued to fall. It wasn’t a total downpour any longer, but it was steady...
And cold.
“Maybe I should’ve just stayed at the house,” I mumbled, wrapping my arms around myself. The breeze was chilly, and the roadways had so much debris that it wasn’t an easy walk. In all honesty, I wouldn’t have left if Wade hadn’t been such an asshole. I mean, I had admitted to him where I was from.
Maybe that’s why he didn’t want to tell me anything.
I did my best to push away the stigma associated with one of the poorest reservations in the United States. My family wasn’t anything to write home about—in fact, my parents were the reason I left. They were toxic, always arguing and in the rare moments that they weren’t, they were doing drugs or drinking. My sister Leia had taken care of me, but then she met a guy from Arizona and left.
And I had to take care of myself.
My boots crunched in the gravel, mud squishing around them where the rocks were thin. I was shivering, and the longer I walked, the more I wished I would’ve just suffered through the time with Wade—at least until morning. Then I heard it—the sounds of the highway. Well, sort of. It was more like the sound of a couple of vehicles driving at high speeds.
I reached down, scooped Takoda into my arms, and picked up into a jog, recognizing where we were. There were branches everywhere, and I climbed over them as I made it to the side of the two-lane highway. I peered down at it, squinting.
Where is my van?
Brows furrowed, I started walking in the direction it had been, my eyes scanning the area. There was debris everywhere, but no road clean ups or emergency vehicles. It was dead quiet and dark as I plodded along. My heart thudded heavily in my chest.
And then I saw it.
On the opposite side of the road was a crumpled, barely recognizable mint green van. A slight cry rose up out of my throat. Still holding Takoda, I sprinted across the roadway, making my way to what was left of my van. It was sitting on its side, more smashed than even Wade’s truck. I peered through the window. My duffel bag was still surprisingly there on the seat. Reaching through the shattered windshield, I pulled it out and slung it over my shoulder.
Where the hell am I supposed to go now?
Tears welled up in my eyes as I stepped away from the van, thankful that I was the kind of person that had meager belongings, and that I had shoved them all into the bag when I had left the last motel. It would’ve been much worse had I been forced to dig through the wreckage.
Taking a deep breath, I jogged back across the road. However, I came to a skidding stop as a figure emerged from the woods. My heart jumped into action, racing in my chest as I stilled, unsure what to think of the dark shadow walking toward me.
“More storms are coming in, Cheyenne,” Wade’s voice called out.
“My van is gone,” I said to him, thankful it was just him but also emotional as I admitted the loss out loud. “It’s over there.”
As he got closer, I saw that his eyes were wide, taking in the same scene that I just had. “I’m so sorry, Cheyenne. That’s... that’s awful.”
“It’s okay, I salvaged this.” I held out my bag, giving him a weak smile. “So at least I’ll have more dry clothes and my wallet whenever this does all clear up.”
“Is that all there was?” He hesitated a little, looking past me to the van. “Do you need me to get anything else?”
“Uh...” my voice trailed off, heat flushing my cheeks. “I don’t have anything else, no. There’s a small container of dog food in here for Takoda, though. I was planning on buying some whenever I stopped in Augusta.”
“Right, okay.” He let out a sigh, holding out his hands. “I’ll carry your bag for you.”
“Oh, okay...” I shifted Takoda in my arms and let the bag drop to the crease in my arm.
He reached forward, grabbed the strap and slung it over his shoulder. “We’re probably going to have to walk pretty fast back to the cabin. I found the weather radio in the emergency kit in the closet. There’re a lot more storms coming.”
