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Still, guilt sucker-punched him in the belly. She was running in the heat, with no ride back to the island, because of him. Running away from him. His ex-girlfriend had done the same. She couldn’t handle his PTSD when he’d returned from Iraq. Not her fault. He never knew when an episode might happen, and they’d frightened her.
Him, too, at times.
That’s why he needed his camp and safe place. Nature surrounding him kept the episodes at bay. Not the memories, but the incidents. No matter what, he was damaged goods. Yet, something about Crystal soothed him at the same time she ramped him up. The girl had spunk. He’d give her that. Still,even though she acted like she had it all together, she’d already messed up at the camp with the mudslide fiasco, and here she was again, doing something rash.
The temperature had hit a hundred, and she didn’t even have any water. She could get heatstroke.
When he reached her, he slowed, matching her speed. “Get in, I’ll drive you back.”
She pumped her arms in rhythm with her feet and ignored him, facing forward.
“Please, let me give you a ride.”
“Go away.” She veered right and took off across a field.
He followed in the side-by-side as she glanced back and picked up the pace.
Without a doubt, the woman could run.
He frowned as she headed into the woods. His UTV wouldn’t fit between trees. Damn it, this area wasn’t part of the camp where he did regular rounds to check for hazards and dangerous wildlife. Crystal might step on a rattlesnake nest or trip a wire.
Zach’s chest caved.
He slammed the brake and took a breath. No wires in the woods. No bombs. No triggers. No matter how many times he told himself it was in the past, memories overpowered logic.
Nothing to explode in the woods, but plenty of other dangers lurked, and Crystal wasn’t paying attention right now. He had to make sure she didn’t get hurt. He’d seen enough of that for one lifetime. He climbed out of the vehicle, jogged into the forest, and caught sight of her not far ahead.
The gurgling sound of rushing water filled the forest, and she halted by a river too wide to cross. Her shoulders rose and fell as she sucked in air.
Zach stopped a few feet behind her. “I need to talk to you.”
She kept her back to him.
“First of all, you aren’t being careful. Snakes curl up under fallen logs or sit in open spots of sunlight. You aren’t wearing high boots and could be bitten by a poisonous one.”
“Did you really chase me down to lecture me on my shoe selection again?” She continued to face the water and huffed.
He kicked a pinecone with his sneaker and sighed. “No. I wanted to apologize for what happened in the barn.”
She turned around and crossed her arms. “Nothing happened as far as I’m concerned.”
So that’s the way she wanted to play it.
Denial.
Her pink cheeks glistened in the sun, and her damp shirt clung to her body. Even as a hot mess, she stirred his blood.
He shook his head and refocused. “If nothing happened, why are you running away?”
“I came with Levi. He had to go. You didn’t want me there. End of story.”
Shit. The hurt in her eyes cut right through him. “I never said that.”
“Please, I’m not clueless.” She walked to the edge of the water, scooped up a handful, and splashed her face.
Tiny rivulets trickled down her front. Zach’s fingers itched to trace the trail. He fisted his hand and thumped it against his thigh.
Hard.
