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Panic fills my chest, and I let out a scream as the sound of heavy feet picks up behind me.
“Leave me alone!” I scream, my arms slapping against the trees as I jump over falling logs, and dried leaves break into dust beneath my boots.
I’m so screwed.
I refuse to look over my shoulder, though I can feel the heat from the body closing in on me. It causes my feet to pump harder than they’ve ever pumped before, the branches scraping against my bared arms, littered with goosebumps that have no end in sight. I sprint as fast as I can, my legs turning numb, my breaths coming out as wheezes, and I can do nothing but move so fast my feet barely touch the ground.
I turn the bend, knowing we’re far away from the shipwreck now, though I do see something in the distance, and hope fills my mind.
The treehouse.
I doubt I’d ever be able to reach the top without being caught, and I still refuse to glance over my shoulder to see who it is.
Though, a part of me already knows.
It’s him.
Though the fear is endless, no matter who is running after you, the fact that you’re being chased is enough to light a fire beneath you. Whether you know the person or not, whether your life is in danger, or it isn’t,you run.
I cut right quickly, running toward the water. I can hear the stumble of the person behind me, not expecting my move. I lead them in a large zigzag, cutting left every time they come up on my side, then cutting right every time they come up on the other.
Finally, I get to the treehouse, and I race around it once, leaping toward the ladder. My hands grab onto the ropes, and I pull myself up, my feet shaking with exertion. My throat burns from dryness, and my foot falls through the hole, my quick pace making me clumsy.
A warm, gloved hand wraps around my ankle, and I use my other foot to kick repeatedly. The rope burns in my palms, but I hang on as I whack the body over and over again.
The hold loosens, and I hear a manly shout. I use the moment to my advantage, pulling myself up and over the ledge. My palms rub against the planks of the wooden floor. My knees come up, and I press my foot against the wall, rolling over until I’m fully inside the treehouse.
With my back to the floor, I stare at the ceiling, my vision wobbly as I catch my breath. Then, with a quick movement, I roll to my knees and shoot to a stand, glancing around the treehouse.
There is nothing here that I can use as a weapon.Shit!
How didn’t the guys leave anything to protect themselves?
I can hear the rope swinging as it’s climbed, and I shuffle backward, my limbs exhausted, my mind racing. The table rattles behind me as the backs of my thighs bump into it, and I reach back, my fingers wrapping around the lamp, keeping it steady, ready to use it if need be.
A knife crests the top of the ladder, slamming down on the floor, the metal against wood clanking loudly. I gasp, knowing exactly who it is as a gloved hand curls around the edge.
I step forward as another hand comes up, and soon, my masked man makes an appearance. I feel angry, a little embarrassed, and slightly turned on as his body stands corded with tension. He straightens to his full height, and I cock my head back to catch his eyes.
He’s so tall.
“Why were you chasing me?” I whisper.
“Why were you running?” he asks, his voice deep, monotonous.
My mouth opens, and nothing but air comes out.
I can feel the smirk beneath his mask, and he steps forward, from heel to toe, covered in black, and nothing else.
“You hurt someone tonight?” I ask him, though I already know the answer.
His head tilts to the side, and he continues walking until my back is against the wall of the treehouse and his muscular body has molded to mine. I can feel his heat, can smell the hint of blood coming off him.
“You were at the party without your mask,” I whisper.
His hand lifts, and he brushes my cheek with his pointer finger, ever so gently. “Did you see me?”
I lift my hand, my fingers grazing down the mask. “I’d have to know the face behind the mask first.” I start to pull on it, so desperate to know who has filtered his way into my thoughts and soul.
