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My head went back and forth as I shut my eyes. It was so hard to reopen them.
“Don’t.”
“I was horrible to you. I was such a bitch. You tried to tell me. I didn’t listen. I didn’t think. I’m so stupid.”
“We all were.” Jase kissed my forehead, holding me tighter. “This was a wakeup call. The worst kind, but we won’t make that mistake again.”
“You’re okay?”
At my question, Tiff sobbed again, nodding. “I’m good. More than good. Fucking pampered, but don’t tell them that because I’m trying to play this for all it’s worth. I don’t get this sort of treatment often. I’m trying to figure out how I can fit the Maldives into this nightmare, but I don’t think they’re buying into it yet.”
I laughed, once again closing my eyes longer than it took to blink.
“I’m so happy you’re awake. I’ve missed you. You get rest, honey. You look exhausted. We’ll be here. Call me when you’re feeling better. I love you.”
Tiffany came into view again as I forced my lids up. “I love you too.”
Rian’s voice returned, but I was already drifting off. Seconds only seemed to pass before I felt hands on me. A woman spoke, a nurse, but I was too tired to do more than give one-worded answers to questions I couldn’t even quite comprehend. It didn’t matter. She didn’t stay long, and before I knew it, dreams took over. But not good dreams. Not even scary ones. I was back in the orchard. Back to reading. I’d read this story before. Multiple times during my teens. For the life of me, I couldn’t remember the title, but I had the book. It was right there in my hands. I could see the words.
Run.
Run.
Run.
I couldn’t make it past the word. Run, what? Run where?
I flipped the page, seeing nothing but the word repeating over and over. I shut the book, letting it play out in my head. Who was running? Where were they going? Standing, I glanced through the almond trees. There were no apples this time. No swing. No David.
“Jase?”
The book fell from my hands as I headed back to my childhood house. I couldn’t see it from here, but it was there somewhere. If I hurried, would he be there waiting? Had he met my mom yet?
I walked faster, realizing something didn’t feel right about that. Should he not meet my mom? Was my mom even home?
Run.
The word came back, and with it…uncertainty. Should Jase not be at the house? Wasn’t it safe there? Was it safe anywhere?
Run.
“Jase? Jase, where are you?”
Run.
The letters were no longer repeating on the pages; they were looping in my mind.
What went from a walk to jog, quickly turned into a sprint at the chanting. My bare feet pressed hard into the earth, searching for speed I wasn’t sure I was capable of. He wasn’t okay. Not if he wasn’t at the house. What if he left? What if he was gone when I got there? He’d go somewhere. Somewhere where they were. Somewhere bad.
Run.
“Jase!”
Terror took over, enveloping my tone. Yes. He’d go find them. Jase would try to kill them, and he’d be gone for good. Gone like he was now.
The white fence came into view, barely visible through the intertwining branches. They were growing thicker by the second, trying to keep me out. Trying to keep me away so I couldn’t warn him.
“Jase! Jase!”
