“Where are you going?”
“I just forgot something in my car. I can run back really quick and be right back.”
I stand up. “Okay, let’s go.”
Jaxson puts up his hands. “No, just chill. I’ll be right back. Take in the scene.”
I point to my head. “I’ll do some more thinking.” Jaxson smiles at me before turning and heading back to his Jeep.
I take Jaxson’s words seriously and do some thinking. Jaxson or Chase?
How shitty am I for doing this to both of these great guys? Should I just flip a coin?
I look at my cell and reassure myself that I’ll be at Bryce’s function on time. I look out onto the skyline and take in its beauty some more. A slight breeze makes me cover myself better with the other blanket Jaxson brought.
I hear some movement on the path behind me. I turn and expect to see Jaxson coming back. I know he’s fast, but not that fast. Instead, I see nothing but an empty trail.
Where was I? Oh yeah, trying to think—which is why I’m having a hard time. I need to make my decision on which man to move forward with, and soon. It’s not fair to anybody if I keep doing this.
Some more rustling on the path behind me makes me turn my head. This time, I see a man wearing a grey hooded sweater walking quickly towards me. At first, I think he’s just another man who likes to come out here to think, but as his pace quickens, I realize the only thing he is here for is me.
The man in the grey sweater raises a hand towards me. It takes me another moment to realize a gun is in his hand.
The man grabs my hand and pulls me close to him. He points the gun at my temple. “I told you that you would fucking pay! I told you, little Birdie.” I close my eyes, waiting for him to pull the trigger.
It isn’t just him calling me ‘Birdie’ that gives it away, but his stench as well. “James? James Richardson?”
The man takes off his hood, and I open one eye cautiously.
“You fucking left me to die in that fire, like your parents. You stabbed me!”
This is it for me. I realize instantly no matter what I say, I’m not walking out of these woods. “You tried to rape me, you piece of shit. I’d burn my house down a million times to keep you away from me.”
“You killed your parents,” he says, shaking his gun in my face.
“That wasn’t my fault. I didn’t want that to happen. My boyfriend is fucking huge, you better leave.”
James smiles. “Because of you, he’s going to be dead next.” He points his gun at my head again. “No more talking, little Birdie.”
I look behind him, and he raises an eyebrow and puts his gun at his side. “I’m not falling for that.”
I strike him hard between his legs as quickly as I can. He fires a shot into the sky. The sound echoes as I move away from him. I run and hear him firing a few more shots towards me. I get behind a tree and notice a larger one a few feet away. I make my move, but a shot strikes the tree I’m hiding behind, almost hitting me.
“You are a fucking bitch!” James screams. “I’m going to really love putting bullets in you. Go ahead, peek out at me. Little Birdie needs to leave the nest.”
I think about running as I hear him getting closer. I feel like I’m trapped.
James runs around the tree and raises his gun at me. Before he pulls the trigger, a medium sized rock strikes him in the head. He drops the gun and covers his face.
Jaxson comes out of nowhere and tackles him to the ground. Jaxson is ruthless as he lands continuous blows to James’s body and head. Jaxson grabs his head and bangs it against the hard ground several times.
When James stops moving, Jaxson stands up. I grab the gun from the ground. Jaxson looks at me confused. “What are you doing?”
I feel so anxious and full of adrenaline that I seriously don’t know what my body is doing. I turn the gun to its side and hand it to him. “Here.” I pull out my cell phone, about to call 911.
Jaxson puts his hand over mine. “Wait. Are you okay? Did you get hit?” I shake my head no. He pulls me closer to him. “Thank god. When I went back to the parking lot, there was this black Dodge Charger there. It must be his.”
It’s all starting to make sense now.
“It was James Richardson all along,” I say.
“You know him?”
“He was one of the people I thought was dead from the fire. There’s more I need to tell you about the fire. The time I got shot at in the woods. It must have been him too.” I look over at James, lying on the floor motionless. “Is he dead?”
“No…at least, I don’t think so. Don’t worry about a piece of shit like him,” Jaxson says. I open my cell and start to dial 911, but Jaxson pulls me closer to him and hugs me tightly. He kisses my lips softly. I look up at him and a tear is welling in his eye. I wipe it from his face.
“Jaxson, I’m okay, thanks to you. You saved me,” I say, almost laughing at what’s happened. It’s weird to hear myself laugh after what just happened, but I think I’m in some state of shock.
Jaxson pulls me closer to his chest again. “I think I’m falling for you, Elle.” He pulls me in tighter, and I start to feel pain in my lower back. “I think I’m falling for you.”
“Jaxson, you’re starting to hurt me a bit. Just loosen your grip, and we seriously need to call 911.”
He ignores me
