Maybe that makes me a monster, but I don’t care. I know what I want, and I’m willing to hurt for it, die for it … kill for it.
I’ve already stepped over the line, so why would it matter if I keep doing it?
But a little voice inside my head whispers at me in the dark.
Don’t do it. You’ll regret it.
Not for you. You know exactly what you want.
But you’ll regret it … for her.
I frown and glare at the wall in front of me.
Since when do I have a conscience?
I don’t, and no amount of thinking will change that fact.
So I grunt as I turn off the shower, then grab a towel to head back into my bedroom and find sweet relief in her embrace. But the moment I open the door, I’m surprised to find an empty bed.
Open wardrobes.
Clothes scattered all around.
A wide-open door.
Just like my mouth.
Amelia
Through the dark night, I run past the bushes and along the trees, back through the same forest I traversed last time. But this time, I came prepared. I snuck out through the garage after stealing a map from one of the cabinets there. I know exactly where to go now. Not too far away from where I got last time. But now, no guard is on my tail. No one to call me in or chase me down to the beach and catch me just before I make it off.
The guards were having lunch in the kitchen when I escaped, and Eli won’t even notice I’m gone until it’s too late.
With a bolstered heart, I storm through the woods without looking back. Even though every step hurts because of what I’m leaving behind, I don’t dare say that out loud, to ever utter the words “I deserved to be here.”
I can’t. Not until I know the truth.
And for that, I need to go back to the place where it all began. Home.
So I run and run until my breath falters, my legs almost buckle underneath me, and my heart almost beats out of my chest. Even if my body is at its end, I refuse to quit because I know there is a way out. There has to be.
Suddenly, I spot it. The small pier I’ve been looking for, the one on the map.
It isn’t much, just a few wood planks stuck into the water, but there’s a boat attached to a rope. And I’m going to steal it.
Eli
I sprint through the woods as fast as I can with the guards on my tail. I didn’t tell anyone what happened because there was no time. I had to catch up with her, no matter the cost. I knew where she was headed and what she was about to do.
She was going back there, back to where I caught her, but this time, she’d find an exit. The only one I’d left behind in case I’d ever need one. Never has regret been this strong.
Adrenaline pumps through my veins as I try to get there on time. I ran outside in a mere shirt, a pair of boxers, and some loafers. That’s how quick I was to chase her.
And it still isn’t fast enough.
Because the moment I spot her, she’s already halfway on her way across the water in my fucking boat. All by herself, with no one and nothing to help her if she fails to get across.
“Amelia!” I yell as I stand on the beach and watch her turn around.
The look on her face is precious, scornful, yet full of sorrow.
As though it pains her as much to do this.
As though this is a final goodbye.
But if there’s one thing she clearly doesn’t understand about me, it’s that I will never stop hunting her. Not now. Not ever.
Chapter 2
Amelia
The water sloshes around, causing the boat to sway heavily from side to side, and I have trouble holding the railing. The moon is my only light to guide my way across this water. I don’t know where I am or where I’m going, but the way forward is the only way I can take.
Even if I’m alone and scared to death.
I don’t want to think about what happens if I don’t find land soon because this boat carries very few supplies. When I checked the storage, I found a few cans of soup, but that’s it. No phone or anything to contact anyone with, unfortunately. The rest were all supplies for the boat, a simple emergency kit, and a blanket from a waterproof container to keep me warm.
But there is no time to try to get warm in the cold draft rushing over the water because I need to steer the boat in the right direction too often. Strong winds force the boat to turn, sometimes almost capsizing it, and I need all my weight to keep it on track. I’m not trained in boating, so this storm is more frightening than anything I’ve faced.