Chapter 19
Chapter
Nineteen
CAIN
Time’s up.
As reluctant as all three of us are, we need to vacate the premises and head back to civilization.
Back to reality.
The weekend has surpassed all our expectations tenfold, maybe more, but we can’t stretch it out any longer.
This is the end.
I feel… I don’t know. Bereft seems a little ‘extra’, but I can’t find another word that accurately portrays the depth of emotion I feel.
It doesn’t even make sense, but I know Gray and Erik feel the same.
We’ve known Sierra, our little bunny, a matter of days.
Mere hours. Hell, we didn’t even know her name for most of our time together, but she’s left an indelible mark on each of our souls.
And now it’s over.
The terms of the contract with Primal Fantasies are strict. For the protection of all parties, no one is allowed to exchange personal information beyond a first name, and even that’s discretionary.
It’s not quite the end. Any member can approach the company and ask for a statement of interest to be issued, and the recipient can either accept or deny that interest in complete safety.
I understand the need for the rules, of course I do, but they feel suffocating at this moment in time, and it’s made me frustrated.
It doesn’t help that Sierra seems utterly confused about what’s going on.
Plus, despite being given her sizes, the change of clothes we were required to bring along for her to go home in is far too big, making things awkward all around.
Right now, she’s sitting next to me in the rear seat of Gray’s SUV, quiet and withdrawn, and for the life of me, I can’t think of anything to say.
The silence in the car is deafening. I glance over at Sierra, her small frame practically swimming in the oversized t-shirt we provided.
She's staring out the window, her face a mask of uncertainty. I want to reach out and touch her, to offer some kind of comfort, but she’s closed herself off for some reason and I don’t want to make things worse.
Erik clears his throat from the front passenger seat. "So, uh, where should we drop you off?" he asks awkwardly, glancing at her over his shoulder.
Sierra's head snaps around, her eyes wide. "Drop me off?" she repeats, her voice trembling slightly.
Gray's hands tighten on the steering wheel, and he frowns. "Yeah, you know, wherever you need to go. Home, train station, car park, wherever."
She blinks rapidly, looking between the three of us. "I... I um, I thought you’d just take me back to the campsite?"
The confusion in her voice makes my stomach churn. Something isn't right here.
"Campsite?" I lean in closer, keeping my voice low. "Sierra, what campsite are you talking about?"
Her lower lip quivers. "The one where I was staying… I’m not sure I can remember the address.” She bites her lip, her expression one of light panic. “My car’s there…”
Digging my phone out of my pocket, I’m relieved to find we finally have WIFI service and quickly google local campsites.
Why the hell was she camping?
I shake my head. That must just be where she was parked. A convenient area to kick off our fantasy scenario. It’s not for us to question how the company structures their plans. But the fact Sierra can’t remember the name sends a frisson of concern through me.
“Oh! I think it was named after a forest or trees, or something,” she says, perking up slightly.
I glance at the list of options google has popped up with. “Forest Ferns?” I ask, voicing the first possibility.
Her eyes beetle together, and the flicker of positivity she showed a moment ago disappears.
“Um… that doesn’t sound familiar, are there any more?”
“Ah… there’s a Leafy Grove?”
She shakes her head.
“We can take you anywhere, Bunny,” Erik interjects. “Anywhere at all.”
Sierra just stares at him, and I wonder if she’s thrown by his use of the pet name we gave her, now that our fantasy is officially over. “But my car, all my things are there,” she says quietly.
Checking the list again, I ask, “How about Wildwood Retreat?”
“Yes. That’s it!” She brightens immediately, and I give a quiet sigh of relief. I don’t know why it’s so important. I’m not known for being a softy - far from it, in fact, but I have an overwhelming need to know our little bunny is safe when we leave her.
Gray puts the campsite address into the GPS and we drive in tense silence. I guess I’m not the only one lost in thought and frustrated by the restrictions of our contract.
Although…
An idea comes to me, and I dig out one of our company business cards from my wallet.
It’s not a personal one, the contact details are for general enquiries to Dynamic Logistics, the company the three of us own together.
On the back, I write our names, just our first names, which she already knows.
Then, while she’s distracted, looking out of the window, I put the card into the catchall in front of us.
I have no idea if she’ll understand the significance. But it wasn’t there before, and now it is… if she was taking any notice. I figure I’m not breaking any rules by putting it there.
After all, it’s up to her if she takes it or not.
“Well, this is me,” she says awkwardly as we pull into what seems like an almost abandoned campsite. “You can let me out here.”
Gray pulls up and we all get out of the vehicle, but Erik frowns as he looks around, finally saying what I’ve been thinking myself. “Where is everything?”
The only thing here is a squat concrete building which I assume is a shower block, and some hedges where I think I can just about make out a few cars parked. There’s not a person or tent in sight.
“Oh, this is how it’s supposed to be,” Sierra tells us, staring at the ground and digging the toe of her sneaker into the dirt. “It’s not like a regular campsite. The cars are hidden by those bushes, and the tents pitched in individual spaces in the woods.”
“Sierra…” I begin, but she doesn’t let me speak. “I need to hurry and grab my stuff, or I won’t be checked out in time.” Is that a hint of desperation in her voice? Is she glad to be rid of us? Were we too much for her?
I want to pull her into my arms and kiss her, so she knows exactly how I feel, but she doesn’t look like she’ll appreciate it, so I hold back.
“I, ah, I’d better get going. It’s been… yeah.” She trails off as if she’s at a loss, and that small thing feels like a kick in the guts. Finally, she takes a few steps away from us, raising her hand in a half-hearted goodbye, but not actually looking at any of us.
I glance at my friends, who look as stunned as I do, and while we silently agree to watch Sierra until she disappears into the trees, she doesn’t look back.
We’re quiet as we climb back into the SUV, each of us lost in our own thoughts and not wanting to express them because that will make this separation a reality.
Like it’s not already.
But as I strap my seat belt on, a tiny sliver of hope blooms inside me.
The business card is gone.