Chapter 28
Caspian
“Abraham?”
“Yes, my love.”
I turn my head toward his voice, the dirt unforgiving beneath my shoulder blades, the threadbare blanket providing only the slimmest amount of comfort.
Abraham’s gaze is aimed upwards, his chest bare, although it’s hard to see him clearly in the dark.
The walls around us block much of the light, even as the stars overhead shimmer.
“Tell me again,” I request of him. “Tell me about our home?”
Abraham turns his face to look at me, a smile both painful and bright appearing.
“It will be small.” His voice is soft, his hand finding mine and pulling it atop his chest, fingers toying with my own.
“A hearth so we may cook and keep warm. Plenty of land surrounding us and a few animals to keep us company.”
“Or keep us fed.”
He chuckles lightly. “That, as well. We will have everything we need, my heart. And nothing we won’t. ”
I understand what he’s saying. We’ll be safe in our home made for two. No one to condemn us. No one to stop us from living the life we want. Together.
“I cannot wait for it,” I tell him truthfully, my chest so tight pulling in a breath is difficult. “I cannot wait to see our life.”
Abraham swallows roughly, rolling toward me on the cold, hard ground. His mouth covers mine, soft and sweet. There’s an apology in it I don’t want.
I want to believe in our future. That it could exist.
I want to believe.
I want.
I open my eyes with a start, my heart racing, the room around me bright. With a groan, I assess my situation. I remember my alarm going off and getting out of bed. But now… I’m on the floor. My knee is aching, most likely a new bruise forming there. Nothing else hurts as far as I can tell.
I take my time pushing upright. First sitting, and then when I’m sure my head isn’t about to swim again, I stand. Sunlight is flooding through the window, brightening the bedroom. A few boxes sit in the corner by the dresser, possessions I haven’t had the time yet to unpack.
The sun…
Oh no .
I’ll be late.
I scramble to get dressed, barely taking the time to brush my teeth and wash my face before I’m out the door.
My heart pounds as I swing my leg over the seat of my mechanical bike, the band around my wrist shifting as I grab the handlebars.
I blink a few times, clearing the memory of darkened, starry skies and warm lips from my mind, and then I pedal.
Miles of nothing pass as I head toward the hiking trails nearby.
Well, not nothing . There are houses, their solar roofs reflecting the light, acres and acres of varying farmland, and even businesses along the road near the center of town.
The school. A few local restaurants. A car-charging station with a couple old gas pumps.
But compared to the city I grew up in, I might as well be in another world.
I take the turn toward the state park I’ve been visiting every morning since I arrived two weeks ago. The sun is nearly in position, and I curse aloud, skidding around the curve into the parking lot. For once, a vehicle is occupying the otherwise-vacant space, and my pulse jumps.
I brake quickly and hop to the ground, my backpack bouncing. There’s not much in it. A satellite phone, in case I lose reception. Water. The portable defibrillator. I tighten the straps so it sits snug on my back, stow my bike near a tree, and jog toward the start of the trails.
Sweat lines my brow as I make my way toward the cliffside a good four miles from the parking lot.
I’m running late, which means I’m moving faster than normal.
I nearly trip over a tree root on the path but right myself at the last second, cursing once again as my knee aches, still sore from my fall this morning.
Calm down, Caspian .
There’s no telling if today is even the day. He hasn’t shown up before.
But there’s a truck in the parking lot. It could be him.
Or it could be anybody.
I shake off my thoughts and focus on the trails, the path familiar to me now.
It’s a nice day, the temperature in the mid-sixties, the trees around me letting in dappled light and the area quiet, save the occasional small animal I hear but don’t see.
Finally, after nearly forty minutes, I reach the incline that leads to the top of the cliff .
It took me an entire day to find it the first time, not having a concrete idea of where to look. All I had were clues. An image of tan rock underfoot. A view of a river and trees along both sides. Scattered branches on the ground and leaves that helped me identify the tree species in the area.
And the man. Of course, the man.
I had the general location narrowed down over a year ago, but it was the trail marker I finally saw that led me here to this town. To these trails specifically. And to this cliff.
I look out over the river now, the foliage green and lush below. The sun cuts through the area where I’m standing, bathing half of the rock shelf in light. It’s nearly time. I set down my backpack and take in a breath before turning.
He hasn’t shown yet. It’s only been two weeks, but each day, I’ve stood here and waited. And nothing. The sun moves on, and no man.
It has to be soon. Before the leaves change color. It has to be…
A crack has me stilling, my heart feathering so quickly I can feel it in my chest. Another soft crack, like a twig breaking. Footsteps, maybe.
I hold my breath, every hair on my arms standing on end. There’s a flash of muted color that appears from around a bend of trees. Dark hair and a broad body. Eyes rising to mine and surprise flashing before his footsteps falter.
I stare at him, not sure if this is even real. Is it real this time? Is it happening?
“Hi,” I breathe.
He blinks once, a good couple dozen feet away from me. “Um, hi.” His voice is deep. It rolls over me, so much different in person. So much more alive. “I didn’t expect to find anyone here. ”
He offers a small smile, his eyes flicking to my backpack on the ground. It must reassure him to see me with hiking gear because he continues walking up the path toward the clifftop.
I can’t stop staring.
“Nice day.” He tugs his water free, gulping down a few mouthfuls before looking over at me.
I haven’t said another word.
“What’s your name?” I ask hoarsely, dying to know the answer. I’ve been wondering for so very long.
He caps his water. “Lee. Nice to meet you…?”
The end of his sentence hangs as he holds out his hand, a clear question there. I accept his palm, so warm and solid and real.
His answer catches up to me, and I huff a disbelieving laugh. “Your name is Lee?”
“Um. Yes?”
Our hands part, and he watches me curiously before prompting me again.
“And you are?”
I pull in a shaky breath, smiling as genuinely as I can. “It’s nice to meet you, Lee. I’m Caspian.”
He nods once, looking out over the valley below us. The sun glitters off the surface of the river, the scene idyllic.
I can’t believe he’s here.
The silence stretches, and he glances at me again, his eyes skipping from me to my bag to my wrist before making a return trip to my face. “You all right?”
I nod, although I can’t blame him for asking. I probably look like I’m in shock.
“It’s just… I’ve been waiting such a long time,” I tell him.
His brow furrows. “For?”
My breath puffs out, another small laugh. “You. ”
He stills, a hint of wariness entering his expression. “Pardon?”
“Do you believe in fate, Lee?”
He turns to face me fully now, on guard. I don’t worry about it. I know he won’t run. His voice is calm and steady, despite his visible caution. “What do you mean?”
“Fate,” I say again. “I knew you’d be here.”
“Right… And, uh, who are you again? I haven’t seen you around.”
“I’m Caspian. I just moved here.”
His hand flicks momentarily toward his pocket. Where his phone is, maybe? His eyes never leave mine, even as I stay perfectly still. “Are you a threat to me, Caspian?”
I bark a laugh. “No. Never that.”
“How’d you know I’d be here?”
My smile is weak. Strained. “I just did. You don’t have to be scared of me.”
“Yeah, well, you’re not making a whole lot of sense.”
I know. I’ve been hearing that my entire life.
He shifts subtly, keeping a respectable distance between us. “You knew I hiked here? Yet you didn’t know my name?”
I shake my head slowly. “No, I didn’t.”
“But you were waiting. For me.” He glances toward the diverging trails that lead away from here, most likely deciding his safest course of exit. “Why?”
I let out a slow breath. “You have a pacemaker, isn’t that right?”
He goes still, his entire body tense. “What?”
“There’s a pacemaker nestled against your heart.”
“How do you know that?” His words are spoken ever so slowly. Carefully. There’s a flicker of fear on his face now, but still, I know he won’t run. And I need him to understand. To not be afraid.
Of me.
Of this.
I clear my throat. “In two minutes, your pacemaker will fail, Lee.”
He blinks at me, his chest rising and falling. “What are you talking about?”
“It’ll fail.”
“No. It’s in perfect working order. I just had a check a couple weeks ago.”
I shake my head, licking my lips and wishing I had my own water bottle in hand to wet my throat, but I don’t dare grab it now and risk startling him. “I’m sorry, but it’ll fail.”
“Look… I don’t know who the fuck you are or how you know private information about me you shouldn’t, but stay away from me, all right? I’m going to go, and—”
“You won’t,” I tell him, sure of it. I know it in my bones.
I’d bet my very life on it. “You’ll stay right here with me, and you’ll go into cardiac arrest in just over a minute.
But I promise you it’ll be okay. I wish I could explain, but I don’t have the time.
I’ll tell you everything when I can, but for now, I need you to stay calm, and I think it would be wise if you sat down. ”
I know he won’t, but I try anyway.
He shakes his head again, taking a step back. One of his boots is in the light slanted across the rocky cliff, the other in shadow. My chest constricts, but I push away my fear. I know it’ll be okay. I know it.
“Listen.” His voice is low, as if speaking to a spooked animal. “I don’t know you, and I don’t know how you possibly know me. But you’re freaking me out. ”
“I know,” I tell him sadly. “Just please…remember I’m here to help, okay? I mean, look at me.” I open my arms wide. “You could easily overpower me, right? I’m no danger.”
He takes another step back toward the trails, both boots in shadow now.
Twenty seconds.
“For what it’s worth,” I tell him, “I’m so glad to finally meet you. It feels as if I’ve been waiting for this all my life. I just wish… I wish it didn’t have to be like this.”
He stares at me blankly, and I see the first flicker in his eyes that something’s wrong. “I don’t… Why are you here?”
He takes another stumbling step backward, his water bottle falling from his fingers as he blinks several times.
My smile is both sad and resigned. “I’m here to save your life.”
Lee swallows heavily, his eyes losing focus. He looks as if he wants to say something, but then he’s dipping toward the ground. He catches himself on one knee, as I’ve seen him do dozens of times before. Hundreds, maybe. Brown eyes meet mine, genuine terror there.
“It’ll be okay,” I promise him, voice cracking.
Lee’s heart stops as I watch, the man pitching onto the rocky ground. With my own chest in a vise, I grab my backpack and do exactly what I came here to. What I’m meant to.
I bring Lee back to life.