Chapter 25
Chapter Twenty-Five
Sloan
Beck’s tucking me under his arm, directing us out of the sunflower field toward Quinn and Asher to the corn maze.
This has become my new favorite place to be. In his warm embrace. What is this man doing to me?
My heart is still beating rapidly, at his confession.
Beck wants me. Not Sutton.
When we catch up to Quinn and Asher, Quinn loops her arm with mine, pulling me away from Beck, as we get in line for the maze.
“Girl, spill!” Quinn whispers.
“There’s nothing to spill,” I giggle.
“Lies. All lies. You’re blushing.” Quinn pokes my cheek.
“Nothing happened, Q. We were just talking.” I shake my head at her antics.
“We’re next, Q. Little Dove, stays with me,” Beck declares, intertwining our fingers together.
“We’re going in as a group, Beckett,” Quinn sasses.
“I know. But Sloan stays with me.”
“Come on, Q.” Asher grabs her hand, walking ahead of Beck and me.
We wander through the corn maze, the air is thick with the earthy scent of damp soil and the musty scent of crushed cornstalks.
Towering walls of green and beige extend high above me overhead, creating a maze of narrow, weaving paths that disappear into the dense brush.
It’s deathly silent, other than the rustling of the leaves swishing softly in the breeze as the stalks brush against each other. It’s eerie and kind of terrifying.
The sun has set. The soft, fractured glow of the moon overhead is the only bit of light illuminating the path but everything is getting darker the deeper into the labyrinth we go.
Asher and Quinn must have gone a different way because we lost them a little bit ago.
“Marco!” Quinn shouts from who knows where.
“Polo.” I laugh, but the hair on my arms is standing up.
I can’t see where the hell they went. My own hand isn’t hardly even visible in front of my face. Why did I think a maze in the dark was a good idea? Especially when I’ve been so on edge lately.
Beck’s been walking in front of me, my hand clutched in his. Taking us to every dead-end corner I think this place has. I almost stumble into him every time we meet a roadblock.
“She can hear me!” I hear Quinn shout.
“I think every human and animal on this farm can hear you, Q.” I hear Asher laugh out loud.
“I seriously hate you, Ash!” Q’s voice seems much closer than it was a minute ago.
“Marco,” I chirp.
“Polo! There you are,” Quinn squeals, pulling me in close. She links our arms together, making my hand leave Beck’s. “Let’s try to get out of this thing. I feel like we’ve been in here for hours.”
“I think the whole thing is a bunch of dead-ends. I don’t even think there’s an exit. It’s all a lie,” I giggle.
Quinn and I are trying to find the exit while clinging to each other. Tracing our fingers with our free hands through the cornstalks as we walk. Hoping it might give us some sort of sense of direction.
I keep reaching out my hand in the hopes of finding Beck, but somehow he and Ash got separated from us. Quinn and I are walking into what seems like another dead-end wall. But the wall moves.
A blood curdling scream rips out of my body when a hand grips my arm, which has Quinn screaming too.
“What the fuck? They don’t have actors hiding in here,” Quinn squeals.
My ears start ringing and my heart beats rapidly in my chest out of fear. I only freeze for a second before I twist my wrist so hard out of the grip and throw four punches and a knee at whoever is standing in front of me.
A loud groan is all I hear before I take off running with Quinn’s hand in mine. Brushes of cornstalk hit against my arms and face but I don’t care. I need to get the hell out of here.
The adrenaline coursing through my blood stream has me pumping my legs so hard.
I don’t think I’ve ever run this fast. Quinn keeps up, running next to me.
Her fingers laced in mine, keeping me somewhat present in the moment.
We finally make it out on the other side of the maze in what feels like an eternity but really is only a couple minutes.
We’re both bent over panting. Our eyes searching the exit of the maze for the guys to show up.
“What just happened? Where the hell did the guys go?” Quinn says in between deep breaths.
“Someone grabbed me. What if my ex…” I drop to my knees and start sobbing.
My vision is starting to go black. I’m not even sure if I’m breathing. I might be hyperventilating.
“Oh, honey.” Quinn pulls me tightly in an embrace and I cling so tight to her.
“You’re safe. You got us out of there. You kicked ass. I’m so proud of you. Shh, I got you, Sloan. Deep breaths, sweet girl,” Quinn coos in my ear, rubbing small circles on my back as I continue to full body sob in her arms.
“What is happening?” Asher barks when he finally makes it out of the maze.
Beck is walking behind him slowly
“Hey. Sloan, it’s okay. What happened?” Asher softens, kneeling down to question me.
“I…I felt…” I stammer. “I felt…someone grab me…I…did what you guys showed me…”
“Fuck,” Asher hisses under his breath, his eyes wandering back to Beck.
“Why the hell are you…” Quinn starts, looking over at Beck. “Oh shit.”
“What?” I barely get out, looking up.
Why is Beck holding his groin?
He hobbles closer to us and everything clicks into place. “You!”
“Fuck, Sloan. I’m so sorry, I wasn’t thinking. I thought it would be funny to hide and scare you girls,” Beck apologizes, so much guilt written on his face.
“Are you kidding me, Beckett?” Quinn yells, gently releasing me from her arms. “I should kick you in the balls myself for being so fucking stupid. You know she’s been skittish since the moment we met her.”
“Lower your voice, Q. There are kids around,” Asher reminds Quinn.
“You stay out of this.” She shoves her finger into Asher’s chest.
Getting up from off of the ground, I walk toward Beck.
“What the hell is wrong with you,” I yell, punching him in the stomach.
“I said I was sorry,” Beck huffs.
“Sorry isn’t fucking good enough, Beckett. You know you can’t do that shit to me. I thought the worst possible thing—that James found me! That he was grabbing me, and I was so fuckin’ terrified it never even crossed my mind it could be you,” I berate him.
“Fuck. I thought it would be funny. I knew you were with Quinn. I knew you weren’t alone. It was a prank. I wasn’t thinking. I’m sorry,” Beck apologizes.
“You should know better, Beck.” I let out an exasperated sigh.
“I know, I fucked up. I really am sorry.” Beck’s voice breaks.
“I can’t right now.” I shake my head in disappointment—at Beck and myself.
Turning away, I start walking back toward the car. I need some space. I don’t want to make a bigger scene. My heart is still racing and my hands are trembling. If I was anyone else, that would’ve been a funny prank.
Lost in my thoughts, I realize I’m at fault too. I probably need to tell all of them more about my past so they can understand. But I’m not sure how much to tell, how much is safe to share. I just need a minute to gather my bearings.
The panic attacks started not long after I started dating James.
Being around him always gave me so much anxiety, both at work and home.
It always took me a few minutes to regulate my breathing, for my ears to stop ringing and my vision to stop tunneling.
Usually, I was able to come back to myself from the attacks, though it’s better without James around.
“Sloan, wait up,” Quinn says, catching up to me when I’m only a few feet from the car. “I’m sorry if I said something that hurt you. I didn’t intend to. I love Beck but he just doesn’t think sometimes. Too many hits to the head.”
“I’m right behind you,” Beck grumbles so close behind us.
“I know,” Quinn snaps at Beck.
A loud sigh leaves Beck. Followed by a chuckle from Asher that quickly turns into a groan from Beck jabbing him in the ribs.
The car lights up and turns on when we get close and I pause. Halting in my tracks.
“Automatic starter, it’s okay, Sloan,” Asher assures me.
Beck opens the car door for me so I climb in. I slide all the way across the back seat so Quinn can slide in after me, except Beck’s large frame fills the seat next to me. He pulls the door shut, locking it.
“What are you doing?” I squeak out.
“Yeah, Beckett. Get in the front.” Quinn berates him through the window.
“Sit in the front, Q. I need to talk to Sloan,” Beck commands.
“You get in the front,” Quinn says, hitting the window with the side of her fist.
Asher rolls down the passenger window. “Sugar, get your ass in my front seat.”
“What did you just call me?” Quinn rips open the front door and jumps in, reaching across the center console and grabbing Asher by the shirt.
It’s the most mischievous grin I’ve ever seen on Asher’s face. “Ooooh, so scary! You heard me, Sugar. Now sit.”
“You both need a swift kick in the dick,” Quinn snarls.
“You know I love it when you talk like that to me, Sugar. Now buckle up,” Asher demands, removing her hand from his shirt.
“Make me,” Quinn snaps back.
Asher chuckles deviously, “You’re such a brat.”
He gently situates Quinn in her seat, putting her seat belt on for her before he pulls out of the parking lot.
I’m trying so hard not to laugh at the tension between them I almost forget that Beck’s sitting next to me, just staring at me. I sigh, turning to face him.
“I am really fucking sorry I scared you. You’re getting way too good at those upper cuts,” Beck states, rubbing his stomach and grimacing.
“I’m sorry I freaked out,” I offer.
In all honesty though, it didn’t even register that it could’ve been Beck. I was getting so anxious that we weren’t finding our way out of there and it was so dark. Sometimes the dark plays tricks with your mind.
The car is awkwardly silent as we drive down the highway back to Pittsburgh. After what feels like an eternity of Beck’s eyes searing a hole into the back of my head while I keep my head turned away, Quinn breaks the silence.
“Would you be comfortable sharing at least some things with us? We can’t help keep you safe if we don’t know anything. We’ve just kind of gathered you’re running.”