50. Veronica
CHAPTER 50
Veronica
Thump. Thump. Thump.
My heart mimics the same beat as when I was running from the asylum. Afraid that the guards were going to find me and take me back. Except this time, I’m not running from guards. I’m running from the man I’m supposed to be with.
The man who’s supposed to love me.
But the look in his eyes before he told me to run wasn’t the man who loved me. No, it was the monster I created. I think I am more afraid now running in the woods than when I was fleeing the asylum.
If the guards caught me, they would have locked me away in solitary confinement for who knows how long, but Leo? I have no idea what he will do to me if he catches me.
I’m all for fun and punishment, but whatever game he is playing, I don’t think I like it. He used the knife on me before. Maybe this will be something like that again. Running through these woods brings back memories of what happened when we escaped.
When I escaped.
And when I stabbed him and left him lying there in the woods. Perhaps this will be a revenge kink kind of punishment for that day, or maybe this will be a punishment for the things he found out that I kept from him lately.
At least, that’s the story I will tell myself. as I run further into the woods without knowing where I’m headed.
Trees whip past me, and I dodge the low-hanging branches. I pump my arms harder to make me run faster, not daring to look behind me to see how close he is.
Faster and faster, I run, but then I hit a patch of the woods where no moonlight seeps through the trees. A tree root comes out of nowhere, sending me to the ground. I catch myself with my hands, my fingers digging into the dirt.
I stay silent even though my ankle is screaming in pain. I must have twisted it. The forest around me is silent. There are no birds chirping, no footsteps, and the only thing I can hear is the pounding in my chest and my ragged breath, which I’m trying to keep quiet.
That is until I hear him. “Come out, come out wherever you are!”
He sounds like a madman. Not like someone who is doing this for pure fun that leads to sex.
My hand slaps over my mouth to quiet my breathing. I should get up and run, but how far will I make it on an injured ankle? He won’t hurt me, right?
Footsteps grow closer, and I think I stop breathing altogether. The part where I fell is hidden in the dark. I’m hoping he will pass me up without a second glance.
My eyes go wide when he comes into view, the knife dangling at his side while he scans his surroundings. Then, those black eyes land on me, and a wicked grin spreads across his face.