9. CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER NINE
Huxton
Ilook back to the main building where everyone is evacuated, taking a deep breath.
She’s in there. She’s safe.
I can’t stop thinking about Elise. I can’t stop thinking about last night, how perfect it was. How perfect she was.
I can’t stop wondering if she’s going to hate me for the way I treated her back there.
But I had to do it.
She wouldn’t let me go otherwise. I kept turning around to go back and get her. But I knew if I stayed a second longer, I wouldn’t be able to protect what I’ve worked for.
Once this all passes, I will explain it to her. She’ll understand. I know she will.
The wind howls through the retreat like a beast, shifting my heavy weight with its pure force. I try to stay within the sheltered area, cabins and dense forest acting as shields from the blowing gale.
I work to secure the site quickly, hoping that I too can seek reprieve in the safety of the solid brick building nearby. A glance over my shoulder and I see the lights flickering inside the restaurant.
She’s safe and dry. Get back to work.
My clothes are drenched, the relentless pouring rain causing small rivers across the walkways. The overflowing water leads to the trails where rainfall joins the stream in a gushing flow downhill. Looking across to see the bursting river threatening to spill over, I squint through heavy rain and my heart drops right out of my fucking chest.
I see a flash of light.
It’s moving.
Battling against the wind, I move closer. A heavy chunk of bark flies off a nearby tree and smacks me right across the cheek, but it’s that movement that makes me see a silhouette through the downpour.
“Elise?”
Panic surges through me and I race ahead, losing cover from the strong winds. More flying debris threatens to rip my head off, but I follow the flash of light, hoping I’m just imagining things.
The buildings and cabins were providing shelter from the elements but now I’m exposed. My boots slip in the mud as I approach the bank of the river, and I see Elise downstream. In a panic, she drops the torch in her hand.
“Elise!”
She slips and disappears from my line of sight.
I roar out in panic. “Elise! Get back up here!”
I stumble to the edge of the bank, but it’s too wet. One wrong move and I’ll fall in the heavy current. I’ll be washed up at the bottom of the mountain a dead man.
Where is she? Where is she?!
“Huxton!”
A faint voice comes from downstream. I retreat to solid ground and run parallel with the edge of the bank. A crack of thunder splits the sky, and the rain gets harder. I can’t see her. I can’t fucking see her!
“Huxton! Please, help!”
“Elise! Stay where you are! Keep talking to me, baby, let me hear you!”
Fuck. Where is she? What was she thinking?!
I swear my life flashes before my eyes as I search up and down the riverbank. A sudden gust of wind blows me off balance and that’s when I see it.
A log has fallen over the river, the dark shape of a woman holding on for dear life as the raging torrent splashes around her dangling legs. If she lets go, she’s done for.
I move without thinking. My weight causes me to slip and my stomach flips inside of me. I’m sliding in free fall down the muddy slope, heading straight for the raging river. If I fall in, I’m done for.
“No!” I roar out, unable to control where my body slides.
I feel a sharp rock slice my leg open, pain shooting through me. My hands manage to find a hanging branch to cling onto and I pull myself up. Desperate to get to Elise, I crawl along to the fallen log, locking eyes with her for the first time.
“Huxton!” she cries out, her eyes wide with terror. “Help me! Please!”
“Hold on!” I command, moving towards her without hesitation.
Everything is a blur, adrenaline coursing through me. My eyes won’t focus the blood is pumping so damn fast.
I’ll do anything to save this woman. Anything.
I don’t know how I do it, but I pull Elise up onto the log. It takes every ounce of strength, and I toss her over my shoulder, reaching the safety of solid ground. We collapse together in an exhausted heap, shivering cold and soaked.
“Elise,” I grip her face with both hands and kiss her mouth. “Oh, baby. You’re ok. You’re ok. You’re ok.”
I keep saying the words, convincing myself more than anything.
“My precious girl,” I hold her close, my grip promising to never let go. “What were you thinking?”
There’s no anger in my voice. Just relief.
“I had to help,” she gasps, tears welling her eyes. “I couldn’t let you do this alone. I couldn’t watch you lose everything.”
“You are my everything, Elise,” I say. “Without you, none of this matters.”
“Huxton, I didn’t want to see your dream be destroyed.”
I clutch her hands and hold them to my chest. “You don’t see it, do you? The moment you stepped into my life, you changed everything. You are my dream. You are everything I want in my life. Forever.”
“But what about your father? You were doing this for him, not me. I wanted to help you achieve that.”
“And I still do. But without you…” I lean up on my knees, begging her to listen as I hold both her hands tighter. “Without you, Elise, none of this matters anymore.”
She swipes at her eyes.
“I mean it. I love you. You’re my family now. I want to marry you, have kids with you and start our own dream.”
“I want that, too,” Elise says, tears streaming down her face.
I lean in and press my mouth to her lips, a fierce, desperate kiss. I pull her close to my chest. I’m never letting her out of my sight again. Never.
“You scared the hell out of me, baby,” I say, kissing the top of her head.
She whimpers against my chest, and I just hold her there. I’ll stay like this forever if it means she’s safe. We need to get back to warmth and safety, but I’m not moving from this position. Not yet.
***
The storm lasted all night.
Everyone camped out in the safety of the restaurant, huddled and silent for most of the night. No one got much sleep. It wasn’t comfortable, but we were safe.
Elise stayed wrapped in my arms. I’ve promised to never let her go again, and I damn well mean it. I’ll have nightmares for the rest of my life after seeing the fear in her eyes yesterday.
She’s sitting by the fire as I prepare myself to go and survey the damage. She’s got a blanket wrapped around her as she stares into the flames. A hushed stillness waits outside, but I’m not sure I’m prepared for what comes next.
“You doing ok?” I ask, kneeling down to kiss her.
She smiles up at me, the reflection of the flickering flames dancing in those beautiful eyes. “Yeah, thanks.”
“I’m heading out to take a look around,” I say, holding her hand. “You staying here?”
She gives me a cheeky grin and winks. “Maybe…”
I growl like a bear. “Not funny.”
Elise looks past me, out towards the battered grounds. “It looks bad out there.”
I nod, staring at the fallen structure of me and my father. I worked so hard on it, months of meticulous work, only for it to be destroyed in a matter of moments.
“It’s not going to be pretty. But I need to know where we stand for the Grand Opening. I’ll have to make a call early whether we go ahead or not.”
Elise rises and brushes herself down. “I’ll come with you.” She squeezes my hand as I begin to protest, cutting my words short. “Let’s go.”
We move towards the door, and I see Tracy give Elise a wink. Some kind of girl-code, but I ignore it and hold the door for Elise.
The air feels clean the moment we step out. It’s like it’s been washed, scrubbed raw to start over again. It’s Mother Nature’s way of refreshing the mountain. Elise takes a deep breath, simultaneous to me as we draw the fresh cool air in. I look up, the blue sky visible again, like nothing has ever happened.
But then I take a few more steps along the path.
Elise catches her gasp with her hand. She grips my hand as we step over a fallen branch. My throat closes over, breathing suddenly impossible.
Debris is strewn everywhere. Branches snapped and leaves plastered to the muddy earth. I can hear the river still rushing with a ferocity that scares the shit out of me.
Everything is battered. Everything broken.
We’re fucked.