Page 74 of Carved Obsession

“There.” He taps on a brown blob on the screen. “It’s a cabin of some sort. And I think we’re around here.” He points to a spot that’s not quite that far. At least, not on his screen.

“Are you sure about this?”

“Do you have any other ideas, Scarlet? Because we sure as fuck can’t walk back to Queenscove, and going back to the main road will take much longer than reaching this cabin.”

“Wow...not sure you’ve ever spoken so many words in a row to me before.” I take a dig at him.

His nostrils flare as he fixates on me. My breath catches in my chest. Without another word, he turns and walks back to his car, kneeling inside it again. He still says nothing as he rises and walks away, passing the tree line and moving into the forest.

“Wait!” I stop him, running back to the car to grab the briefcase with my laptop.

It’s slightly banged up, but I’m confident it’s fine. He looks at me, then the case, but turns around without asking about it.

Why do I have a feeling I’m in for a hard, brutal night?

Because you basically asked for it, silly woman.

Chapter 20

Scarlet

I’m not sure how long we’ve been walking, but I’m convinced of one thing—Carter Pierce was born in utter silence.

It’s the only explanation for how comfortable he is with this lengthy silence.

He found out I’ve been breaking into his car, business, and house. That I’ve been following him. Messing with him. I stole from him. Caused this car crash. Stranded us in the middle of a forest during a damn monsoon. And he hasn’t spoken one word to me since we began walking.

Either he’s using this time to plan a fantastic revenge, or...

I got nothing.

I’m uncomfortable. Nervous. And, frankly...cold. This damn storm isn’t doing me any favors.

The ground beneath my feet is so wet, there’s no crunch when I step over the leaves, twigs, and whatever else lies on this forest floor. It’s dangerously slippery, and the last thing I need right now is to get injured. Again.

The dull throb in my side seems to intensify at times, and I can’t help but feel a little worried. I don’t care much when I hurt myself, but I’m not usually stuck in the middle of nowhere with no access to medical care.

I need a distraction.

“Can you slow down, please?” He’s only a couple of paces ahead, but in the heavy downpour, my words don’t travel. “Carter!” I shout.

He whips around, his gaze urgently searching the forest before he finally settles on me.

“Are you okay?” he asks, the words low yet alert.

“I just wanted you to slow down.”

“We can’t.”

“Well, I can’t walk as fast as you. You’re taller. You cover more distance with your gigantic steps, and I’m slipping all over the place.”

It’s too dark here to read his expression, but my imagination runs wild. Is he scowling? Rolling his eyes? Or maybe he’s sweetly sympathetic.

I almost audibly scoff at the ridiculousness of the latter.

Carter turns and continues walking. No answer. No acknowledgment. I smile when his pace slows, allowing me to catch up. But he’s still quiet, focused on our non-existent path ahead or his phone, and I’m getting more fidgety by the minute.

“Okay, can we get this over with?” I plant my feet in the mud, clutching my temples before I throw my hands to the sides as he turns excruciatingly slowly toward me. “I can’t take this anymore! This charged...silence. Just lay it on me!”