Page 17

I knew I screwed up when I pulled into my driveway and saw Nick's car sitting there.

Why is he here? If anything I thought he would be so mad at me that he would stop talking to me.

I had no clue what him being here means.

But the part I was most worried about was him seeing what my home had become.

My parents knew him, but he had no idea about the divorce.

I quickly parked my truck and ran into the house.

When I stepped through the front door, I wasn't prepared for what I saw.

My mother was on the couch crying next to Nick who looked at me with wide eyes when I walked into the room.

My father was sitting across from them, and clearly something he said was enough to make my mother burst out into tears.

"Elaine, sweetheart," my father starts, standing abruptly. He's got his back to me, but in the tense line of his shoulders and the way he doesn't turn to face me, I know that something terrible has happened.

"Nick, what...?" I begin, but the words die in my throat as I look at him. His sandy blonde hair is tousled, falling into his eyes - those brown eyes that usually sparkle with kindness. Now they're dark with worry. Despite the heaviness in the room, he gives me a weak smile.

"Your mother..." Nick begins, only to be cut off by my father.

"Has decided it would be best if she moved out," my father finishes for him tersely.

My heart drops. My knees feel weak and suddenly the house feels too small, too confining. But it's not a shock about my parents' decision. It's more about Nick being here, witnessing all this mess.

"I..." I rub the scar on my shoulder anxiously.

"It's okay, Elaine," Nick interjects softly, quickly getting up from the couch and crossing the room to me. I can feel his warmth as he stands next to me. It's comforting, yet it adds another layer of unease to my already chaotic thoughts.

"I didn't mean for you to find out this way," my father says, a touch of regret threading through his tone. He finally turns around to meet my gaze, his eyes reflecting the same turmoil I feel inside.

I want to ask him so many questions—Why now? Why let things fall apart so completely? But I swallow them all down. Instead, I look at Nick, seeking some stability in the storm that's sweeping through my life.

"Elaine," Nick says gently. He places a hand on my shoulder - not the scarred one - grounding me in a way only he can. His touch is familiar and foreign all at once, a contradiction that tugs at something deep inside me.

"I'm ok." I whispered. But the words feel like a lie. Even to me, they sound hollow, bouncing off the walls of our once happy home. Nick's eyes search mine, concern wrinkling his brow.

"I know you're not," he says softly, his thumb brushing lightly against my arm in a comforting rhythm. The sensation sends shivers down my spine, reminding me of a gentleness I haven't felt in a while.

The room falls into an uneasy silence. My father clears his throat and my mother sniffles from her corner of the couch. I can't stand it anymore - their awkwardness, their pity. I feel trapped, the walls closing in on me.

"I need to go," I mumble suddenly, pulling away from Nick's hold and turning towards the door.

"Elaine..." Nick starts but I raise my hand to stop him.

"Not now, Nick." My voice is sharper than I intend it to be. "I... I need some time."

Without waiting for a response, I ran to my truck and slammed the door behind me.

Tires squealing, I race down the road, my heart pounding. My vision blurs as tears well up, threatening to spill over. I grip the wheel tightly, trying to keep myself grounded in the midst of all this chaos. Where am I going? I don't exactly know. Anywhere but here.

As if on autopilot, I find myself driving towards the edge of Oakwood, where the world whispers secrets among the trees. The forest has always been my sanctuary - a place where I can escape from everything and everyone, from my parents' divorce to Nick's confusing presence.

I pull into a small clearing that's dappled with sunlight filtering through the thick canopy of leaves above. The air is cool and fragrant with the scent of pine and earth. It's quiet and peaceful here - a stark contrast to the turmoil inside me.

Utterly drained, I lean back against the driver's seat and close my eyes.

The silence wraps around me like a comforting cocoon.

Tears start to stream down my face. Of course something like that would happen.

It seemed as if the universe didn't want me to have one good thing in my life.

I thought bringing Nick into my life would help me forget about everything at home, but now that he's witnessed it all, he will always pity me for it.

I opened the door to my truck, and ran out into the woods.

Running as fast as my legs could take me, I eventually made it to the pond.

As I stood there, watching the gentle ripples on the surface of the pond, a sense of calm began to wash over me.

The forest around me hummed with life; the rustling of leaves and the distant calls of birds filled my ears.

It felt like I was shedding the weight of the world, leaving it at the edge of the woods where it couldn't reach me.

I sat down at the edge of the pond, pulling my knees up to my chest and wrapping my arms around them. The cool breeze against my skin felt like whispers of reassurance, telling me that not everything was lost. Here, in this secluded spot, I could breathe.

The sun was beginning to set, painting the sky in hues of orange and pink.

It was beautiful, a stark reminder of life's simple pleasures that I often overlooked in the chaos of everyday existence.

But as I watched the sun dip lower, a sudden chill ran through me—not from the evening air, but from a deep feeling that I was being watched.

I looked around me, whipping my head quickly around.

I didn't see anything, but I still couldn't shake the feeling.

I could feel the scar on my shoulder tingle.

Maybe I was having another one of my delusions.

My hand reached up to rub my scar, but before it could get there someone else's hand was placed on top of it.

I screamed at the top of my lungs, and stood so quickly that I stumbled.

Losing my balance, I fell into the pond.

My body quickly sinked below the surface, and I found myself struggling to swim to the surface.

I didn't swim often, and my lack of experience was coming back to bite me.

Suddenly, I saw another body sink below the surface. Dominic.

He swam to me and grabbed me. Dominic pulled our bodies to the surface and I took a huge gasp of air. He pulled me to his chest and gave me a hug.

"Damnit Elaine, you could have drowned." He chastised and sighed.

"Thank you." I whispered. He was right, I could have very well died had he not been there. What is he doing here? Was he the one watching me?

Dominic pulled us on land, and carried me through the forest back to where my truck was parked.

His movements were swift and sure, with an animalistic grace that left me in awe.

The scent of pine and cool dirt was mingled with his own unique musk, a heady aroma that somehow managed to soothe my frayed nerves.

As he set me down gently beside my vehicle, I found myself looking up into his icy blue eyes.

They were filled with concern, the intensity of which took my breath away. A tiny part of me wondered if the tingling sensation on my scar had something to do with this man, this half-stranger who shared a past with me that was as mysterious as the darkening forest around us.

"Dominic," I start, trying to pull away from him, but he tightens his grip on me. Not hurting me, just insisting. His touch makes my skin prickle with a mix of anticipation and fear. "Why were you there?"

He takes a step back and runs a hand through his hair. "Elaine you shouldn't be out here alone." He insisted.

I sighed, but was a little angry that he was telling me what to do. My life is of no concern to him. "I can do whatever I want. Everything was fine until you showed up." I crossed my arms, their presence against my chest giving me comfort.

"What's wrong, Elaine? I felt it," he paused, taking a deep breath, his voice rough. "Your panic...your fear. It hit me like a punch to the gut."

He felt it? What does he even mean? Is he saying that he can feel my emotions? I gave him a confused look, and took a step back from him. This could have been one of his delusions, but how did he know I was panicked? And, how did he know where I was?

Dominic walked forward and placed a hand on my shoulder. A shoot of pain went through my scar, and I stumbled back, falling to the ground. I held my shoulder and let out a yelp.

"Damnit, Elaine. Shit!" Dominic bent down and picked me up off of the ground. "I'm sorry I forgot about my mark." He whispered to me.

His mark? My shoulder stopped hurting, and it was replaced by a comforting warmth.

"What the hell is happening to me?" The thought that was supposed to stay in my head ended up coming out of my mouth.

I started to cry. My life couldn't be more screwed up.

I was being distant from Dominic because of his delusions , but I was having many of my own.

Maybe we were perfect for each other after all.

What am I even thinking? Am I considering him and I as a thing?

Dominic pulled down my tailgate, and instead of placing me down, he sat down and continued to hold me on his lap. "I don't think this is the best place to tell you." Dominic told me.

Why did he care about the location now of all times? He's been wanting to tell me this for a while, practically begging me to listen, but now he is reluctant to tell me.

"What is your problem?" I said in a shout, not meaning for it to come out so harshly.

Dominic's eyes glowed that gold color again and he growled.

He actually growled, an animalistic sound that I have never heard a human make.

My heart started to pound, and it was as if I could feel his annoyance at me.

His eyes quickly shifted back to blue, and I could tell that his annoyance had faded.

"I think it's best if we go back to my place." He said, wiping my wet hair that was on my forehead behind my ears gently. "We are both soaking wet and in the forest in the middle of the night. We need to get dry and warm."

I nodded, agreeing with him. "I'm sorry for yelling." Looking around us, I noticed that his car wasn't here. How the hell did he get here?

Dominic reached into my pockets and grabbed the keys to my truck. "I'm driving. You're too much of a wreck to drive. We are lucky you made it here unharmed in the first place." He said as if he knew what state I was in when I left my house.

He placed me in the passenger seat, and soon we were on the road.