Chapter 12: Take Me to the Woods Where it is Just Us Two

~“Lie and tell myself I can make it on my own. Making it alone is lonely.” —Liz Longley.~

Chapter Theme Song: “Rescue My Heart” by Liz Longley.

HARMONY

“Blaze!” I clutch my seatbelt, my heart pounding in my throat as he takes another sharp turn, making my head spin.

He’s laughing in his seat, stealing glances at me with amusement. One hand is on the steering wheel, the other gripping the gearstick.

“Please slow down,” I plead. He grins, the wind tousling his hair as he presses harder on the gas.

I close my eyes. ~Why did I agree to this?~

My biggest regret since starting at Homewood was letting Blaze Xander kiss me. The second biggest was getting into his car fifteen minutes ago.

He’s not just speeding—he’s ~rocketing~ down the highway, completely ignoring the speed limit and the fact that I’m about to have a panic attack.

“Blaze...” I look at him with wide, scared eyes. He seems to enjoy hearing me whimper his name, because he only goes faster, a look of pure delight on his face.

“You want me to go slow...or faster?” He tilts his head, looking at me with a suggestive glint in his blue eyes.

I pretend not to get the double entendre, blinking and focusing on the road ahead as my cheeks turn bright red.

“Tell me.” He chuckles, and I press my lips together.

“If you don’t tell me what you want, I’ll only go harder, Harmony.” He grins. “So, do you want me to go slow or faster?”

I refuse to answer, knowing exactly what he’s trying to do. I might be inexperienced when it comes to sex, but I’m not oblivious to flirting.

“Okay.” He steps on the gas and I close my eyes, gripping the seatbelt tighter, biting my lip to hold back a scream.

He laughs, shaking his head as he adjusts the handbrake, pressing harder on the gas.

My heart is pounding in my chest as I try to breathe calmly, feeling like my life is about to flash before my eyes.

The cold wind stings my cheeks and makes my eyes water, and I fight back a sniffle.

I’m starting to think the guy next to me isn’t sane. His mood has been all over the place today and I can’t keep up.

And now it looks like I’m about to die in a car crash when I should be at an International Fiction lecture.

He’s practically flying now and my limbs are shaking from fear. Blaze glances at my trembling thighs and smiles to himself, then looks out the window before pressing down on the gas again.

He takes a wild turn and I grab onto the window ledge with one hand, the other instinctively reaching for his bare bicep.

I pull my hand away quickly, as if I’ve touched a hot stove, and he laughs as I close my eyes in fear.

“More stubborn than I thought, huh?”

“Stop,” I mumble.

“Stop what?”

“Driving so fast.” My words are barely above a whisper. Any louder and I might throw up all over his car.

He smirks, his blue eyes sparkling with mischief. “So you want me to go slow then?”

I nod, leaning back into the seat. “Yes.”

“Yes, what?”

I look at him, and he raises an eyebrow. “What are you saying yes to?”

I swallow, deciding to play along with his game. “Go slow.”

His lips spread into a wide smile at my surrender, and he immediately eases off the gas, slowing the car down to a reasonable speed.

“Was that so hard?” He chuckles, showing off his white teeth.

I let out a breath, my breathing finally returning to normal. I lick my dry lips, the cool midday wind having dried them out, and finally let go of the seatbelt.

Blaze glances at my thighs briefly before looking back at the road, a smile playing on his lips. “Nice birthmark.”

I look down to see that my dress has ridden up, revealing the strawberry-shaped birthmark on my inner thigh. My face turns as red as the mark as I quickly pull my dress down, turning to look out the window.

~Jesus, why did I agree to this?~

The view outside is beautiful. It calms my nerves and makes me forget about the earlier discomfort.

We’re now driving past a lush forest, the scent of pollen and blooming flowers filling the air.

The sound of birds chirping drowns out the roar of Blaze’s engine and suddenly, I’m enjoying the ride.

“Where are we going?” I ask him, smiling and revealing small dimples in my cheeks.

“You’ll see.” He turns up the radio, and the song “Don’t go Breaking my Heart” by Elton John and Kiki Dee fills the car.

I turn back to the window, taking in the beautiful scenery and the pleasant smell of the forest.

The soft sound of fingers tapping on leather, followed by some truly ~terrible~ singing, pulls my attention back to Blaze.

He’s bobbing his head and singing along to the music, clearly having a great time. I watch him, trying not to laugh at his awful singing.

He’s handsome, he’s got a great body, but singing? He should definitely leave that to the professionals.

He’s...~odd~.

One minute he’s yelling at someone, the next he’s smiling. One moment he’s threatening to stab a professor, and now he’s happily dancing in his seat like he doesn’t have a care in the world.

Watching him like this is a sight to behold, and before I know it, I’m grinning.

He’s a riot, drumming his hands on the steering wheel and swaying his hips like he’s auditioning for a Magic Mike sequel every time the female part of the song comes on.

~“Don’t go breaking my heart. I couldn’t if I tried.”~

I can’t hold back my laughter anymore, a small giggle escaping as I turn my gaze to the window.

“What?” He glances at me, a wide grin on his face.

“Nothing.”

“Nah, it’s something,” he chuckles, and I can’t help but smile at how handsome he looks when he’s laughing.

“It’s just that you’re a terrible singer.” I laugh, and he feigns shock, hand dramatically clutching his chest.

“I’ll have you know that Jay Z and Justin Bieber have both offered me contracts. I just haven’t signed them yet. I have to be careful with my talent, you know? Make sure I’m making the right choices.”

I giggle, nodding in mock understanding. “Oh. Yeah, sure. I get you.”

He laughs. “Sarcasm at its finest.”

“It’s not sarcasm.” I snicker. “I just agreed. So maybe...you’re just insecure.”

His mouth drops open in exaggerated surprise, and I blush, covering my face with my hands as I laugh.

“Oh no, you didn’t. Have you forgotten who’s driving?!” He grins widely. “Have you forgotten? Hmm? Should I speed up again? Should I? Okay then.”

“No, no!” I reach out my hands and he chuckles, throwing his head back in laughter. I can’t help but smile as I settle back into my seat.

I shake my head. “Are you going to keep using this speeding thing against me?”

“Yeah.” He shrugs nonchalantly. “Especially since I hate going slow. I prefer going hard...and fast.”

I glance at him, noticing that he’s already watching me with an intense look in his eyes.

Seeing the powerful glint in his gaze, I quickly look away, focusing on the scenery outside my window. We’re turning onto a narrow dirt road, surrounded by tall, green trees.

Why did I think we’d end up at the beach or somewhere other than a forest? ~Is this where I die?~

He parks the car and turns off the engine, the quiet stillness of the forest enveloping us.

“Where are we?” I ask, a hint of suspicion in my voice as I unbuckle my seatbelt. It’s a little late to be scared now, isn’t it?

“Well, we’re at the spot where I kill you and dump your cute little body in a river, then light up a cigar and head back to school.”

My mouth falls open and he bursts into laughter, easily stepping out of the car and stretching with a groan.

His shirt rides up and I catch a glimpse of a small, scripted tattoo on his waist, just below his stomach and near his groin. Before I can make out what it says, his shirt falls back into place.

“I’m kidding, green eyes. We’re at the place where I answer the question you asked me earlier at school.” He rests his hand on the driver’s door. “So don’t look so scared.” He laughs again.

“Oh. Okay.” I purse my lips and slide out of the seat, closing the door behind me.

He puts his beanie back on and walks around to my side, extending his hand to me. “Take my hand, you don’t know your way around here.”

I stare at his perfect fingers for a moment, a silver cross ring adorning his middle and forefinger. The thought of skin-to-skin contact with him makes me a little nervous, but I push the silly feelings aside and place my hand in his.

Our fingers intertwine and he gives my hand a gentle squeeze, smiling with what looks like admiration. “Your hand is small.”

I try not to blush at his words as I search for a response. “Yours is...~warm~.” I mentally face-palm at the adjective I chose.

His smile doesn’t falter as he looks into my eyes, his pupils noticeably dilated.

“Imagine how it’d feel on other parts of your body.”

My eyes widen at his words, and he bursts into laughter, clutching his stomach.

~That joke was...very suggestive.~

“I’m kidding, Harmony. Jesus, your face is priceless,” he says between laughs, shaking his head in amusement.

I manage a small smile. His laughter is infectious, enough to make even the grumpiest person crack a smile.

“Well, anyone would react that way. That was very...sexual,” I try to defend myself.

He’s still smiling but doesn’t say anything as he gently pulls me along with him.

We walk in silence through the forest, the only sounds being the crunch of sticks under our feet and the chirping of birds in the trees.

I must be crazy. Skipping school to spend time with this stranger. Whatever spell he’s cast on me needs to wear off soon or it’s going to interfere with my education.

I’ve never skipped a class before, and it’s only the second week of college. Missing a lecture is not the best way to start the semester.

Being around Blaze Xander is changing me into someone I don’t recognize, and I don’t know how to stop it.

I have to admit, his hand feels good in mine, like they were made to fit together. Like pieces of a puzzle that’s been waiting to be solved.

Being with him, even though I know it’s not a good idea, gives me a strange sense of peace.

“Do you know what they say?” His voice breaks the silence, pulling me out of my thoughts. “They say you can tell how fast a person’s heart is beating just by holding their hand...”

My face lights up at this new information. “Really?”

“Yeah, and your heart is racing right now.” He smiles at me, and I blush, looking down at the ground.

Well, he’s not wrong. My heart is pounding. Not just because I don’t know if this is the day I die, but because Blaze Xander has that effect on you.

He makes you nervous, and his presence is naturally intimidating because of his striking good looks.

We finally pull up to an old, weather-beaten house, its exterior covered in a thick layer of ferns. It’s a two-story structure, with cream-colored cement walls and rusted white windows that look like they’ve seen better days.

I glance around, noticing the lack of any neighboring houses, and a wave of unease washes over me.

~Why did he bring me to this secluded place? Is he planning to...hurt me?~

“Your heart rate’s going up,” he comments casually. “Why?”

“I...I think I forgot something in the car...” I stutter, pointing a shaky finger behind me, halting in my tracks. “I need to go back and—”

Blaze chuckles knowingly, and a chill runs down my spine as he turns to face me, his vacant eyes locking onto mine. “Are you trying to escape?”

I swallow hard.

“Do you even know how to get back to school, Harmony? Do you even know where we are?” He smirks, tilting his head back slightly.

“I...I have class at—”

“I’m not going to hurt you. I thought you trusted me, considering you rode with me all this way. Seemed pretty comfortable.”

I press my lips together, his words holding a kernel of truth. I didn’t start to mistrust him until we arrived in this forested area.

Now I realize how foolish I was to get in a car with a guy I’ve only known for a week.

My gaze shifts back to the dilapidated house behind him, my eyebrows knitting together in worry. “Then why are we here?”

He shrugs lightly, taking in my anxious expression. “I told you. To answer the question you asked at school.” He tightens his grip on my hand. “I won’t hurt you.”

I sigh. I’m already here. The best I can do is to comply, hoping that if he has any intention of killing me and dumping my body here, my obedience might change his mind.

Earlier, I felt like a character in ~The Vampire Diaries~, but now I feel like a girl from a Lifetime movie who lets her guard down, trusts the ‘hot’ guy at school, and ends up being taken to a remote cabin and murdered for his own twisted pleasure.

Blaze opens the weathered wooden door, which creaks as it swings against the cracked walls of the house.

I scan the surrounding woods one last time for any signs of life, but it seems we’re the only ones here. Which means no one will be around to witness my potential murder.

I make a silent promise to myself that if I survive this, I’ll never get into a car with a good-looking guy who carries a knife in his backpack again. Lesson learned.

The floorboards groan under our weight as we step inside. Surprisingly, the interior isn’t as rundown as the exterior, though it’s devoid of any furniture.

Blaze brushes aside hanging cobwebs as I trail behind him, taking in the vast emptiness.

“What is this place?” I ask, looking around.

He collapses onto the floor with a weary sigh, leaning his back against the wall and resting an arm on his bent knee. “The place I used to live.”

I stare at him in surprise. “Really?”

He nods casually. “But it’s old now, as you can see.”

I sit down in front of him, tucking my legs beneath me. “You lived in the woods?”

He laughs, and I can’t help but smile. “No, I didn’t live in ‘the woods.’ There weren’t many trees back then. It’s just abandoned and overgrown now. I used to have neighbors, but they’ve all moved away.”

I look around the house, nodding thoughtfully. “Oh...” I meet his gaze, which is still fixed on me. “Why did you move?”

He leans his head back against the wall, shrugging nonchalantly. “Because my mom blew her brains out, I guess.”

My expression softens. How can he talk about such a tragic event so casually?

“I’m sorry.” I lower my gaze.

“For what?”

There it is again. I can’t tell if he’s genuinely unaffected or if he’s just hiding his pain.

“Your mom...,” I reply. “That she...did that.”

“There’s no need to feel sorry for me. I’m not hurt at all.”

I slump my shoulders in confusion. “How can you not be? I don’t understand.”

He shrugs. “I guess I’m like a broken robot a kid has to return because it just doesn’t work.”

I stare at him. His words seem to hold a deeper meaning. Is he saying he’s broken?

“Why do you think you’re like a broken robot?” I ask softly.

He pulls off his hat, running a hand through his silky hair before putting it back on. “Because I just am.”

I shake my head in disagreement. “You’re not broken. Maybe...you just need new batteries?” I shrug, offering a small smile. “Or maybe you just need to be recharged?”

He doesn’t laugh at my attempt at humor, doesn’t even crack a smile, and I quietly drop my gaze.

When I look back up, he’s still watching me silently, his forehead creasing slightly before smoothing out again.

I catch a fleeting glimmer of what looks like admiration in his eyes, but it disappears so quickly that I wonder if I imagined it.

He’s so odd; the way he can switch off his emotions in an instant is baffling. I can’t tell if he’s doing it on purpose.

Then he starts to move towards me, and my eyes widen in anxiety as my smile fades into a nervous line. ~Why is he getting so close?~

His gaze is stern, filled with intensity, and it’s hard to maintain eye contact without feeling a knot tighten in my stomach.

He continues to inch closer until I have no choice but to lie back on the warm ceramic floor, my body starting to tremble uncontrollably.

He moves his toned body over mine, his leg nudging mine apart so he can settle between them. My heart pounds wildly, wondering what I've done to deserve this sudden intimacy.

His necklace slips free from the confines of his tank top, brushing against my chin as I look up at him with wide, scared eyes.

Just as I open my mouth to question his actions, he grabs both my arms and pins them above my head with ease.

My breath catches in my throat, and he smirks down at me, his lips looking so much softer from this angle.

His gaze locks onto my mouth, his eyes darkening and becoming intense.

“What did I say about trying to read me, Harmony?”

His low voice sends a chill down my spine, causing goosebumps to instantly cover my skin. I hate when he uses that strange tone; it frightens me. And we're the only ones here in this unfamiliar place. It’s unnerving.

“Sorry...,” I mumble, unsure if he’s expecting an apology or something else.

All I know is that I need to get through this night. I just need to survive this evening and make it back to Homewood, and then I’ll heed everyone’s advice. I’ll keep my distance.

~I really will keep my distance.~

“When you do that...you make me want to do really bad things to you,” he whispers, and heat floods my neck, spreading across my cheeks.

With one hand still holding my wrists above my head, his free hand comes down to cup my cheek. My chest rises and falls with quick breaths as I close my eyes, feeling his thumb stroke my face.

“Open your eyes,” he commands, and I immediately comply, afraid of what might happen if I don’t.

“I’m going to answer your question,” he continues, “but I’ll only say this once, so listen carefully.”

I feel his finger tracing circles on the side of my neck.

“You wanted to know if I would really slit Mr. Jones’s throat, right?”

I nod hesitantly, unsure if I still want to hear his answer. I’m already terrified by the situation I’m in. I don’t need any more fear, or I might just have a heart attack and die right here.

“I would take my sharp, sturdy knife...and plunge it right here.”

He lightly presses his finger into my skin and my breath hitches in my throat as I lie rigid beneath him, scared that any movement might provoke a dangerous reaction.

“Then I would pull it from here,” he begins to slowly drag his finger along my neck, and I swallow nervously, my throat moving under his touch, “all the way to the other side. Cutting it slowly...but surely.

“Blood splattering everywhere. But I’ll need to use a lot more force...to cut through all the bones and tendons in his throat.”

~He’s insane. He’s not a rational person.~

“I’ll also need to wear gloves...so his dirty blood doesn’t stain my hands...and maybe cover the floor with plastic so that if the cops come to investigate, there won’t be any evidence to find.”

I squeeze my eyes shut. “O-okay, I-I get it now. You can stop—”

“And then I’ll dump his body far away, in a lake...or maybe bury him in a secluded place like this...where no one would ever find him.”

He reaches up to my hair and pulls away some strands, causing me to flinch slightly.

“And do you know what I’ll do after that, Harmony?”

~No, I don’t, please don’t tell me.~

“I would drink a beer and gaze at the stars in satisfaction, then fall asleep peacefully and sleep like a baby...without any guilt or worry.”

~I really need to leave now. And I really need to stay away from him.~

“I understand...,” I whisper shakily.

He lifts my chin and I open my eyes, meeting his gaze. “Do you?”

I nod timidly.

“Then run away,” he whispers. “Run away before you end up selling your soul to the devil.”

And he rolls away from me, pressing his back against the ground next to me as I stare at the ceiling, wondering what on earth he meant.

~Devil? Is he referring to himself as a devil?~

“You’re not a devil,” I murmur, and his gaze remains fixed on the ceiling, my words not affecting him at all. “I mean...you’re not an angel either...but you’re not a devil. I don’t think you are.”

~You are just a broken person...who needs to be understood.~

He stays quiet for a while and I lay in silence too, unsure of what else to say. Then suddenly, he bursts out laughing, causing me to turn my gaze to him.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m just remembering something.” He points toward the ceiling. “Do you see that little blue mark there?”

I follow where he’s pointing, noticing a blue speck that looks like a crayon mark. “Yeah.”

“My dad was painting the roof of the house that day. I was about ten, and when he turned his back, I climbed up the ladder and drew some stick figures all over that side of the roof.

“That was the best he could do to clean it off.” And he chuckles, making me smile.

“Sounds like you were a handful as a kid.”

He looks over at me, a soft smirk on his lips. “You have no idea.”

He glances at my mouth but quickly turns his face away again, his attention returning to the white ceiling, his smile disappearing as quickly as it came.

The thoughts of colors and drawing bring my mind back to the tattoo I saw on his waist, and I clear my throat, pursing my lips.

“I noticed you...um, have a tattoo there.”

He meets my gaze, and I jerk my head toward his waist.

He chuckles briefly. “Are you checking me out, green eyes?”

My face turns red. “No. No, I was just—you—” I can’t find the words, so I just sigh, and he laughs.

“Yeah. I got it when I was drunk. I had no idea until I woke up the next morning and realized what I’d done.”

“You got a tattoo while you were drunk?”

He just shrugs. “I tend to do wild stuff when I've had a few too many. It's probably best if you're not around me when that happens.”

But I can't help but want to know what it says. My curiosity gets the better of me.

“Can I...can I see what it says?”

He nods. “Sure, why not.”

He lifts the hem of his tank top as I scoot closer to him. His chiseled abs come into view, making my cheeks heat up. I try to focus.

I'm here to look at the tattoo. Just the tattoo, Harmony. ~But those abs are a masterpiece in themselves,~ my inner voice teases.

I force my gaze to the inked words on his tanned skin.

I reach out to trace the tattoo, glancing up at him for permission. He gives a nod, and I let my finger follow the elegant script.

Reading the words, I look up at him, my eyes filled with understanding. His own eyes, a deep sea blue, search my face, trying to decipher my reaction.

My heart feels like it's melting, softening at the words I've just read: ~Rescue My Drowning Heart.~

^~”Twisting and I’m turning, oh I’m crashing and I’m burning. So reach out your hand to me. Come down, rescue my heart I’ll drown without you.” —Liz Longley.~^