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My mind whirls with desperation, each thought frantic and it causes me to hyperventilate. There’s no escape, not now. I’m alone in the wilderness, bound and vulnerable, while he’s in there, just a few steps away, waiting for me to submit.
I take deep, ragged breaths, trying to calm myself despite the rising panic. I can’t let fear consume me. I have to stay strong, find a way out of this nightmare.
My heart pounds like a drum in my chest, my body aching from the strain of resistance. Night falls, and I’m still a prisoner. A prisoner that barely has any fight left in her.
I squirm against the ropes, my breath coming in ragged gasps as I muster the courage to call out to Asher. "Asher!" My voice is hoarse with fear and desperation, echoing through the quiet of the forest.
He doesn’t stall.
I watch as he emerges from the cabin, his steps deliberate, suspicion etched into every line of his face. He stops a few paces away, his gaze locked on me with a mixture of caution and uncertainty.
"I'm not going to untie you if you're planning on trying to escape," he warns, his voice guarded as if I’ve hurt him.
I swallow hard, my heart racing as I meet his gaze. "I won't," I lie, the words sticking in my throat. I can see the doubt flicker across his features, his eyes narrowing slightly as he assesses my sincerity.
”Love me,” I whimper.
The words hang between us, breaking the turmoil Asher has been in His whole demeanor shifts, his face softening as if a mask has been lifted. The anger in his eyes gives way to something else—warmth, longing, vulnerability.
His hands tremble slightly as he reaches for me, his touch tentative yet filled with a fervent longing. He unties the ropes that bind me, his movements frantic and urgent as if I’m treasure at the bottom of a chest. I’m about to push him away and run, resistance stirring within me, but I surprise myself by faltering when he cups my face and I notice his eyes are wet.
"I love you," he breathes against my ear, his voice thick with emotion. ”I love you, I love you.”
His lips find mine in a consuming kiss. My mind starts spinning, his embrace melting my resistance and I’m overwhelmed by the flood of conflicting emotions—fear, desire, disbelief.
He pulls back slightly, his eyes searching mine with a mixture of awe and adoration. ”My sunshine angel is back. Fuck, I have you back.” He showers me with praise, with promises of a future filled with love and devotion.
I gaze into his eyes, seeing the vulnerability and passion, I am torn between the truths I know and the yearning for the love he professes.
”Ash…I don’t know if I can…”
”Can’t what?” he asks, freezing up.
”Do this,” I gasp as Asher looks at me, his expression shifting from disbelief to anger. "What if you hurt me?" I whisper, my voice trembling with fear and uncertainty.
Asher's frown deepens, his eyes narrowing as he studies me. "You really think I could hurt you?" he asks incredulously, holding his hands up as if to demonstrate their innocence. "You think these hands could ever hurt you?”
I hesitate, unsure of how to respond, but the image of those hands brutally killing others flashes through my mind. Slowly, I nod, a small, hesitant movement that feels like a betrayal.
His face falls, the hurt and determination mingling in his eyes. "Then I'll cut them off," he declares, his voice cold and resolute.
Before I can comprehend his intentions, he strides over to the firewood stubble and picks up the axe, his fingers curling around the handle with a deadly purpose. My heart pounds in my chest as I realize he's not bluffing. He's willing to mutilate himself to prove his devotion, to erase any doubt I have about his capacity for harming me.
”No!" I scream, my voice raw with panic and desperation. I lunge towards him, trying to stop him, but he raises the axe with unwavering determination. Fear grips me, paralyzing me as I watch him poised to carry out his unthinkable act.
The axe hangs in the air for a heartbeat that stretches into eternity, the blade catching the dim light of the cabin. I can't bear to see him hurt himself, to witness the consequences of my doubt.
”Please,” I sob. ”I believe you, I do. You won’t hurt me, you wont’t…”
11.
Asher
I drop the axe, the clang of metal against wood reverberating through the cabin as Solange rushes towards me, her voice filled thick and hoarse.
As she draws closer, I seize the opportunity. In one swift motion, I scoop her up into my arms, her weight a welcome fee against my chest. Her gasp of surprise is muffled against my shoulder as I carry her inside the cabin, the warmth of her body seeping into mine.
I toss her down on the bed. Our eyes lock, her gaze searching mine for answers, for reassurance and in that moment, I see the flicker of desire in her eyes.
