Page 113 of Ride or Die

Clara’s been quiet since the festival. The kids fell asleep in the back of the truck on the way back from Amarillo, so neither of us said much so as not to wake them. But even after getting back to the cabin, she’s been quiet. I don’t think she’s mad, but she’s not talking much, and I don’t like it because I can’t help but think it’s got something to do with me. The last thing I ever want is to be the reason she’s upset.

“You want a drink?” I ask when Clara comes out of the bedroom dressed in her sleep shorts and tank top.

She stops, looking between me and the beer in my hand, meeting my eyes and shaking her head. “No thanks. I have a headache.”

I close the distance between us, wrapping my arm around her, relieved when she cuddles into me instead of pulling away. I bury my face into her soft hair, breathing her in. “Wanna come sit with me?”

Lifting her chin, she looks up at me a moment, her eyes flitting between mine like she’s looking for something. Finally, she nods, and I take her hand, leading her outside and onto the porch.

Outside, the night is warm and still, not a whisker of a breeze, the sky up above filled with stars, but no sign of the moon.

I take a seat on the top step, my back cracking as I do, and I stifle a groan at the ache in my muscles. Today’s ride was a tough one, and my body’s paying the price.

Clara makes a move to sit next to me, but I ain’t having none of that, pulling her so her ass has nowhere else to settle but on my thigh, where it belongs. Then, when she’s seated, I cup her cheek, tilting her face to me, forcing her eyes to mine.

“Talk to me, baby.” I smooth my thumb over her cheek, searching her face for any hint into what might be bothering her.

She releases a heavy breath, her shoulders falling an inch or two, and I wait for her to talk.

“I thought I—” Stopping herself, she clamps her bottom lip between her teeth, looking away.

I tug on her chin, forcing her eyes back to me. “It’s me, darlin’,” I remind her. “You can tell me anythin’.”

Clara’s throat works with a hard swallow. “I… I thought I saw Cain.”

All the blood drains from my face. “Where?”

I realize by the way her eyes flare that I probably need to reel it in. She doesn’t know and I need to keep it that way.

Clearing my throat, I shift on the step. “I mean… Where did youthinkyou saw him?”

“At the festival,” she says after a few seconds, looking down. “I saw him in the crowd. He was… staring at me. And he had this… evil smile. I blinked because I knew it couldn’t be him. But then when I looked again, he was still there.” She shakes her head, meeting my eyes again. “But then I turned away and when I looked back over, it… it wasn’t him.”

I stare at her, searching her pretty blue eyes.

“I’m going crazy.” She scoffs derisively. “But what if he?—”

“No,” I interject, placing a finger against her lips.

“But he’s out there, Cole,” Clara says against my finger. “He’s out there and I know what he’s like. He’s going to be looking for me. And he’s like a damn dog with a bone. I’m forever going to imagine I’m seeing him. In my dreams. In crowds. I’m never going to get rid of him.”

Her eyes brim with tears, and I cup her jaw. “Hey now.” I stroke her skin, trailing the curve of her cheek bone. I want to tell her that I’m gonna fix it. That I’m not gonna give up until I know he can’t ever hurt her again. That she will never have to look over her shoulder again. But I can’t say any of that. So, as I look into her eyes, all I can do is steady her with a look of promise. “I’ve got you, remember?”

Clara places her hand over mine on her cheek, leaning into my touch and closing her eyes. “Today scared me.”

“It was probably just your eyes playin’ tricks on?—”

“I’m not talking about that,” Clara says, interrupting me. “I’m talking about you. Your fall. It… it scared me.”

I flinch at her unexpected confession, spoken so softly the words are almost lost to the silence of the night. I blink a few times, hard, trying to process what she’s just told me, shaking my head to myself. “It was just… it was a dizzy spell. I-I fainted.” I add a shrug of my shoulder in the hope my fucking lie is concealed by the nonchalance. “It’s nothin’ baby… I told you that.”

Clara’s eyes bounce between mine. “I know. That’s what scared me.”

My eyebrows tug together, confused by her words.

“Because—” She swallows hard, stalling. But then, she continues, and her words almost knock me off center. “For the first time since knowing you… I-I don’t believe you.”

Silence stretches between us like it’s pushing us apart. I stare at her, taken aback by her words, my mind reeling. Dragging ahand down my face, I heave a sigh. “You don’t believe me,” I say more to myself, repeating her words.