Chapter 14

Despite the fact that my throat was constricted, I was still able to swallow. Despite the fact that I didn't want to think about it because I didn't want to relive the memories, I wanted her to be aware of it all the same. I was clueless as to the motivation for my want for her to be aware of it; all I knew was that I did.

I said it with my jaws clenched together and pointed to a tree that she had run into. I refrained from looking in her direction and instead kept my attention fixed on the water as I listened to it flow over the rocks. I didn't even bother to acknowledge that she was there. It was painfully difficult to make the effort to keep the scenes out of my conscious mind while my head was really pounding, and I was doing my best to block them out. The pain in my brain was excruciating.

After sensing a chilly brush on my arm, which caused me to look in that direction, I looked down to see Sharon's fingers stroking slowly up and down my forearm. After that, I peered in that dir