Chapter 34: Hidden Monster

As Waverly sat in the great room with Sawyer, discussing countless topics with their hands only inches apart from one another, she had let go of any worries that had pressed her since she had left Boulder Creek. The more they talked about her family, the closer she felt to Sawyer and she found herself pouring her heart out to a man who only weeks ago was a myth and a stranger.

"Can I ask you…why are you so dedicated to finding a solution to what happened to the women before you?" Sawyer asked as he closed his notebook.

Waverly loosened her posture and pursed her lips. "I guess I just understand what they were going through," she noted. "The fear they felt when meeting you for the first time, I felt it too."

"You were scared?"

Waverly blinked rapidly, acting like he had just asked her if she believed in eight-headed dragons. "You couldn't tell?"

Sawyer laughed as he exhaled. "Not at all. You seemed…assured."

"Well, I was always told that it's better to pretend you're confide