CHAPTER EIGHT

GWEN POV

“Crying is useless, Gwen! It won't help anything!” I told myself loudly as I wiped my cheeks with the back of my hand. I tried to stay calm as I looked around the empty area. I was looking for a house, any house at all.

I slowly walked across the road to a wide spot. I looked far down the long, lonely road. Nothing. No houses, no lights, just dark trees and cold snow.

A shiver went through me. It wasn't just the cold; it was fear creeping in again. I went back to my car again, grabbing my warm coat, thick gloves, and my hat. I pulled them on quickly.

What should I do now?

What should I do now?

Should I walk back to the place where my phone had service and call someone? I couldn't just sit here in my broken car and hope a friendly person would drive by. It was almost Christmas, so not many people would be out driving on small roads.

I closed my eyes and tried to remember how far I had driven since  April's text message came in. Was it a short distance, like half a mile? Or was it much farther, maybe five miles? I had no idea how far I was from safety. But I knew I couldn't just wait.

I decided to put on more clothes first. I needed to be ready for the long walk. I grabbed my bag from the back seat and started looking for the warmest socks and a thick sweater.

That's when I heard it. A sound in the distance. A car engine. It was coming from the direction I had driven from, right before my car accident.

This is good news, right? Help is coming Gwen! 

But then my mind went back to all the crime shows I watched. A young woman alone, stuck on a dark, empty road? That's a perfect chance for a person to stop and kidnap them, kill them or do something crazy. I got a sudden, cold feeling in my stomach.

I quickly pushed my bag back onto the floor of the car. I shut the door quietly, then walked to the back of my car and stood behind the trunk. I wanted the car between me and whoever was coming.

I watched the road as the sound of the engine got even louder. Soon, a very large black SUV came into view. As it got closer, it started to slow down. The driver had seen me.

I tried to think fast. How could I stay safe but still get help?

‘Maybe they will let me use their phone?’ No, my phone didn't work here, so theirs probably wouldn't either.

‘Maybe they could drive home and call a tow truck for me?’ Yes, but that would leave me here alone again, waiting. What if another, worse person came by while I waited?

I looked around the totally empty landscape. What were the chances that another car would drive down this road soon? Zero, maybe? If this was my only chance for help, I would be very foolish to send this person away.

The SUV drove slowly past my car. Is he not going to stop? The person was totally  going to be an awful person if they didn't!

But then the driver turned the big SUV into the driveway right next to me. He pushed a button and the car's yellow hazard lights began to flash—a signal that he was stopping to help.

The driver’s door opened. A man got out. He was tall and wide, a huge figure in the darkness. He walked toward me.

“Hello! Are you okay? What happened to your car?” he called out, his voice deep.

‘That voice’

And then I saw his face more clearly under the pale light. He had silvery dark hair and bright green eyes.

My breath caught in my throat.

“Holy cow,” I whispered. “Isn't that the man I had a one night stand with?”

It couldn't be. This was impossible. Was he following me? Was he a stalker?

My fear grew huge. I took a step back. Then another. I started walking backward toward the ditch at the side of the road with every step he took toward me.

“Wait! Don't go near the edge,” he called, sounding worried.

But it was too late. For the second time in just twenty-four hours, this mystery man was watching me fall again for the second time because my foot missed the ground, and I tumbled down the slope into the ditch, landing hard on my butt in the cold snow.