Wayward: St. Croix Falls Book 1

by Melody Personette

  He got to his feet without letting go of her neck, forcing her to climb to her feet as well. Stalker lifted her into the air like she was a rag doll. “You have to open the door for me.”

  Mia’s fear was eclipsed by her sudden anger as her eyes blurred with tears and everything around her became blobs of colors. Her hands reached up and clawed at his fingers to try and pry them off. If her nails digging into his skin hurt, he didn’t show it. If anything, his squeeze tightened. She gasped worthlessly, trying to drag in what little air she could, but not enough came in. Desperation and fury at the thought of him taking her away from this world ripped through her. The thought of him stealing her from her mother fueled her anger. Mia was all her mother had. It was the two of them against the world. She couldn’t leave her like this. She would be devastated. And Mia was just starting to get to know Angie and Kai and… and Rhett. Tears dripped down her cheeks but now they were hot tears of anger and desperation instead of fear. Something built up inside her. A surge of power Mia had never felt before coursed through her veins and fueled her whole body. Her blood fizzed with energy. He wasn’t going to get away with this. Mia refused to be another victim in the papers to mourn.

  “Let… me… go…” she rasped.

  The man’s head cocked to the side. “What was that?” His hold around her throat tightened. Stars started to dance in her vision, and Mia had to force them to stay open.

  She reached for his fingers again. This time, to her shock, she began to pry them off her neck one by one. The man’s eyes widened, and his free hand lashed out to stop her, but Mia steeled herself and then swung her foot forward, kicking him in the stomach. He let out a painful gasp and stumbled backward. His hand released her neck and Mia collapsed to the ground like a rag doll on her hands and knees.

  She sucked in air, feeding her starved body. Her throat constricted, and she heaved, rasping air in and out of her lungs.

  “You can’t run from this,” he growled. Mia could hear him coming toward her. Her whole body sagged, depleted of energy. Mia knew she couldn’t fend him off again.

  Just as his boots came into her line of sight and Mia’s body tensed, ready to run, a figure came barreling out of the woods and pummeled the guy. Both men tumbled to the ground in a flurry of fists and kicking legs.

  Someone shouted something Mia couldn’t understand and didn’t care to as she turned over onto her back and crawled to her feet. The vines had fallen slack to the dirt path the instant the man had been attacked, allowing Mia to get away. She ran from the path and slumped against the nearest tree. Mia used a low hanging branch to keep herself up right as she continued to breathe through the pain scorching her shoulders, palms and neck. There would be some serious bruising later. Starry black dots still danced in her vision and no matter how many times Mia blinked and shook her head they wouldn’t go away. That couldn’t be a good sign.

  A crash from her left made her flinch against the tree. There was a shout and suddenly someone appeared next to her. Mia let out a shriek and jumped away.

  “Whoa, whoa, it’s OK. He’s gone. It’s just me,” her rescuer said.

  Mia’s eyes went wide when she met a pair of startling green ones, full of concern. Rhett cocked his head, a strand of black hair falling over his forehead. “You OK?” he murmured, reaching forward to grip her arm.

  Mia’s legs gave out at that moment as if they knew Rhett would catch her. And he did. His other arm wrapped around her and he gently eased her to the ground.

  “Are you OK?” he asked again, scanning her for injuries. They snagged on her neck and something like fury flashed in his eyes.

  Mia rubbed at her neck and flinched when she swallowed. “I,” her voice cracked, and pain flared in her throat.

  Rhett’s hand ran up and down her arm gently. “Shh, take your time. Your throat might be bruised.”

  She nodded and closed her eyes leaning her head against the tree trunk. “I’m…” What was she? Shocked. Scared out of her stinking mind. Freaked out. Confused as all get out. What she’d seen… what she had witnessed and what that man had said made no sense to her. “I don’t know…”

  Rhett frowned, eyebrows drawing together. “What don’t you know?”

  Mia rubbed her forehead and then flinched at the way her palms smarted with the movement. “He was the stalker,” she said at last, her throat rubbing raw with each word. “From… the city and… my run… the other day.”

  Rhett scowled, his concern suddenly turning into derision. “And you thought it was a good idea to go for a run in the woods by yourself? In the evening, no less, when literally no one was out here?”

  Mia scowled, cringing away from him. “I didn’t think… he would be… around.”

  “You didn’t think,” Rhett snapped.

  “I… just said that,” Mia sniped back, glaring at him.

  They stayed like that for a few seconds just glaring at each other and waiting for one of them to speak or move.

  Mia refused to be the one to back down. She had just been attacked, and he was acting like a jerk. Finally, Rhett let out a heavy sigh and fished his phone out of his pocket. “I should call the police and then I’m taking you to the hospital.”

  “What? No, you can’t,” Mia shrieked and then flinched at the raw pain flaring up in her throat.

  Rhett quirked an eyebrow, the phone already raised to his ear.

  “My mom’ll freak,” Mia explained.

  Realization dawned on his face and Mia held her breath, hoping he would keep this to himself. After a few seconds, Rhett lowered the phone and ended the call. Mia sighed in relief.

  “Fine,” he said. “But then you have to come with me. You could have a concussion or something. I have some stuff at home that can help.”

  Mia was too tired and drained to say no or not to accept his help, so when he looped an arm around her waist to help her up, she didn’t protest. However, when he then swept her up into his arms, Mia let out a strangled gasp of surprise. Her hand splayed against his chest and when she turned her head to shoot him an indignant glare, their lips were all too close.

  “I can walk on my own,” she said, though her voice sounded too weak to get her point across.

  Rhett smirked. “Like I said, you could have a concussion. Just easier for me to carry you in case you do pass out.”

  “I’m not going to pass out,” Mia insisted.

  He shrugged. “We’ll see. So… did he say anything to you? Did you… see anything?” His voice took on a cautious tone that Mia had never heard on him.

  He’d said her mom had done well at hiding her, but she couldn’t cover her tracks forever. That he’d finally found her. And then there were the vines… Mia shook her head. No, she must have been imagining that. Traumatic situations did crazy things to a person’s mind. “He said some weird stuff,” Mia whispered.

  “Like…” he coaxed.

  She bit her lip and stared straight ahead. “Like he’d finally found me, as if he had been searching for me for a long time, and how my mom was clever in moving us here… I thought I saw something happen with the plants but… I must have just not been thinking straight.”

  Rhett tensed against her but when she glanced at him to gauge his reaction, his face remained neutral. “He sounds like a lunatic. I’ll call the police once we get you home and settled.”

  They broke through the tree line and found Rhett’s car parked in a parking lot Mia had no idea was even there. “I don’t know,” Mia murmured. She couldn’t get what she had heard and seen out of her head. “I mean… I thought I saw something happen but it’s so confusing. He just seemed so sure.”

  Rhett grimaced. “He was crazy. I wouldn’t put a lot of stock in what he said.”

  He walked around to the passenger side and while cradling her with one arm, opened the door with the other. Only then did he gently set her down on her feet. Mia wasn’t proud of it, but she did sway. She caught herself on the car door before she fell over.

 
Rhett stabled her with a hand on the small of her back. “Told you,” he murmured, grinning.

  Mia scowled and slid into the passenger seat. Rhett said she shouldn’t trust what the guy had said, but he had seemed so serious. So confident in his words. Did crazy people normally sound like that?

  With shaky hands she buckled up and closed her eyes, not opening them even when she heard Rhett get in and the car start. Her thoughts of what Rhett had said drifted away, her tired mind not having the energy to overthink the situation.

  Mia was pretty sure she drifted in and out of consciousness for most of the ride because when she opened her eyes next, Rhett was at her side with the door opened. “Hey, we’re here,” he murmured. “Come here.”

  This time Mia didn’t even protest when he lifted her into his arms and shut the door with a kick of his foot. She wanted to ask if his parents would wonder about him bringing a strange girl into the house, but when they entered, she totally forgot about her questions.

  Mia took in the place Rhett lived in. A small dining room to the left and a living space to the right with a rug that looked like it was woven from real grass sat on the wood floor in front of a black leather couch facing a TV. There were a pair of glass doors leading out into a screened in sun room. The doors let in lots of natural light.

  But what caught Mia by surprise the most was how many plants were everywhere. Potted plants, small and big alike were on almost every flat surface. Rhett set her down on the couch and said he would be right back. Mia let herself relax against the plush cushions and closed her eyes, a dull ache in her shoulders now.

  Her stomach twisted in a not so great way. Maybe she should have gone to the hospital after all.

  What if she had like brain damage or her ankle was broken or something? Further down the hallway she heard the soft clattering noises of Rhett moving around the kitchen. Mia opened her eyes to stare up at the small chandelier hanging over the living room made to look like the branches of a tree with little lights on the tips of them. It spun gently, making her stomach churn even more. Mia closed her eyes to stop herself from throwing up. How mortifying would that be?

  A few minutes later Rhett returned with a steaming cup of tea… and nothing else. No first aid kit. No nothing. Mia frowned and cringed at the pain as she sat up. “That’s it? Where’s the pain meds and bandages? Maybe I should have gone to the hospital after all,” she grumbled.

  Rhett smiled, handing her the cup of tea. “Just trust me. Drink this.”

  “What is tea going to do?”

  He smirked as he helped her lift it to her lips. “You’d be surprised.”

  Mia frowned but didn’t fight him as he tipped the cup to her lips and she took a sip. She resisted the urge to moan in pleasure as the sweetest honey-like taste coated her tongue and ran down her throat, leaving a trail of warmth inside her. This time Mia took the cup from him and sipped it greedily, closing her eyes to enjoy the warmth that tingled all the way down from the tips of her toes to the top of her head, easing any pain or discomfort she felt. All thoughts and feelings of distress and fear melted away, leaving her numb and contented. She let out a sigh, her neck rolling back so her head rested against the couch.

  Rhett chuckled. Mia opened her eyes and looked at him without moving her head.

  “Feel better?” he asked, amusement dancing in his eyes.

  Mia smiled and nodded. “I don’t know what you put in there but… it’s good…”

  “A special family recipe. Try to get some sleep now and let the tea do its thing. When you wake up, I promise you’ll feel ten times better.” His hand touched her knee and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

  Mia placed her hand over his, stopping him from sliding it away. “Sit with me?” she murmured.

  His eyes widened, and he seemed to hesitate for a moment before nodding.

  Rhett set the cup of tea down on the end table and then gently sat down next to her. He draped an arm over the back of the couch and Mia snuggled in close to him. She knew she shouldn’t be doing this… Really, she did but… it had been a long evening and Mia just needed someone to be close to so she could remember she was alive. She had survived near death, and she wasn’t alone.

  “You aren’t alone,” Rhett murmured as if reading her mind.

  Mia smiled. “I know,” she whispered back before her eyes drifted shut.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Mia woke up to a vibration against her hip. She yawned and started to sit up when she felt an arm draped around her, pinning her in place. Stiffening, Mia peeked up from where she lay with her cheek against someone’s chest to his face. Rhett’s face. Right… she had asked him to sit with her last night. Whatever he had put in that tea must have been pretty strong for her to have snuggled up with him. Her face flamed even as she couldn’t help taking him in. Rhett looked so peaceful when he slept, like a totally different person. All the lines smoothed over, leaving his face blank and at ease. Completely relaxed. It was a good look on him. Her phone paused it’s buzzing before continuing a minute later. Someone must be desperate to reach her.

  Not wanting to wake him up, Mia gently tried to maneuver herself so she could grab her phone out of her pocket. Her hand slipped the phone out and had it almost to her face when Rhett stirred. She froze, her whole body going warm when she glanced at him and found him staring at her with hooded eyes and a lazy smile on his lips. “Good morning,” he said, voice still rough from sleep.

  Mia blushed. “Good morning… sorry I hope I didn’t drool on you.”

  His smirk widened, and he laughed. “Don’t worry, I think I can handle a little drool.”

  “Right…” Before she could say something else super embarrassing her phone buzzed again and this time she did glance down at the screen. She swore under her breath. “Crap. My mom. I forgot about my mom.”

  Rhett’s eyes continued to laugh at her even as he removed his arm from her shoulders and Mia answered. “Hello?”

  “Amelia! Where are you? I came into your room this morning thinking I would surprise you with breakfast and I found your bed empty. Where have you been all night?” her mother scolded.

  Mia winced, rubbing at her forehead. Oh no! She couldn’t tell her mom that she’d spent the night with the neighbor boy. Even though nothing had happened she would still jump to conclusions. Mia glanced at Rhett who quirked an eyebrow at her, a silent question of what was going on.

  She shook her head and ran her hand through her hair.

  “Amelia. Are you going to answer me or what? I was ten seconds away from calling the cops. I thought you went missing!”

  “I’m not missing Mom,” Mia sighed. “I was… staying with Angie.” She cringed at the lie.

  Rhett covered his mouth, giving a fake shocked expression. Mia scowled and hit him in the shoulder. He chuckled softly.

  There was a pause and then, “Who’s this Angie?”

  “She lives on our street. You met her. Angelica?”

  “Oh! The sweet girl with the pie?”

  “That’s the one.”

  “Oh… well why didn’t you just say so? Or leave a note? Or text me that you were staying over there?”

  Mia relaxed back into the couch, flashing Rhett a thumb’s up. “Sorry I totally forgot. We were having such a good time doing a movie marathon that I ran over to get some clothes real quick and ran back. I’m sorry Mom… next time I’ll tell you.”

  Wow it was disturbing how easily the lie left her mouth. Maybe Rhett was rubbing off on her. She hoped not.

  “Yes, you should next time, but… it’s alright. Just make sure it doesn’t happen again. Especially on a school day.”

  Mia’s mouth went dry. A school day. Crap… She had totally forgotten she had school today. It was Monday. She and Rhett had to get to class. Mia pulled the phone from her ear to check the time and relaxed a little. Six thirty. She still had some time. Thank goodness her mom’s calls had woken them up.

  “I promise it won’t Mom,” she said earnest
ly.

  “Ok, well I have to get to the bookstore. Everything is almost completely set up. Have you and Angie had breakfast yet?”

  Mia glanced at Rhett who had an arm slung over the back of the couch. He was lounging in the corner of the cushy sofa, watching her intently. She sighed and faced forward too. Staring at him distracted her. “No.”

  “Well why don’t you invite her over? I can make all three of us something before you two have to get to school.”

  Alarm bells went off in Mia’s head, and she was already shaking her head before she said anything. “She can’t,” she said too quickly.

  “Why not?” A suspicious edge touched her mother’s voice.

  Mia winced. Wow, she was a seriously horrible daughter for lying this much in one morning. “We have to get to school. We don’t want to be late.”

  A pause and then, “You still have an hour and a half before you have to get there.”

  Mia held back a sigh. “I mean, Angie has to get there. She’s in charge of all these committee things at school and has a meeting she has to go to this morning. But I’m heading home now, so I’ll see you in a minute?”

  “Alright. See you in a few.”

  “OK. Bye.”

  Mia hung out and let out a giant breath as if she’d been holding it in the whole time. She slumped into the couch feeling like she’d just won a fight with a lion.

  “Mia,” Rhett drawled. “Lying to your mother. You should be ashamed of yourself.”

  Mia scowled and whacked him on the shoulder. “Shut up. It was either that or be grounded for the rest of my life. You warned me not to get on Kai’s bad side so let me do you a favor. Don’t ever get on my mom’s bad side.” She shot him a warning look.

  Rhett raised his hands. “Consider me warned. So, I figure you can’t stay for breakfast?”

  “Um, no. I have to go.” Having breakfast with him would either be the most awkward experience of her life or the very best. Besides she didn’t want to get caught with him by his parents. “Where are your parents?” Mia asked, getting to her feet and glancing around.