perimeter that I hadn’t heard him sneak up on me.
“You followed me,” I said. A spark of anger flared within me. Caden hadn’t caused it, my situation had. But the fact that he followed me here only fueled it.
He folded his arms, frowning. “You skipped training.”
I pushed past him and trotted back into the forest. “I didn’t feel like going,” I said. I needed to run off this new anger and to mull over what I should do now that I knew about the heavily guarded perimeter.
“Clearly.” Caden followed me, his voice flinty. “You were too busy trying to plan your escape.”
I whirled on him. “That’s right. I was. You just know me so well.” I went to push him, but Caden caught my hands the moment they touched his chest.
His gaze had softened, just as it had the day he caught and cuffed me.
“Stop it,” I said. “Don’t look at me like you care. If you cared, you’d know that I hate it here. If you cared, you’d help me escape.”
He wouldn’t let my hands go. “You think I don’t know how miserable you are?” he said, his eyes sad. “Give me more credit than that, Ember.” I flinched at my name. He never used it.
“You want to know how to leave this place?”
I nodded.
“I’ll tell you, but you have to win the information from me.”
“I have to win it?” What kind of offer was that?
He watched me as he spoke. “There’s a lake further up the mountain, beyond the shooting range.”
In my mind I mapped out where that might be from where I was. I had a good idea of where he was talking about.
“Get to it before I do,” he continued, “and I’ll answer a single question and do you a single favor.”
I raised my eyebrows. “You want me to race you to this lake?” A lake I’d never set eyes on.
“No,” he said. “I don’t want to race you at all, but if you want help from me, that’s my price.”
I rubbed my lower lip and weighed his words. I could tell that this was the best offer I’d get from Caden, and I didn’t have much to lose. “Agreed,” I said. “I’ll race you.”
His dimples peeked out. “I haven’t stated what happens if you fail to beat me.”
“That’s because I’m not going to,” I said with confidence I didn’t feel.
His dimples deepened. “Cockiness is an attractive feature in a girl, but don’t fool yourself. I don’t make bets lightly. You’re going to want to know my terms for when I beat you.”
I folded my arms. “By all means, state your terms.”
He smiled as he spoke. “If I get there before you, then you have to give up a secret. And that lake? You and me are going for a dip in it. Naked.”
Chapter 14
“ What is it with you and getting me naked? Haven’t you already gotten an eyeful?” I asked, looking him up and down. Dappled light fell along his face, making his hair and eyes shine. I ignored the way it sped up my pulse.
“Not nearly.”
I shook my head. “Perv.”
“Perv — I’ve gotten upgraded from stalker.”
Wasn’t he the eternal optimist?
“Fine. I agree to your terms,” I said.
Caden might be fast and in better shape, but I wanted the win more than he did. I needed all the resources I could get if I was going to escape this place.
He put out his hand. “Shake on it.”
My hand gripped his, and we watched each other as we shook. A slow smile spread across his face. He thought I’d already lost. My grasp tightened.
I was going to take this guy. I had to.
He released my hand and bolted.
“Hey!” My legs began moving a second later.
Caden’s golden hair bobbed in front of me as he weaved between trees. His form shrank as he pulled ahead, and I had to stop myself from sprinting after him.
Slow and steady wins the race. This mantra had helped me win many races during cross-country season, and it would help me again today.
Only after Caden’s form disappeared far ahead of me did I speed up, my legs falling into a rhythm I could maintain. The trees flew by in my peripherals. It
“You followed me,” I said. A spark of anger flared within me. Caden hadn’t caused it, my situation had. But the fact that he followed me here only fueled it.
He folded his arms, frowning. “You skipped training.”
I pushed past him and trotted back into the forest. “I didn’t feel like going,” I said. I needed to run off this new anger and to mull over what I should do now that I knew about the heavily guarded perimeter.
“Clearly.” Caden followed me, his voice flinty. “You were too busy trying to plan your escape.”
I whirled on him. “That’s right. I was. You just know me so well.” I went to push him, but Caden caught my hands the moment they touched his chest.
His gaze had softened, just as it had the day he caught and cuffed me.
“Stop it,” I said. “Don’t look at me like you care. If you cared, you’d know that I hate it here. If you cared, you’d help me escape.”
He wouldn’t let my hands go. “You think I don’t know how miserable you are?” he said, his eyes sad. “Give me more credit than that, Ember.” I flinched at my name. He never used it.
“You want to know how to leave this place?”
I nodded.
“I’ll tell you, but you have to win the information from me.”
“I have to win it?” What kind of offer was that?
He watched me as he spoke. “There’s a lake further up the mountain, beyond the shooting range.”
In my mind I mapped out where that might be from where I was. I had a good idea of where he was talking about.
“Get to it before I do,” he continued, “and I’ll answer a single question and do you a single favor.”
I raised my eyebrows. “You want me to race you to this lake?” A lake I’d never set eyes on.
“No,” he said. “I don’t want to race you at all, but if you want help from me, that’s my price.”
I rubbed my lower lip and weighed his words. I could tell that this was the best offer I’d get from Caden, and I didn’t have much to lose. “Agreed,” I said. “I’ll race you.”
His dimples peeked out. “I haven’t stated what happens if you fail to beat me.”
“That’s because I’m not going to,” I said with confidence I didn’t feel.
His dimples deepened. “Cockiness is an attractive feature in a girl, but don’t fool yourself. I don’t make bets lightly. You’re going to want to know my terms for when I beat you.”
I folded my arms. “By all means, state your terms.”
He smiled as he spoke. “If I get there before you, then you have to give up a secret. And that lake? You and me are going for a dip in it. Naked.”
Chapter 14
“ What is it with you and getting me naked? Haven’t you already gotten an eyeful?” I asked, looking him up and down. Dappled light fell along his face, making his hair and eyes shine. I ignored the way it sped up my pulse.
“Not nearly.”
I shook my head. “Perv.”
“Perv — I’ve gotten upgraded from stalker.”
Wasn’t he the eternal optimist?
“Fine. I agree to your terms,” I said.
Caden might be fast and in better shape, but I wanted the win more than he did. I needed all the resources I could get if I was going to escape this place.
He put out his hand. “Shake on it.”
My hand gripped his, and we watched each other as we shook. A slow smile spread across his face. He thought I’d already lost. My grasp tightened.
I was going to take this guy. I had to.
He released my hand and bolted.
“Hey!” My legs began moving a second later.
Caden’s golden hair bobbed in front of me as he weaved between trees. His form shrank as he pulled ahead, and I had to stop myself from sprinting after him.
Slow and steady wins the race. This mantra had helped me win many races during cross-country season, and it would help me again today.
Only after Caden’s form disappeared far ahead of me did I speed up, my legs falling into a rhythm I could maintain. The trees flew by in my peripherals. It
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