Unbreakable by Rachel Hanna

name but received no reply. Reasoning that if she had wandered off somewhere the most likely direction would be the path, he set off towards it and within a few minutes he could make out her figure partly hidden by a tree trunk. He called her name again but she made no move to respond to him or come towards him. Proceeding onwards until he was facing her, he had planned to ask her what she was doing all the way out here but he stopped in shock as he stared down at her.
    “Sophie…is that a joint?”
    She glanced up at him before giggling slightly. “I don’t know. Maybe it’s just a smoking tree…”
    Realization was swift to follow his initial shock. “You’re high.”
    “Am I? I feel rather low…figuratively and literally I suppose.” She took a deep drag, exhaling in pleasure as she tilted her head back against the tree to look up at him. “What are you doing here?”
    “Looking for you.”
    “Shouldn’t you be back inside?”
    “Sophie, how long have you been out here?”
    “Relax, everyone thinks I’m on the phone. You seriously need to learn to just chill.”
    “Sophie, it’s been forty-five minutes now since you received your phone call.”
    “Oh, shit…really?” She burst into a fit of giggles. “Hope nobody’s wondering where I am…oh wait, that’s why you’re here, hey…” More laughter followed as she grinned up at him from her slumped position on the ground.
    “Give me that joint.” Miller held his hand out and Sophie’s grin widened.
    “Wanna join me? Maybe you’re not such a stick in the mud after all.”
    “No, Sophie. I don’t want to join you. Just give me the joint.” He leaned down but she pulled back from him, trying to keep the joint out of his reach. Grasping her wrist, he held her in place with one hand while he pried the joint out of her fingers with the other, promptly dropping it on the ground and crushing it with his boot.
    “Damn, man, that was my last bit of stash. Will you stop that? You’re getting dirt in it. Maybe I can save some…” Sophie reached towards the crushed joint but Miller grabbed her by both wrists and hauled her to her feet.
    “You’re coming with me. Geez, Sophie, you’re freezing. Put this on.” He shrugged out of his coat and tried to get her to put it on but she refused, wriggling out of his reach and backing away from him.
    “Just leave me alone. Go back inside.”
    “That’s not going to happen without you coming too. Now you can choose to come willingly or I can make you.”
    “Just try,” she glared in response at him.
    “Fine, have it your way.” He stepped forward and lifted her off the ground onto his shoulder before turning around and walking back to the house. Too angry to speak, he ignored her curses and attempts to kick him or punch him, eventually getting her back inside and depositing her in the lounge. “Philip, Kay, could you come into the living room, please?” He made no attempt to get out of Sophie’s way when she tried to push him back from blocking the living room entrance. Her uncle and aunt appeared shortly afterward, standing on either side of Miller.
    “What’s wrong?” Kay glanced from Miller to Sophie.
    “He won’t get out my way, that’s what’s wrong,” Sophie snarled.
    “I found her smoking a joint outside. She’s currently high as a kite.” Miller glared at Sophie in response, not taking his eyes off her as he explained the situation to Kay and Philip.
    A mixture of shock and hurt on her face, Kay addressed Sophie in a strict tone. “Sophie, you know we forbade you from doing anything like that while you were here. We trusted you to follow our rules. How long have you been doing this?”
    Sophie ignored the question and instead went and sat down, holding her head in her hands. “I don’t feel so good. Think the wine and weed aren’t mixing too well right now…this is your fault, Miller. I was perfectly relaxed until you found me.”
    “My fault?” Unable to hold his temper