Chapter 33 Stay With Me
They hit the water at the bottom of the waterfall with brutal force, the impact driving what little air Grace had managed to hold from her lungs. The cold shocked her system, and for a moment she was completely disoriented, unable to tell up from down.
But Maddox still had her. His arm remained locked around her waist, solid, as he kicked hard toward the surface.
They broke through and Grace gasped, choking and sputtering. Her lungs burned as they struggled to process air instead of water. The pool at the bottom of the waterfall churned around them, less violent than the river above but still dangerous.
Maddox didn't waste time. He adjusted his grip, pulling Grace more securely against his chest with one arm while using the other to swim. His strokes were powerful and efficient, despite his exhaustion, as he cut through the water toward the nearest shore.
Grace tried to help, tried to kick with her good leg, but the pain radiating from her injured one made black spots dance across her vision. Everything hurt. Her leg was a mass of agony, her arms stung from countless cuts, and her chest felt crushed.
After what felt like an eternity but was probably less than a minute, Maddox's feet found purchase on the riverbed. He stood with her in his arms, water streaming off both of them, and waded toward solid ground.
The moment they were on the muddy bank, Maddox set Grace down carefully. She swayed on her feet, her good leg threatening to give out.
"Can you walk?" Maddox asked, his voice rough and breathless.
Grace tried to put weight on her injured leg and immediately cried out, nearly collapsing. Maddox caught her before she could fall.
"My leg," Grace gasped, tears of pain streaming down her face. "It's broken. I can't put any weight on it."
Maddox's jaw tightened. He looked down at her leg and even in the darkness Grace could see his expression darken. Her leg was bent at an angle that was clearly wrong, it was swollen and was already beginning to bruise.
"Okay," Maddox said, his voice calm, as it always sounded. "Okay. We need to move. Those people are probably still looking for you, I watched the man stalk back through the woods, he thinks you're dead, but the woman who came to meet him in the woods doesn't believe you are."
Before Grace could ask what he meant to do, Maddox turned around and squatted down in front of her.
"Get on my back," he said.
Grace hesitated for only a moment before wrapping her arms around his neck. Maddox hooked his arms under her thighs, careful to avoid jolting her injured leg, and stood smoothly. Grace's grip tightened automatically, her legs wrapping around his waist as best she could with one of them useless.
Then Maddox started to run.
Not a jog or a fast walk, but an actual run. His feet pounded against the ground, eating up distance with a speed that should have been impossible for someone carrying another person.
Grace bounced slightly with each stride, and despite trying to hold still, every movement sent fresh waves of pain through her leg.
But beneath the pain, beneath the fear and exhaustion and confusion, Grace felt something else.
Relief.
Maddox had found her. Somehow, impossibly, he'd found her when she'd been seconds from death. Had pulled her from the river, had jumped off a waterfall with her, was now carrying her to safety without complaint or hesitation.
She was still angry with him, still hurt by what he'd done, by the betrayal of trust that had contributed to this nightmare. But she couldn't deny the overwhelming relief of not being alone anymore.
"How did you find me?" Grace asked quietly, her voice hoarse and barely audible over the sound of Maddox's footsteps and heavy breathing.
Maddox was quiet for a moment, his breathing steady despite the exertion of running with her weight.
"I've told you before," he said finally, his voice tender. “I'll always find you."
The words sent something warm through Grace's chest, something that had nothing to do with the heat still pulsing through her body.
They ran in silence for a few more minutes before Maddox spoke again.
"I'm sorry," he said, and there was so much weight in those two words. "I'm so sorry, Grace. For what I did, for what I almost did. I know my explanation won't change anything, won't make it better, so I won't bother trying to justify it. I was dumb. I was so incredibly stupid to think that drugging you under your father's request was somehow the right thing to do." He exhaled.
He trailed off, knowing he was about to explain what he said wouldn’t make any difference.
“You’re precious to me, Grace. I shouldn’t have let it all play out this way. I should have taken you and left for somewhere far, far away the moment the thought crossed my mind. I’m sorry I was too weak-willed to do so…”
Grace stayed silent, not trusting herself to speak. Part of her wanted to tell him it was okay, wanted to forgive him immediately because he'd just saved her life. But another part, the part that was still hurt and angry, wanted an explanation. She wanted to understand how her best friend could have agreed to something so horrible.
But she said nothing, just tightened her grip around his neck and tried to breathe through the pain.
That's when she became aware of his scent.
No, somehow it had always been there, familiar and comforting. The smell of the soap he used, the faint hint of his cologne, the underlying scent that was just Maddox.
But now it was different. Stronger. More intense. It wasn’t that of his soap or cologne or sweat. It was emanating from his body. It filled her nose, her lungs, making her head spin in a way that had nothing to do with her injuries.
It smelled like safety, like home. Like something she wanted to bury herself in and never leave.
Grace's nose found its way to his neck without her consciously deciding to move. She breathed in deeply, and the scent made something low in her belly tighten with need.
‘Has he always smelled this good?’
She wondered, unable to stop. Her lips brushed against his neck, just the barest touch, and she felt Maddox's entire body go rigid.
"Grace," he said, his voice strained. "Don't."
But Grace wasn't listening. Her brain felt foggy, overwhelmed by sensation and need plus that terrible heat that had been building all night. She pressed another soft kiss to his neck, felt his pulse jumping beneath her lips.
Maddox's hands tightened on her thighs, his fingers digging in hard enough to bruise. His pace increased, his breathing becoming more ragged, but Grace didn't note that it wasn’t just from exertion anymore.
Her body didn't care about logic or reason or appropriate timing. It only cared about the scent of him, the feel of his body against hers, the heat radiating between them.
Grace nuzzled deeper into his neck, her lips parting slightly. She could taste salt on his skin, could feel his pulse racing beneath her mouth.
"Grace," Maddox said again, and this time his voice was almost a growl. "Please… stop."
But stopping felt impossible. Grace's entire world had narrowed to sensation, to need, to the overwhelming desire to get closer to him somehow.
They ran for what felt like hours but was probably less than thirty minutes before the forest began to thin and buildings appeared in the distance. A small town, the kind with one main street and houses that all looked like they'd been built in the same decade.
Maddox slowed to a walk as they entered the town, his breathing heavy. Grace could feel the tension in his body, could feel how rigidly he was holding himself.
He headed straight for what looked like a small inn, the kind of place that probably catered to hunters or hikers passing through. The lights were still on despite the late hour.
Maddox set Grace down carefully just outside the door, keeping one arm around her waist to hold her upright. Grace swayed, her good leg barely able to support her weight.
"Stay here," Maddox said, not quite meeting her eyes.
He disappeared inside and Grace heard him talking to someone, heard the exchange of money. He returned a moment later with a key.
"Room's on the second floor," he said, still not looking directly at her. "Come on."
He picked her up again, this time cradling her against his chest rather than carrying her on his back. Grace's arms went around his neck automatically, her face pressing into his shoulder.
That scent. That incredible, overwhelming scent. It was driving her insane.
Maddox carried her up the stairs and down a narrow hallway to their room. It was small and plain, with a single bed and a bathroom visible through an open door. Nothing fancy, but it was warm and dry and safe.
Maddox set Grace on the bed as gently as he could. She winced as the movement jostled her leg, fresh pain shooting through the limb.
"I need to look at your leg," Maddox said, his voice carefully neutral.
Grace nodded, not trusting herself to speak.
Maddox knelt beside the bed and carefully examined her injured leg. Grace watched his face, saw the way his jaw tightened as he assessed the damage.
"It's bad," he said finally. "Definitely broken, probably in multiple places. And I think it's dislocated too." He looked up at her, and for the first time since the river, met her eyes. "This needs a hospital."
"No hospitals," Grace said immediately. The thought of trying to explain her injuries, of having to deal with questions and police reports, and her parents finding out where she was, made her want to cry. "Please. No hospitals."
Maddox's expression was conflicted, but he nodded slowly. "Okay. No hospitals. But I'm going to have to set it. And, it’s going to hurt like hell."
"Everything already hurts like hell," Grace pointed out, attempting a weak smile.
Maddox didn't smile back. He just stared at her realizing she had been in her school uniform for days now. He slowly shrugged off his shirt and laid it in front of the fireplace, he thought she could change into that when it dries then he turned away, running his hand through his wet hair. When he turned back, his expression was carefully blank.
"I'm going to go get some supplies. Ice, bandages, whatever I can find. You should try to get out of those wet clothes."
He moved toward the door and Grace felt panic spike through her, “Where are you going?"
"Just downstairs. I'll be right back."
"And then?"
Maddox paused with his hand on the doorknob. "Then I'll keep guard. Make sure no one followed us. I'll be right outside the door all night."
‘Outside the door?’
Something about those words made Grace's chest tighten with an emotion she couldn't quite name. He was going to leave her alone. Was going to stay outside, away from her, all night.
‘Why won't he stay with me?’
Grace watched him move toward the door and felt something like desperation claw at her throat. The heat that had been simmering in her body all night was intensifying again, making her skin feel too tight, making every nerve ending scream for touch, for closeness, for him.
"Mad," she said, her voice coming out smaller than she intended.
He paused but didn't turn around. "Yeah?"
"I'm sorry. For not listening to your explanation. I do want to hear it."
Maddox's shoulders tensed. "Get some rest, Grace. We can talk about it later."
He opened the door.
And Grace, driven by panic and need and something deeper she couldn't name, tried to get off the bed to stop him.
She forgot about her leg.
The moment she put weight on it, pain exploded through her entire body. Her leg buckled completely and Grace pitched forward, unable to catch herself.
She hit the floor hard, a cry of pain torn from her throat.
"Grace!” Maddox spun around and was at her side in an instant, his hands on her shoulders. “What the hell were you thinking?"
Grace looked up at him, tears streaming down her face from the pain, and all she could think was that he was close again. That she could smell him again and could feel his warmth.
"Don't leave," she whispered. "Please don't leave me alone."
Maddox stared down at her, something intense and conflicted passing across his face. His hands were still on her shoulders, and Grace could feel them trembling slightly.
"Grace," he said, his voice rough. "You don't know what you're asking."
"I'm asking you to stay," Grace said, her hand reaching up to grip his shirt. "That's all. Just stay."
Maddox's jaw clenched, and Grace watched the internal battle play out across his features. Whatever self-control he'd been maintaining was cracking, she could see it in his eyes, in the way his hands tightened on her shoulders.
Finally, he nodded.
"Okay," he said quietly. "I'll stay."