Chapter 7: Good Samaritan, Part 2

"You do know how to drive, right?" Abby asked as she pulled out of her driveway.

I rolled my eyes, thankful it was dark enough she couldn't see me. "Yes. I drove in downtown Orlando. I'm sure I can handle the back roads of Keene Valley."

She laughed. "Just don't crash my car. It took me forever to convince Mom and Dad to buy it."

"No crashing. Got it." I nodded.

Mom could never afford to buy me a car, but she'd let me drive hers whenever she wasn't using it, which was pretty much every night and most weekends. If only she'd let me use it that night. . . She'd still be here.

"Okay, this is it." Abby slowed the car and stopped. "Well, actually, I have to walk down that path a ways."

That path led straight into dark nothingness. I raised a brow and looked over at her in disbelief. "You're going to walk that, in the dark?"

"Yeah." She shrugged like it was no big deal. "We'll have to come back during the day so I can show you around. This is where everyone hangs out. It's a great place to party and do. . . other things." She flashed a wicked grin.

"Well, aren't you scared of bears? They live in the mountains, don't they?"

She flung her head back and laughed. My question was serious. So was my concern for her.

"Don't worry. I have a flashlight on my phone." She pulled it from her purse and waved it at me.

"What good will that do? You going to blind a bear with it?"

She looked at me like it was the most obvious answer in the world. I stared back, confused.

Abby sighed. "No, silly. I'm going to use it to see my way down the path."

"Oh." That still didn't answer my question.

"And if I get lost or something happens, I can call for help."

"Right."

Who was she going to call, though? I didn't have a phone, and her parents thought we were together, so calling them wasn't a good idea. Had she even considered that?

She grabbed the door handle, then stopped. "You're funny, you know that? You should show that side of yourself more often."

Mom always told me I had a natural sense of humor. It was nice to know she hadn't said that because she was obligated by the mother-daughter relationship.

"I'll be back here at nine forty-five so we can be home by ten. And I'm not wandering in there to find you, so you'd better be here when I get back," I said.

"I'll be here, don't worry." Abby got out and met me at the front of the car. Then she hugged me.

I halfheartedly returned the gesture.

"Thank you so much, Chloe." With a wave, she headed down the dark path.

I got into the driver's seat and stayed for a few minutes, long enough for Abby to use the headlights to see her way down the path. Then I put the car in reverse and turned toward town.

With unfettered access to her car, I could easily leave Keene Valley, keep driving until I ran out of gas. But as much as I'd dreaded coming here, something now anchored me to this place. A nagging curiosity I couldn't explain.

I followed Adirondack Street until it met Route 73, then turned right and drove straight through town. I slowed to 35 mph and took the time to see what my new hometown had to offer. I found a library, a diner, a tiny shop that catered to tourists, and a realtor. There was also a coffee house, a fitness center, and the high school.

And then, just like that, I was out of the town limits. That was it? No gas station or grocery store? They were more than likely in the opposite direction - they had to be because what town didn't have those amenities? There was no pharmacy or doctor's office or hospital, either. Maybe that was a blessing. I'd had enough of those to last my lifetime.

Continuing down Route 73, I drove farther away from town with no idea where I was going, but I had almost two hours to kill before I had to be back to get Abby. I slowed my speed and looked for a place to turn around, deciding I'd hang out at the coffee house or the diner when the mountain with the waterfall caught my eye.

Checking my mirrors, I made a U-turn and then pulled over to the side of the road. I turned on the car's four-ways and killed the engine. Then, I got out and climbed onto the roof to get a better look at the waterfall.

The air was slightly cooler, and I rubbed the goose bumps from my arms. I needed to start carrying a sweater. I was never going to get used to how cold it was around here. It certainly wasn't anything like Florida.

Even from the road, the roar of the water was loud, but it was also soothing. The rumble of a truck engine snagged my attention. I shielded my eyes from oncoming headlights. The truck slowed and pulled up in front of the car.

My heart rate quickened. I was out here, alone, without a cell phone or any way to contact anyone should something happen. I climbed off the car, praying I could get back in the driver's seat and get the doors locked before whoever was in the truck reached me.

My feet hit the ground at the same moment the truck door opened. A tall, masculine figure emerged, his form illuminated by the headlights, making it impossible for me to see his face. I kicked up my pace and rounded the rear of the car, ducking behind the trunk so I could sneak to the driver's side door.

"Having car trouble?" he asked.

I froze. "Trent?" Straightening, I squinted against the glare of the truck's lights.

"Chloe."

I sighed with relief, placing my hand over my racing heart.

He was suddenly right next to me, so close I could smell his unique, woodsy cologne and see his eyes, which were pitch black. That had to be a trick of the light.

I blinked, and his eyes were back to the same crisp blue they were when I'd first met him.

"What're you doing out here?" I asked.

"I was driving by when I noticed your car on the side of the road. Thought you might be having engine trouble or something." He shoved his hands into his pockets.

I studied him. His entire demeanor was. . . off. Like he wasn't the least bit surprised to have found me out here.

"How did you know it was me?" I asked. This wasn't even my car.

"I didn't," he said. "Not until I saw you sitting on the roof. Seriously, Chloe, what're you doing out here? At night. By yourself."

"I was looking at the waterfall." I pointed at it as if that would somehow explain my behavior.

He lifted a single brow, and the corner of his mouth twitched, the smile not fully forming. "You know, it's easier to see it in the daylight."

I chuckled. "I know." I hopped up to sit on the trunk, and the car rocked under my weight, making me feel like I weighed a metric ton rather than a healthy 136 pounds. "Abby is out with some boy, and I'm covering for her. But, being new in town with no friends. . ." I shrugged.

"May I?" He motioned to the spot next to me.

When I nodded, he sat. The motion was so graceful and fluid, the car barely moved. I needed to learn how to do that.

"How's your hand?" he asked.

"Oh, it's fine." I flexed my fingers. "Still a little sore, but I'll live."

"Good." He looked around, then settled his gaze on me. "You know, there's a trail that leads to the base of those falls. From there, you can climb the mountain and look down from the top."

That explained the people I'd seen on the mountain yesterday.

"How do you know that?" I asked.

He'd said he was new here, too, so in theory, he'd know what I knew - which wasn't much.

"I went exploring after school."

That made sense. "How far is the trail?"

"The entrance is back there a few feet." He pointed in the direction he'd come from. "It's less than half a mile to the base. We could check it out if you want."

"Now?" I asked. "It's dark."

His soft, melodic laughter eased the anxiety that had taken up residence in my chest. "Yes, but the trail is very easy to travel," he said.

"What about the bears?"

Was I the only one who worried about the wildlife around here? I'd watched enough National Geographic to know what types of animals lived in the mountains and that I would make a tasty meal. And I'd seen a moose snatched by a predator faster than I could blink.

"The bears?" His voice was all calm confidence, but his tone lifted with traces of humor.

"Yes. The bears."

He could make fun of me all he wanted, but there was no way I was wandering down some trail in the dark.

"What if we get lost?" I asked, suddenly afraid for an entirely new reason.

"I have a very good sense of direction. We won't get lost." He leaned back, propping himself on his hands. "But if you'd prefer to wait until the sun is up to-"

"I would," I interrupted.

He gave a quick nod. "Well, when you're ready, let me know, and I'll do it with you."

Eyebrow raised, I fought not to smile. Did he realize the implication of what he'd said? "You'll do it with me, huh?" I teased.

His entire body tensed. "Hiking!" he blurted. "I mean I'll hike it with you."

I laughed and nudged him with my shoulder. Rather, I tried, but he didn't so much as budge. A sharp pain shot down my arm. If I hadn't known better, I would've thought I'd rammed my shoulder into a brick wall.

"I didn't peg you as a good Samaritan." I frowned at how mean and judgmental I sounded. "I didn't mean you're not nice or anything. You are. What I know of you, anyway."

He turned to look at me, and my breath caught. I held his gaze, mesmerized, unable to look away even if I'd wanted to.

"If you knew me, really knew me, your opinion would change," he said.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

He leaned closer, his warm, sweet breath whispering over me as he spoke. "Just that the monsters hiding in plain sight are more dangerous than the ones you can't see."

I narrowed my eyes. "Are you trying to tell me you're a monster?"

"Maybe."

"Well, I don't think you're scary, so. . ." I shrugged again.

My rapid breathing told a different story, though. And I was positive if I told him the truth about who I was and what I had done, he'd realize I was the real monster. Not him.

"Hmm. I guess we'll see about that."

My heart fluttered at everything he didn't say, and I smiled at the knowledge I'd be spending more time with Trent.