I refused to look at Jenna as we fell into line behind Cade. We headed toward a copse of trees that didn't appear nearly thick enough for my liking.
CHAPTER 23
I was relieved, and exhausted, when we finally came across the highway. The sun was beginning to set; we wouldn't have much of a break before we were forced to try the inevitable crossing. I hadn't allowed my thoughts to turn to Aiden and Bret since we'd been separated. For the first time I wondered if they were ok, if those things had chased them too, or if they had made it to the gas station already as they’d had a much easier and closer route than us.
I numbly accepted the bag of chips and half full bottle of water that Cade handed to me. I was starving, so hungry my head hurt, yet I leisurely ate the chips and barely tasted them. “We’ll have to move quickly,” Cade said.
I studied the two lane highway. We would have to dash across it before making it to the median, which was dotted with trees and scrub brush. The median would offer ten feet of refuge before we would have to run across two more lanes in order to reach the safety of more woods. Though those woods were nowhere near as thick as some of the ones we had traversed earlier.
Cade handed me the duffel bag containing our supplies. I frowned at him as he turned away and made his way to the edge of the tree line. I snapped out of my strange stupor to hurry after him. “What are you doing?” I demanded.
“I’m going to go out there first. Make sure it’s safe.”
“Like hell!” I retorted.
His face was half hidden in the shadows as he knelt to study the road. “Would you like another replay of the bridge?”
I swallowed heavily as I glanced back at the open expanse of highway. Unlike the bridge there were no lights to illuminate the road, but after the events at the dump I could almost feel the aliens lying in wait, hovering over us, and setting a trap to take us down. “We’ll find another way.”
“There is no other way.”
“I’ll go with you,” I offered.
He shook his head as his gaze drifted to Abby. “You can't leave her alone.”
“Stop using her against me!”
He ran a hand through his tussled hair. “I’m not using her against you; I just need you to stay here Bethany. I’ll be back. I promise.”
I tried to find solace in his words, I couldn’t. “You can’t promise that.”
“No, I can’t.” I frowned at him. I had expected some kind of reassurance, some false promises even. I was slightly taken aback by his blunt admission. “But if you come with me, and something happens, these two will be left alone. They need someone to lead them.”
I glanced over my shoulder to make sure I was out of earshot. “I’m the one that has completely collapsed in this situation Cade, not them. They’re holding up far better than I.”
He rose to his full height and moved subtly closer to me. The heat of his body radiated against mine even though he remained a foot away. “That may be true, but you are still stronger than them Bethany. You reached a breaking point today, but many would have reached theirs years ago if they had carried the same burdens as you. You will not break again, I know that…”
“You can’t know that,” I interrupted.
“Of course I can, I know you. You’ll get them through this because you have to. If they lose us both, they won’t make it. Trust me on that.”
I bit my bottom lip as I continued to frown at him. I wanted to believe him, but a part of me believed he was just feeding me a line of bull in order to get me to stay behind while he tested the waters. I could almost see the gears turning in his head, the thoughts bouncing rapidly through his brain as he tried to think of some other way to dissuade me.
“Without you?”
“What?” He was thrown off by my questioning him instead of arguing further.
“Do you honestly believe that I will be able to keep it together without you?”
He shifted nervously, I could tell he was hesitant to say his next words, but say them he did. “You kept it together after your father died, until me. You kept it together today, until me. I’m the reason you fall apart Bethany.”
“That’s not true!” I protested vehemently.
He glanced over my shoulder; his jaw clenched as a muscle jumped in his cheek. “It is true, without me you will make it through this…”
“That’s awful of you to say! Especially after everything that has happened!” I snapped, growing infuriated with his words and the absolute belief he had in them. “How could you believe that I’m stronger without you!?”
He grabbed hold of my shoulders and pulled my rigid form a step closer to him. “I never said that. When I'm not around you bury your emotions because you don’t trust anyone else with them, but…”
“But for some reason I trust you.”
A small smile quirked the corner of his full mouth as his eyes twinkled mischievously. “Yes, for some reason you trust the devil.”
I started in surprise as he mentioned his nickname from school. “You knew they called you the dark devil?”
His grin widened. “The devil knows all.”
“You’re not funny,” I muttered.
“I’m not trying to be.” He kissed me softly on the forehead before releasing me and taking a step back. “You will get them through this Bethany. No matter what, I know you will.”
Though I appreciated his unwavering faith in me, I wanted to grab hold of him and plead with him to stay. I wanted to tell him I loved him but the words stuck in my throat. It was obvious that he was set on this course of action, and I wasn't going to be able to stop him.
“Be safe.”
He flashed a cocky grin that caused my heart to melt and my toes to curl. “Always.”
Before I could say another word he darted away from me, bolted across the road, and disappeared into the shelter of the median with startling speed and grace. I was left gaping after him, my heart hammering as a cold sweat broke out on my body. I'd never seen anyone move like that. I took a small step after him, torn between the urge to follow, and the need to stay with my sister.
My gaze slid back to Abby. She and Jenna had crept closer to me, but still hung back a good five feet. I could see the fear in their faces, a fear that caused me to straighten my shoulders and tilt my chin up. Cade was right, I would find some way to get them out of this. No matter what it took, I would get them out of here, even if I had to do it without him.