Lock

Her rejection of my kiss creates knots in my stomach, but I ignore the pain and immediately follow her after putting my banana leaves back on properly.

“Hey! Don’t walk away from me,” I growl, marching behind her after I’ve quickly grasped my stuff.

She refuses to turn around, let alone even grant me a glance. She’s completely ignoring me, and it’s pissing me off.

Does what we have mean nothing to her?

Can she not forget the whole thing and love me as I love her?

I don’t want to lose her.

“I mean it,” I growl.

“Good for you,” she snaps back, still walking fuck knows where.

“Stop,” I say.

“No,” she replies. “You used me. Used my weakness against me.”

“So?” I shrug. I don’t see a problem with two people fucking each other if they like it.

“So? Is that all you have to say?”

“Yeah. I don’t regret it. Not even for a second,” I reply, smirking. In fact, I’m still reeling from the fact that I finally took her ass. And fuck … did it feel good. So tight.

Everything about the way we fucked was right.

“Well, I do!” she huffs, completely pulling me from my dirty thoughts.

I guess she doesn’t feel about it the way I do then.

“What is it with you?” I growl, losing my temper. “We just fucked, and now you’re running away from me again.”

“I already told you …”

“What?” I snap, standing still for a moment when she finally looks at me. But the gaze in her eyes is anything but loving.

“I need to go home.”

I grimace. “Am I not good enough? Why can’t this be your home?”

“Because you … you … you know damn well why!” she yells, stomping.

“No, you’re lying because you don’t want to face your feelings,” I say, walking right beside her now. “Admit it.”

I grab her arm to make her stop, but she jerks herself free and hisses, “Let go of me.”

“Please, Jules,” I mutter, shaking my head. “Can’t we start over?”

“After this?” She makes a face, tears filling her eyes again. “After everything that happened?”

“Why not?” I grab her hand. “I love you.”

“Don’t.” She pulls her hand back and starts walking again.

“I mean it. I love you. More than anything,” I say, refusing to give up.

She rubs her lips together, looking away as if she’s trying everything she can to block me out. But it won’t work. I won’t let it. I can’t lose her.

Not her.

She’s the only girl who ever came close to understanding me.

To loving me for who I am.

And now I fucked it all up.

“Jules,” I say. “What do you want from me?”

“Nothing,” she spits.

“Not true,” I reply. She’s only saying that to hurt me the way I hurt her, and I get it. But that won’t make me love her any less.

“Please, can’t you just leave me be?” she begs, her voice changing in pitch multiple times.

She’s struggling, and I want to reach out, but she refuses me every time I try. It’s as though she’s shut herself down completely. Built up a barrier so high no one would ever be able to climb.

But I’m willing to try.

I won’t give up.

Not on her. Not on what we have.

Not ever.

Not even if I have to let her go …

If that’s what it takes to make her like me again, then so be it.

I bite my lip and say, “I’ll do anything for you. Anything you want. Tell me, and I’ll do it.”

“I can’t …” She shakes her head.

“Do you want me to make a boat for you?” I say, which makes her look up with big eyes. “I’ll do it. If it means I can make things up to you.”

It’s quiet for a while, and the silence is killing me.

I want her to be happy … with me. Whatever the cost.

Even if it kills me, I don’t care.

“You … you’d do that for me?” she mumbles, gazing up at me with those beautiful eyes I want to drown in.

I let out a long-drawn-out sigh.

My heart already caved in long ago.

“Yes. If that’s what makes you happy,” I say, regretting it instantly.

“It will,” she answers. “So … what now?”

I nod, shivering from the sudden cold. “It’s getting dark, so we’d better go back to the hut first.”

“I’m not going back there with you,” she says, looking me up and down.

“Why not?”

She shrugs.

I raise a brow. “Afraid you’re going to get fucked in the ass again?” Her whole body starts to glow, and it makes me laugh. “Don’t worry, I’ll let you rest …” I add.

“Good,” she says, folding her arms. “Because that won’t happen again.”

“Right. Because you’re supposed to hate me,” I say.

“Exactly.”

Her fake cold shoulder is cute.

Still, as we walk back through the jungle, the realization kicks in that I’ll have to give her what she wants … if I ever want to make her happy again.

And as the sun goes down, my body starts to feel colder and colder.

Maybe it wasn’t meant to be.

* * *

Juliet

When we get back to the hut, I immediately go inside and gather my thoughts. I hope he doesn’t follow me. I have to think.

When the door slams open, I know my little wish didn’t work, and I sigh and sit down on the bed.

As he approaches, I hold up a hand and say, “Don’t.”

He mulls it over for a second and then turns around, walking outside with slumped shoulders.

I hate the look on his face because it makes me feel guilty … makes me want to throw shit around. But channeling my anger at this hut isn’t going to do us any good.

I have to think about it. Better yet, sleep on it.

So I lie down on the bed and let out a long-drawn-out sigh, shutting my eyes.

I don’t know how much time passes before I fall asleep or if I even do. I’m floating between half asleep and wide awake, and it’s the first night in a long while that I don’t dream.

When the sun rises, I know I’ve wasted another night.

I gaze around. The bed across the room hasn’t been slept in. I get up and sigh.

There’s no point in trying to sleep more if I can’t shut off my mind. I have to do something. I have to act.

I should go look for wood we can use for a boat instead.

Now that he’s agreed to help me, I have to make use of the time I have before he changes his mind again.

That’s it.

I grab a cup and fill it with water, gulping it down in one go before I walk outside and face him. He’s throwing wood on the fire and poking it when I pass him.

“Hey,” he says.

I was hoping he wouldn’t talk because it only makes things more difficult.

I wouldn’t know what to say anyway. I don’t want to like him. I don’t want to love him. I don’t want to crave him. But I do. All of it. And I hate myself for it more than I hate him.

“Where are you going?” he asks as I grasp his tools and knives and a lit torch. You never know when you need fire. Then I hurry off into the jungle again without answering him.

“To find some wood,” I reply sternly, letting him know I’m not going to let him stop me.

“Don’t,” he says, immediately grabbing a torch and running after me.

“You wanna help? Then help, or get out of my way,” I bark, not even looking at him.

It’s not because I don’t want to. I can’t because his eyes alone would be enough to make me stop and stay.

But that isn’t the right thing to do.

Not when it comes to this island.

It’s toxic.

“Help you with what?” he says.

“The boat, remember?” I say, searching through the jungle, looking for a tree I can cut down.

“No, no, no.” He catches up with me and grabs my wrist, stopping me in my tracks. “It’s dangerous out there. There’s something stalking around the bushes.”

“I don’t care.” I think he’s lying because he wants to keep me with him, so I jerk myself free. “Go back to the hut then. I’m going to get wood.”

“Jules …” he growls.

“No,” I snap, turning to face him. “I’m doing this, whether you like it or not. You want me to be happy? Then let me do this.”

He shakes his head. “You’re making a mistake.”

“So be it.” I wave the torch the other way. “See ya.”

“Jules,” he mutters, but I keep walking with my head held high.

I’m glad he’s not following me. That means I won’t have to deal with these conflicting emotions.

I can’t keep giving in. Can’t keep ignoring this little voice in my head that says I need to get out of here now.

I keep going until I finally find a few thin but strong trees I can cut down. If I can get these back to the hut, we can tie them together with Lock’s rope and create a raft, which is much better than a tiny boat. Especially when combined with a sail … which we could make from the skins of the animals he hunted.

The thought alone makes me throw up in my mouth a little, but there’s no other way to do it. There’s no leaf large enough to withstand that amount of wear and tear from waves and all the wind.

I sigh and grab the tools. “Better get to work.”

* * *

Within two hours, I’ve cut down most of the wood I need. I take a break to quench my thirst with some water, and I wipe the sweat off my forehead. Even if this isn’t enough, it’ll do for now. I need to spend the rest of my energy hauling it back to the hut anyway.

I hope Lock is still awake to help me rope them together. It looks like at least a couple of hours have passed since the sun has already moved across the sky.

I grab the thin trees and tie them together with the small piece of rope I brought, so I can drag it behind me over my shoulder. It’s not easy, but it’ll have to do.

If only Lock hadn’t gone back to the hut, maybe he could’ve helped out. But I guess he’s really afraid of some kind of animal living out here.

I haven’t seen any of the dangerous ones yet, though, despite being here for a long while. Nothing bigger than a monkey, and I doubt they could hurt us, so is it all a figment of his imagination? Or is there more to this island than I’ve seen so far? A quiet paradise … with a dangerous killer stalking the woods.

I shiver at the thought.

Better not think about it if I wanna make it out alive. Making a noise will only draw more unwanted attention. I’ll just have to pull my big girl panties up and do it.

I throw it over my shoulder and take a deep breath before I start pulling. It’s much heavier than I thought, but I should be able to carry it back to the hut. I didn’t stray that far.

With the torch in one hand and the rope attached to the load of wood in the other, I make my way through the jungle. Sweat drips down my back, but I ignore the strain in my muscles and push on.

A sudden rustle in the bushes up ahead makes me stop in my tracks.

What was that?

I hold my breath and inspect my surroundings like a hawk.

I don’t hear anything anymore except the buzzing of the insects.

Did I imagine it all?

Maybe my mind is playing tricks on me.

I blow out a sigh and force myself to continue. I can’t be paranoid, not here, not now.

Out of nowhere, something touches my shoulder.

I drop the wood and torch.

Something covers my mouth.

I scream, but my voice goes silent as I’m pulled into the bushes.

* * *

Lock

“Don’t move,” I whisper into her ear. “Don’t make a sound.”

She’s sweating from top to bottom, and her body is shaking.

The moment she sees me, the look in her eyes changes from panic to rage.

“I’m going to lower my hand if you agree,” I whisper. “Do you understand?”

She nods slowly.

Good.

When I pull my hand away, she immediately glances at me over her shoulder and whispers, “What are you doing here?”

I narrow my eyes and scan the environment. I hold up a finger to my mouth and signal for her to stay here. With my spear firmly clenched in both hands, I take a step toward the open area where she dropped her wood.

As silently as I can, I creep toward the center where her torch is burning the ground.

My foot steps on a branch, and it cracks under my weight.

I stop … gaze up … and meet two eyes. Slits. Blinking in the shadows.

A set of pearly white, sharp teeth.

And a low, humming growl.

As my eyes widen, so does his.

I hold my spear steady and wait for him to charge.

One wrong move and I’m done for.

Suddenly, it leaps out into the open. It’s headed straight for me.

“A tiger!” Jules screams.

One minute, I’m waiting for it to strike, and the next, it’s already pounced on me.

I’m fighting it off with every inch of strength I have, pushing the spear between its teeth.

“Lock!” Jules approaches. “Fight!”

“Stay back!” I growl, trying to push the animal away.

It claws at me, scratching my skin.

The wound is deep and painful.

I howl and shove it off, pointing the spear straight at its face.

It avoids my poke, comes in from the side, and swipes at my legs.

I go down.

“No!” Jules screams.

“Run!” I hiss, trying not to feel the pain even though blood is pouring out of me.

Right then, his fangs push into my shoulders.

I scream out in pain, but I clench my spear and shove it into his side.

The animal grunts and howls in pain, just like me.

Jules rushes into the open area and picks up the torch from the ground. Screaming, she swipes it through the air like a blade, pointing it at the tiger until it burns him enough to make him get off me.

When she pokes him with the fire, it bolts and runs, the spear still stuck in its side.

I stay still, blood spilling everywhere.

It hurts so much I can barely breathe.

Fuck.

I don’t think I can get up.

And worse … the more seconds pass, the heavier my body feels … and I can no longer keep my eyes open.