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Chapter 720:
“No.” He shifted his grip, lifting her more securely against his side, his arm a band of heat around her waist. “You’re not. And that’s why—” he started up the trail, carrying her with him, his stride steady despite the uneven ground, “—that’s why I can’t stop. Can’t look away. Can’t accept that you might choose someone who sees less, wants less, deserves less p>
June didn’t struggle. Her ankle was screaming now, the adrenaline fading, the reality of injury settling in. She needed him. Hated that she needed him. Hated more that he knew it—that she could see the satisfaction in the set of his jaw, the particular pleasure of a predator who had finally cornered his prey.
“Where are we going p>
“Top of the ridge. There’s a bench. Shelter from the wind.” He glanced down at her, his expression softening into something that might have been concern if she didn’t know better. “And then, June Erickson, we’re going to have a conversation about why you run from people who want to help you. And what it’s going to take to make you stop p>
The trail steepened. Crawford’s arm tightened around June’s waist, pulling her closer, taking more of her weight with each step.
She hated it. Hated the dependency, the intimacy, the way her body had to curve into his to maintain balance. Hated that her ankle was throbbing with each impact, that she had been stupid enough to come here alone, that she had let her guard down in a place she had thought was safe.
Most of all, she hated that he was enjoying this.
She could feel it. The subtle tension in his shoulder, the rhythm of his breathing, the particular satisfaction of a man who had finally, finally gotten what he wanted. June in his arms. June needing him. June with nowhere to go and no one to call.
“You’re limping,” he said.
“I’m not limping. You’re carrying me p>
“Semantics.” He adjusted his grip, his hand sliding lower on her hip, his fingers pressing into the muscle there with professional detachment. “The ligament’s swelling. We need to get ice on it before it compromises mobility p>
Iո𝘵𝖾𝗇𝗌e 𝗿о𝘮𝘢𝗇с𝗲 𝘰𝗻 𝗴𝗮𝗅ոo𝗏е𝘭𝘴.𝗰𝗈m
“We need to get to the top so I can call someone to pick me up p>
“Your phone’s in your car. Two miles down the mountain.” He didn’t look at her, kept his eyes on the trail, his pace steady despite the grade. “Mine has no signal. We’re alone, June. Completely. For at least another hour p>
She should have been afraid. The words were a threat, or should have been—the classic setup for every horror story she had ever heard.
But Crawford wasn’t threatening her. He was telling her the truth. Letting her see the situation clearly, the power imbalance, the absolute control he held in this moment and was choosing not to exercise.
It was worse than a threat. It was trust, offered like a knife, handle first.
“Why?” she asked.
“Why what p>
“Why any of this? The cameras, the waiting, the—” she gestured at their joined bodies, at the way he was half-carrying her up a mountain, “—the rescue. You could have just called. Sent flowers. Done something normal p>
Crawford laughed. The sound was soft, breathless with exertion, genuinely amused.
Message from Noa: And here we are, halfway through the year dear readers! Sending lots and lots of good vibes for everything good you’re planning for the rest of the year. God loves you and Noa wishes you all the best. ( • ᴗ – ) ✧
Also, let me share this for the second half of the year dear readers, Joshua 1:9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.