Gunner

I roll onto my side with a grunt of frustration, but no matter how hard I try, sleep just won’t come. After I carried Scarlett back to her cabin, I came straight home and spent the evening feeling restless, unable to focus. In the end, I said fuck it and decided to go to bed early. That was three hours ago. Now it’s after midnight, and still, all I can think about is Scarlett all alone in her cabin. My heart is pounding as I think about her gorgeous curves, her sweet voice, her pretty face…fuck, it’s driving me crazy. But there’s also fear gnawing at my chest. It’s one thing for a big giant of a guy like me to live alone out here, but Scarlett is a young woman, barely into her twenties, and I can’t stop thinking about all the things that could go wrong. What if she has an accident and can’t call for help? What if someone breaks into her cabin? What if a crazy murderer shows up? My thoughts are spiraling, getting gradually more and more paranoid, the scenarios more dramatic and dangerous. I jump out of bed, running a hand through my hair as I kick my nightstand in frustration. I can’t relax. Not when I know Scarlett is sleeping all alone out here in the middle of nowhere. I know I’m being illogical, hell, I’m being downright nuts. But I need to check on her. I need to know that she’s safe. From the sounds of it, I’m the only person she knows out here, and I have to be the one to look out for her. “Fuck,” I mutter to myself as I start pulling on some clothes. “I’m definitely losing my mind.” Once I’m dressed, I grab a flashlight and head out into the woods. Scarlett’s cabin is a twenty-minute walk away, but my strides are long and I’m hurrying, so I make it there in fifteen. When her cabin is in sight, I turn off my flashlight, letting the moonlight guide me through the trees until I’m standing in her front yard. My heart races as I look at the cabin, adrenaline rushing through me. She’s in there right now. She’s so close. I circle the cabin, looking for any sign of danger, my ears pricked for intruders. But there’s nothing. As I come back around to the front, I notice there’s a faint blue light coming from the living room window, and I hardly dare to breathe as I crouch down, peering into the room. Scarlett is sitting on the couch, a tub of cookie dough ice cream in her hands as she watches a show that I vaguely recognize as Law & Order. My mouth goes dry as I stare at her. This is so wrong. So fucked up. But I can’t tear myself away from the gorgeous angel on the other side of the window. She looks so fucking beautiful in her sweats with her hair tied back in a messy bun, and I watch as her mouth falls open at something she just saw on TV. Fuck she’s so adorable. I’m so transfixed, that I barely notice the time pass. It could be a few minutes or a few hours since I started watching Scarlett, but eventually, she turns off the TV and gets up off the couch, heading into the bedroom and out of sight. It’s like a spell has been broken. I take a stumbling step backward, rubbing my hands over my face. Shit, what the hell am I thinking? The window on the other side of the cabin suddenly glows orange, but before I can wrestle with myself about whether to look inside or not, the curtains close, and the light is gone. The forest is quiet and still; the only sound is my breathing as I take a few more steps away from the cabin. My head is a mess. I know what I’m doing is crossing a big fucking line, but at the same time, I can’t bring myself to leave. If I go back to my cabin now, I know I’ll spend the whole night tossing and turning, worrying about Scarlett. Shielding myself in a thicket of trees, I find a place where I can see the cabin without being visible from the windows. I crouch down, watching At least if an intruder comes, I’ll know about it. I’ll stay here and guard Scarlett; I’ll protect her, even if it means I’m getting no sleep tonight. As I begin my watch, I run over all the things I know about the beautiful angel sleeping in the cabin right now. She’s a night owl…from Oklahoma…likes cookie dough ice cream… watches Law & Order…not used to being out in the forest…doesn’t want to talk about why she came to Colorado… It’s frustrating how little I know. I want to learn everything about Scarlett—every tiny detail of who she is and why she came here. But for tonight, I’ll have to settle for keeping watch. Keeping her safe. It’s a deep, primal instinct that I can’t explain, something stronger than logic and reasoning, stronger than my sanity. I need to protect this girl, and It’s a long night, but eventually, the sun rises and the sky above the forest brightens to orange. I’m exhausted but now that it’s light out, I feel calmer, like Scarlett is safer now. But that doesn’t stop me from waiting for signs of life from the cabin, my heart thumping hard as I see the curtains open and the shadowy figure of Scarlett moving around inside. I don’t have any excuse to stay now that she’s awake and it’s morning, but I still don’t move. I watch as the cabin windows are thrown open, and a few minutes later, I hear Scarlett’s sweet voice drifting toward me. “Hi, this is Scarlett, I came in yesterday—” she says, clearly on the phone. There’s silence while the other person speaks. “Yeah, that’s me,” Scarlett continues brightly, followed by another long pause. “Sure, today would be amazing!” Another pause. “Nope, that’s perfect, I can be at Mountain Brew in twenty minutes…okay, thank you! See you soon.” I frown as the talking stops, thinking over what I just heard. Mountain Brew is a coffee shop down in Winterdale, and it sounds like Scarlett is going to meet someone there. Who? Why? Fuck, it’s none of my damn business, I think to myself as I finally get up from the ground, my legs sore and stiff. I can’t justify staying here any longer. I watched her in the woods because I thought she was in danger. I watched her last night to make sure there were no intruders. There’s no reason to follow her into a coffee shop in Winterdale…what the hell could possibly happen to her? Is she gonna be attacked by coffee mugs or something? I’m not gonna follow her, I tell myself firmly. No fucking way. Last night was a one-off. But I’m already speeding up as I wend my way through the trees back toward my cabin, heading for my truck. I reach it in fifteen minutes and jump inside, speeding back toward Scarlett’s cabin. I’m just in time to see her small green car turning left at the end of the road, and my heart is in my throat as I tail her. I could try to tell myself I’m only following her in case she has an accident on the road…making sure she gets to her destination safely…but I know I’d be bullshitting myself. I’m following her because I’m fucking obsessed. From the moment I saw Scarlett wandering through the woods, all I’ve wanted to do is look after her. Protect her. Guard her. It’s a dangerous game I’m playing, but I can’t stop. I can’t risk not being there when something bad happens…not like before…not like last time… I shake the thought away, but not before grief punches me in the stomach. I failed to protect somebody in the past, and I won’t let it happen again. Scarlett must have moved to an isolated cabin in the woods for a reason. Maybe she’s running from something. Maybe she’s in danger. But fuck, even if she just wanted a change of scenery, I’m going to do whatever it takes to keep her safe. This curvy angel is mine to protect, and that’s all that matters to me now.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***