From Neglected Wife to CEO’s Obsession novel Chapter 143

In the six years I was with Remy, he only carried me on his back twice.

Elliot is the third person in my life who’s ever done that for me.

That means something. I, Avery, won’t forget it. One day, I’ll pay him back—somehow.

Blake suddenly spoke up, breaking the quiet. “Elliot, snake on your left.”

My heart nearly exploded. I instantly thought the branch brushing my left side was actually a snake. Panic took over everything else. I forgot we were on a steep, narrow mountain trail, forgot I was riding piggyback on Elliot. I just threw one arm over my face and started smacking at the “snake” with the other.

I was yelling all kinds of nonsense. “Stupid snake, get out of here! I’ll kill you, I swear—go away!”

“Don’t move.” Elliot’s voice was low and sharp, trying to keep me steady.

Reality snapped back into focus. I realized I was just hitting leaves. There wasn’t even a snake.

But it was too late to fix anything.

The ground slid out from under us. In a split second, Elliot managed to twist around and haul me from his back to his front, holding me so tight I could barely breathe. One hand cradled my head, the other clamped around my waist. His voice rumbled against my ear. “Close your eyes. Don’t be scared. I’ve got you.”

I wrapped my arms around his neck, legs squeezing tight around his narrow waist. Eyes shut tight, I screamed as we tumbled down the slope.

A bunch of little birds exploded out of the bushes, flapping and shrieking, just making everything scarier and more chaotic.

Finally, we slammed to a stop against a big tree, the kind it would take two people to wrap their arms around.

I was sprawled on the ground, half on top of him. Over Elliot’s shoulder, all I could see was wild grass, tangled branches, and a bit of impossibly blue sky.

He looked even worse. His hair was wild, his right shoulder drooped, and his skin was so pale it was almost see-through. His lips were colorless.

“I’m sorry, Elliot. You got hurt because of me. This is all my fault.” Guilt twisted in my stomach.

If there was ever a next time—and God, I hoped there wouldn’t be—I was done trying to prove how tough I was. No more pretending, no more risks.

He leaned against the tree and looked at me—really looked at me—with this cool, serious intensity. Like I was the only thing that mattered right then. No one, not Remy, not anyone, had ever looked at me like that before.

I suddenly felt awkward under his gaze and dropped my eyes, trying to change the subject. “Mr. Garcia must have called for help by now, right? Someone’s coming to get us.”

A tiny, barely-there smile tugged at Elliot’s lips. “We’re in a dead zone out here. No signal. No one’s coming. We’re on our own.”