Evaline paused. She wanted to immediately say no, but at the same time, she was terrified of what Reed might do if she rejected him. He followed her here. He seemed like a man who was too proud to face rejection.
What was to stop him from following her around? Would he take it so far that he would follow her when she had to leave town and return to James? She had a sinking feeling that he would be insistent. The risks were too high to gamble.
But obviously, she didn't want to go have 'drinks' with Reed. That thought almost equally horrified her.
Caught between decisions, she decided to swallow this fear and dance around the answer some more. Maybe she could indirectly reject him and he would take a hint.
"I don't know, I still have to run a few errands," she said, avoiding eye contact with him to look down the street. "I'm quite busy."
Evaline tried to step back and avoid the dog's advances, but it was too late, and she was too slow. The dog sniffed something on her, and maybe this didn't mean anything since dogs were dogs, but paranoia started to course through her veins.
She didn't like the way Reed was hungrily scanning her up and down like she was a piece of meat he was admiring from afar. She didn't like how he seemed to ignore her disinterest. She didn't like how this how planned this felt, like he purposefully came over with a dog and asked for a date. Like he knew something.
But they didn't. They couldn't have. Right? He was just being creepy?
The paranoia flushed her face as she took a step back.
The dog couldn't have known, right? It wasn't like she ever met the dogs in this timeline. Unless... could it recognize her scent from Riverside? They weren't looking for her, though. They were looking for James. Could it smell James on her?
She took another step back, and she couldn't stop the beginnings of fear creep into her face.
Did Reed know? How far was he going to take this?
She was worried that the escalation was going to hurt James in the end. But now she was starting to realize that he could end up hurting her.
"That won't be necessary," she finally said, taking more steps back. "I'm... not hungry."
But that wasn't going to be enough to convince him. If not saying no wasn't going to work, what other choice did she have besides saying no?
"And... not interested. In you," she finally sputtered out.
Reed's expression was a little hard to read for a moment, and he let the dog linger around Evaline for a moment before yanking it back towards him, harshly. A smile spread across his face and he dipped his head.
"Well, that's all you had to say, miss Evelyn," he said in a tone that was sickly sweet. "But perhaps, I could convince--"
His sentence came to a stop as two women started walking up towards the cart of herbs, and one of them looked over to Evelyn like she recognized her, poked her friend to point Evelyn out, and the two of them rushed forward.
"Girl, where were you?" one of them said. She was a tad shorter than Evelyn, and wearing a simple red dress with a knitted shawl over her shoulders. She had warm brown skin and thick black hair pulled back in a braid.
"We were looking all over for you!" the other said, grabbing Evelyn by the arm and starting to turn her away from Reed. This one was taller than Evelyn by a few inches, and she had a loose grey tunic and trousers, and short, curly blonde hair that danced around her face.
"I told you we'd catch up to you, you know," the blonde said. "You really should've waited for us."
As she continued talking, she started to lead Evelyn away from Reed. Reed stood still for a moment, and eventually turned around and left, weaving back through the crowd to Butch.
The black haired girl glanced back subtly, and when she knew they were far enough away she turned to Evelyn.
"Sorry about that. Was that guy bothering you? I haven't seen him around town much. He must be passing through."
Evaline felt the panic come up at the back of her throat when Reed seemed to smile away her rejection of his advancements and continue to insist, but then two women who looked to be around her age started talking and pushing her away.
She almost resisted as her paranoia was thinking this was somehow part of Reed's plan, but then their words sank in, and she glanced back to see that Reed was walking away.
They were helping her.
Her head was spinning as relief started to wash over her, and soon they were far enough away to lose him. Gratitude swelled in her that two passing strangers had unknowingly pulled her away from a murderer and torturer.
"He was," she breathlessly responded to the girl, staring back to see that he was indeed no longer in sight. She then turned back to face their worried eyes. "Thank you. That meant a lot."
"Girls gotta look out for each other, don't we?" the blonde one said, smiling. "I'm Olivia, by the way. My friend here is Thessa. Are you traveling alone?"
Evaline nodded, still at a loss of words. Was it normal for women to help other women like that?
The both of them exchanged a look with each other.
"Well, we're not doing anything until evening," Thessa said, nodding at Olivia. She smiled warmly at Evaline. "If you're still shopping, we can follow you, if you'd like. We don't want that man to bother you again."
"I..." Evaline began, but she was still at a loss for words. It was hard to think clearly when just a little bit ago she was running through terrifying situations in her head that could've happened with Reed if they didn't pull her away.
Finally, she started to shut down the paranoia and worry, trying to live more in the moment and appreciate what these girls did for her. "I'd like that," she said quietly.
"Great!" Olivia chirped. "Where do you need to go? We can follow you." She paused. "What's your name, by the way? I haven't seen you around before. Are you also passing through?"
"Evenlyn," Evaline said without thinking, but immediately she felt dishonest for saying a false name after an act of kindness. She tried to not dwell on it. "And yes, I'm only passing through. I leave town tonight."
"Awww," the girls said at the same time, expressing disappointment.
"Well, we'll make the best we can right now, then," Thessa said, linking arms with Evaline as she nearly aimlessly started to walk towards the shoe repair shop.
The three of them engage in mindless chatter, but Evaline felt like they could detect that she wasn't as chatty as them. They seemed to fill the gap for her, though. Even though she wasn't wary of strangers, she did feel like she could trust them. They did save her from Reed, after all. She was happy to answer any question they may have, even though most of it was random things, like what kinds of things did she buy, their favorite scented soaps (in response to her saying she bought soap -- apparently she picked two good scents), or how she did her hair.
"My braid, you mean?" Evaline asked, and they nodded.
"It's really pretty," Thessa said, pointing at her own braid. "And that's coming from someone who does a lot of braiding. Did you do it yourself?"
"I didn't do it. I wish I knew how," she said with a small smile.
"Ooh, who did it then? Someone around here?"
"No," Evaline said quietly. "A friend did."
"Oh. Well, tell your friend that I said she did a great job, and she should totally come to Woodhearst and braid our hair too!" Olivia said with a giggle.
"He," Evaline corrected mindlessly, causing Thessa and Olivia to exchange a playful glance at each other.
"Oooh, okay. So a boy braided your hair," Olivia said, grinning.
"I... well, yeah." She could feel her cheeks warming up. Something with how Olivia said the word boy made her feel embarrassed.
"Awww, she's blushing!" Thessa cooed, wrapping her arm around her. "He must be important. Is he your boyfriend? Why isn't he here? He could've protected you from that creep."
Olivia poked Thessa and shook her head, like she was trying to tell her that she was maybe pushing a boundary.
But Evaline found her face reddening with each passing word. "I... no, well. Hah," was the best response she could come up with before she realized she was in front of the shoe shop.
"Oh, look, we're here," she said a little too fast, quickly going after the door. "I'll, uh, be right back. I'll be quick. The store is small, and..." Both pair of eyes were glued on her, and Evaline just sighed and began to walk in. "I'll be right back," she mumbled.
Olivia and Thessa exchanged another glance at each other.
"So, not a boyfriend?" Thessa said.
"I'm not sure," Olivia said, lost in thought. "Maybe a crush?"
They both whispered at each other when all of a sudden the door opened again and Evaline gave them an awkward smile.
"That's the last stop," Evaline said. "I should get going now. Thank you again for—"
"We're going shopping," Olivia and Thessa said at the same time.
~~
Evaline didn't know what happened, but somehow she found herself in a clothing store. They insisted that she wear something better than what she was wearing now, and they kept dancing around the reason why.
"Just in case you have to impress a certain someone," Olivia told her with a wink.
"You're really pretty. Don't you want to wear clothes that'll make you feel pretty? You'll feel more confident, and others will notice how good you look. Win-win!" Thessa also told her with a wink.
And the most embarrassing part? She didn't disagree or tell them they didn't have to do this.
"Are you sure this is a good outfit?" Evaline said in front of a mirror, staring at her new self.
At first, she couldn't believe that she had worn her old clothes for so long with little problems, especially since her pants started getting holes. And after she undressed out of it, she then started feeling self-conscious that she realized she had lost weight since being in Nye, and she was feeling awfully bony.
Why did she suddenly cared about how she looked?
Her hands brushed along her new clothes that actually fit her this time. At least with these new clothes... she did feel a little pretty.
"Positive," Thessa said.
"I agree. This one is the best," Olivia said with a nod. "And don't forget these ribbons, too. You know, for the next time he decides to braid your hair." She giggled.
Evaline gave them both warm smiles. "Okay. I trust you both. I'll buy it."
~~
After they left the clothing store, Evaline still had plenty of money left to buy a few things she wanted, and although she was in a hurry to get back, she felt safe enough to quickly buy her own journal and a small book. That was going to be it, but then Olivia wondered out loud if the items she bought were for a 'special someone,' and then it dawned on Evaline that maybe she should get something personal for James, too. Remembering that he liked to read history books, she bought one that was equally light, and was based on the girls' recommendations... although, she had no idea if this was something they knew anything about. After buying these items, it was time to leave, and they were at the edge of town next to the road she originally walked down to enter the town all those hours ago. The sun was setting, but she will get to James before nightfall, as promised.
"You sure you don't want to stay for one night?" Thessa pleaded. "Or do more shopping?"
"I wish I could," Evaline said, and she really did mean it. "But I have to leave. I really enjoyed our time together, though." She paused. "Really. Thank you."
The two girls smiled and came in for a big group hug.
"If you're ever back in town, we'll be here," Olivia said.
They waved goodbye to her as Evaline started walking down the road. She looked back, gave them another goodbye, then continued walking, smiling. It had been a long time since she had a girl-to-girl friendship day. It felt nice to live through that again, even if it was also embarrassing.
But also... somewhat thrilling?
She didn't know how to describe it, but she pushed this feeling and thought down, instead focusing on the happy memories she made.
And also the bad memories.
She looked back again. The girls were gone.
Reed and Butch were still around, no doubt. She had to be careful and quickly return to James.
Wait... they were still around town. Would they be..?
She looked back again. No one was following her.
No time to be paranoid, she reminded herself as her pace quickened.
The walk back went by uneventful other than her running mind and continuous glances around, and finally, she reached the same sign that pointed to Woodhearst. Without wasting another second, she entered the nearby woodsy area and began to look around. Although, she didn't exactly remember where James said he'd be. Just the woods. If he had pointed out where he was at, she didn't remember. It all looked the same to her.
"Hey, it's me, I'm back," she said out loud impatiently. "Where are you?"
James heard a voice faintly in the forest. He turned to the source, then glanced back at Elliot. Moments like these, he always wished for keener hearing, but he had to make do with what he had.
He decided to approach quietly on foot, walking lightly on the balls of his feet. The voice hadn't been too far away, and he was pretty positive it was Evaline, but he just needed to be sure. He wanted to make sure she was alone. Safe. Not being held hostage, or being used as bait.
When he caught sight of her dark braid he knew it was her, but she was wearing something different. She must've bought new clothes.
He scanned the forest, checking that the coast was clear before he made his presence known and approached with louder footsteps. "I'm here," he said, drawing closer.
He noticed how full her bag was - almost to the point of bursting, barely holding everything inside. But he also got a closer look at her outfit.
She must've earned a lot more than he thought if she was able to afford it.
She was wearing a pair of riding pants - a good, practical choice, but they also fit her well. She had a leather jacket over a peasant top, and it had a little cinch in the back that accentuated her waist. It was really nice. James was impressed.
But also worried.
He didn't think Evaline would steal. He just didn't know - well, he didn't know anything that happened.
"You're alright?" he asked, scanning her quickly for injuries - of which, he found none.
Evaline breathed a sigh of relief when James came out of the clearing, and it barely registered to her that he seemed to examine her. Right. She was wearing different clothes.
"Yeah. Everything went fine," she said, quickly walking towards him and unslinging the bag to hand to him.
"Let's talk later. We should move away from the city," she said, glancing behind her again. "The farther we get, the better."
Those sounded like two contradictory sentiments, but James knew to take a warning seriously the first time. He adjusted the bag over his shoulder and started to walk back to Elliot at a fast pace.
Evaline hesitated, not sure if she should reveal this so soon. She was hoping they would make distance first, and then talk about these things. Even better if she didn't even have to bring it up at all. She didn't want James to relive any potential trauma.
... But they did agree to be more honest with one another. She had to be honest with him.
She felt her face paling a little as she briskly walked beside him.
"Yes," she said quietly, just barely loud enough for him to hear. "And Reed. I don't know if they're following, but I don't want to risk it. Let's go."
That was all James needed to know for the time being. He nodded sharply and started to run with her back to Elliot - not a far distance, but every second mattered. He strapped the saddlebag back on the saddle, and with how heavy it was, it all seemed to balance out with the other one being stuffed. He didn't bother to check all that was inside it, because he found his boot right on the top and promptly closed it again.
"Get up in the saddle," he instructed quietly as he quickly found his other shoe and tied them tight on his feet.
"We'll ride Elliot for a few miles, and then we'll travel as fast as we can on foot to give him a break. He can't carry too many people for long, especially when he's running hard."
Evaline caught up with James and nodded, following his instructions while he put on his repaired boot. Without a second thought, she climbed up on the saddle like it was second nature, scooting back so that James could take the lead.
It was funny how, just yesterday, she was being tested on this.
James tied off his laces and didn't bother to roll his pants down. Instead, he promptly hopped up into the saddle in front of Evaline, took the reins, and after one glance into the forest - just to check - he clicked his tongue.
Evaline grabbed onto his waist.
Elliot started walking at first, just for a minute, and then they sped up. Gradually, faster and faster.
They rode on in silence. James had already spent the day memorizing where they needed to go. He didn't need to check his maps, and he didn't have to second guess himself. He navigated Elliot through the thinning trees with confidence, and into the night, they rode on.
James was glad that Elliot had a whole day of rest - grazing, sleeping, and drinking up while Evaline was in town. It made James less worried about riding him hard as the sun set in the distant horizon, and darkness fell over the forest.
Eventually, James slowed Elliot down in increments. It was getting harder to run in the dim light of the moon, and James wanted to avoid accidents, and he knew Elliot needed time to cool down.
They finally slowed to a stop. At this point, the moon was hanging high in the sky and the sun was long gone. James patted Elliot on the side of the neck.
"Good job, buddy," he said softly.
He then looked over his shoulder, barely able to see Evaline.
"Let's hop down. We'll walk from here for a while," he said.
And just like that, they were safe. Evaline could finally stop being anxious. They were safe.
She slowly let go of James, and then turned to jump down to the ground.
"That was close," she said through a sigh, gazing up at the moon as she waited for him to hop down and lead the way. She wasn't sure if she was trying to convince herself or James that they just barely scraped by.
James hopped out of the saddle, and grabbed Elliot’s lead. Elliot was still breathing a little hard, but that would fade as they walked at a much slower pace.
James looked to Eve and waved with his hand for her to follow as he led them into the forest on foot.
“So where did you run into Butch? Or would it be easier to just start from the beginning?”
I'm officially making it my goal in life to become a roomba. I want to be little robot. I want knives taped to me. I want to be free. — TheMulticoloredCyr
