She hated the way that sounded. Like maybe she mattered more than he was willing to admit.
He moved, just a step but it was enough. Her body reacted before her brain did, feet shuffling back through damp leaves until her shoulder blades brushed the rough bark of a tree.
His eyes tracked the motion, slow and deliberate. "And you," he muttered, voice dropping a register, "are getting used to running."
"I am not…"
"Yeah, you are." Another step. Another inch stolen. "You have been running for days. And you are still doing it now."
"I do not run from you," she shot back, her voice too shaky to land right. "I stay away for a reason."
He did not stop. Did not blink. Just planted a hand against the tree beside her head. "And what reason is that?"
Her heartbeat thudded wildly
