Duskwood: You are all that matters. COMPLETED

Chapter 14.

Jake's POV

I was lone wolf.

There was nothing I enjoyed more than my own solitary. I was a loner that preferred loneliness more than anything. Thus, I put wall around to protect myself from the danger that I could never risk for my own safety. The risks I would never be able to sacrifice even for my hope, even for my own happiness; those basic yet luxury things which always been a part of every human, I have left it all behind.

But then she came into my life and everything changed.

The moment I messaged her for the first time, I knew she will be a time bomb which ready to disrupt my ideal formula. She who her existence was unexpected, made me wondering what kind of part she will play in this chaos? What does universe want until they brought her to me? I have no clue. I had been considered her as a tool, I always have said that she is the important piece of puzzle; she is the key for this case. But now, she is also the key to my soul.

In the glimpse of time, she gained my interest, my attention, my trust, my heart. She is an unsolved riddle that attracts to be deciphered. I want to know her, I want to study her. We didn't know each other before yet I found pleasant feeling in this unfamiliarity. But our encounter might not a coincidence since I felt like we have known each other for a long time; I, who always build wall around me to not give any information about myself, willing to share it with her.

I supposed no matter how long I have been in run, how many precarious situation I have been through, how many threat I have encounter, I'm still incapable to acknowledge her as a dangerous variable. The more I fought this feeling, the more I am attracted to her. I cannot merely escape. As if the only thing I'm capable of is running straight into her arms and I'm thankful about it.

She owns me. She got me in her fingertips, wrapped every fibre of me in her small hands; my life, my fate, my own self. I am completely helpless and no longer have control. I am completely without doubt at her mercy.

After finding out that she bought the ticket to Canice Hill, I impulsively drive myself to the nearest town with my motorbike. I found it is weird, even for her, to just casually trip to another place out of the blue after what happened tonight. The way I was unable to check her phone since somehow she turned her phone off, it grew more suspicion on me. Therefore I checked from another place. Yes, I occasionally checked her condition. I'm in possession of her phone and even her laptop. I need to know that she is safe. I must know. Then I found the bitter truth; she is sending herself to the culprit without discussing it with me. She didn't even bother to send me message. I was furious. I was hurt. I hate myself even more because again I am failed to protect her.

When she decided to stay and help me in this case, I have realised that she is different. Of course she is. Any person who was in the strange situation like her; stuck with unknown and suspicious man for casually helping to find another unknown missing girl, will just run away and hide under the rock. But she is still here. She is still staying.

She even still takes this dangerous path with me, even if it means to sacrifice herself. I regret everything I have said to her. I regret to ask her to go to the end of it with me. I regret to keep letting myself to put her in more harm. She has asked me if we are ever going too far when it comes to a person's life. I told her that time that I could not answer that question. But I think I might be able to answer it now.

If I could turn back the time, I'm surely able to let her go. I will never let myself become more foolish than this and let her to be involved in this case more and more. I will never put her into more danger more than this. I promise that to myself when I roamed in this quiet and peaceful forest. And now here I am, leaving my hiding place. Without the screen between us, I am finally able to meet the woman that managed to occupy every inch of me. My heart cannot stop pounding since I called her for the first time without my distorted voice, but right at this time, I'm relieved because now I have fully access to see her, to protect her, from anyone who dares to lay their fingers to harm her, I will rip them all into pieces.