Chased by a wolf

4. Final steps

He knew exactly what he would do with her. Now he just needed to take the final steps to find her. He was close. Just a few more steps.

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Eric parked the car next to a blue pick up truck. He quickly walked around the car and opened the door for Evelyn. She smiled. Suddenly his polite gesture made her feel shy. So when he offered her his arm, she slid her hand around it and tried to hide her blushing. They walked towards the river which was still hidden behind the trees. The comforting scent of trees and moss made her relax. Eric's easy-going attitude was also helping her to feel more comfortable even when they were walking so close to each other.

"So... What do you think about Northfalls?" he asked. During their drive, he hadn't asked Evelyn much, probably because he had noticed how nervous she was. Instead, he had told her about him. He was friendly and easy-going. Evelyn had noticed that Eric was the kind of man who loved to tell funny stories and he made people laugh and relax.

"It's been great." Evelyn said. "So far."

"Yeah? Do you like the booming nightlife or the endless shopping opportunities?" he laughed.

"Well, actually, I like the lack of both," Evelyn answered. She wasn't lying. She loved how quiet the town was and everything seemed to move slowly. But the most important thing that made her like this town was that she was able to predict what was going to happen. She didn't have to keep her guards up all the time. It was a nice change.

"My sister hated this town. She couldn't wait to get the hell out of this place." Eric was smiling but for a short moment, his eyes were filled with sadness.

"Where is she now?"

He shrugged and the sadness was gone.

"She fell in love with some rich douche bag. They live near Seattle."

Evelyn realized there was something more going on, but didn't want to pry. She knew well, that some things were better left unsaid.

"But now, m'lady, may I present... the river."

It would have been too dark to see anything, but there was a huge bonfire that lighted up the narrow riverside. There were people gathered around the bonfire drinking beer and roasting marshmallows. Someone was setting up two big speakers and soon loud music boomed from them. There weren't that many people, but enough that they didn't notice Eric and Evelyn walking towards them.

"I'll get us beers," Eric said. Evelyn nodded and awkwardly stood there alone as Eric walked away. Now a couple of people noticed her and greeted her with a nod. She had never seen these people before. Except Eric's one friend who always accompanied him to the diner. It seemed to take a long time for Eric to get the beers, and Evelyn was feeling quite awkward since she didn't feel brave enough to go talk to anyone. She had never been comfortable with small talk and strangers. Trying to avoid looking like a total idiot, she tried to look occupied, which naturally was hard when you stand alone with absolutely nothing to do.

"Why did I even come here?" she asked herself and her inner dialogue about her lack of skills continued in her mind. She felt relieved when Eric walked towards her with 2 beer bottles and a huge grin on his face. He didn't seem to notice Evelyn's awkwardness or he just didn't care.

"Alright my little party animal. Here's your beer."

Evelyn didn't usually drink. She needed to feel she was in control. There was no way she could risk it and alcohol was something that the doctors had warned her about. But that night she decided to drink two beers. Not enough to get drunk, but enough to help her relax just a bit. When she started to feel a little more comfortable around these strangers, she noticed a small group of men who were extremely athletic and seemed to carry themselves with great confidence. Evelyn started to giggle.

"Who are those guys?" she asked Eric who turned to see who she was talking about. When he noticed them, his face fell. He turned back to Evelyn and shook his head.

"They shouldn't be here," he just murmured. Evelyn looked at him waiting for him to explain what he meant, but Eric didn't say anything else. Even Eric introduced her to people, she couldn't stop looking at the group. They reminded her of Olympic sprinters because of their muscular bodies and their cockiness. Then Evelyn noticed she wasn't the only girl glancing at them. But she sure was the only one who tried to hide it. Eric was upset. He seemed not to like these men. And to tolerate their presence, he took another beer.

"Are you... um... do you think you can still drive us home?" Evelyn asked.

"Of course! I'm not drunk."

That was a lie. Evelyn sighed as she noticed his red cheeks. Little did she know that that night was about to change her life.

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