Run. Just Run.

Chapter 25

James and Ashley keep running through the woods and fields, away from the house, away from the roads that ran past it. Heading toward the mountains in the distance. It would be harder to find them back in the mountains than it would be in the countryside. Almost simultaneously they slowed down and came to a stop, breathing heavily.

"It's going to be harder, climbing the mountains than it would be to just keep hiding here." James says as he looks at Ashley. "Are you sure you're up for it?"

Ashley stares back into his eyes. "I'm not a baby." She said slowly. "I can handle it."

"I wasn't saying that you were a baby!" James protested. "Just that..." He trailed off.

"What? Just that what?" Ashley tenses up. When James shakes his head, Ashley's tone gets serious. "You tell me right now, James Browning."

James looks up in alarm. She never called him that. "Oh, I don't know, I just didn't know if you could handle it." He answers truthfully.

"You didn't know if I could handle it?" Ashley retorts. "And why is that? Is it because I'm smaller? Because I'm a girl?"

James gets wide-eyed in confusion. "No! I mean, I don't know! Maybe?" He stammers. "Maybe it's cause you're a girl, I don't know if you can keep up!"

Ashley's eyes flashed with anger. "Just because I'm a girl doesn't mean I can't keep up with you, James Browning."

"Well, how was I supposed to know? I mean you are a girl, and you are smaller than me." James explodes.

"Is that it?" Ashley yells. "Is that why you've been treating me like this? Been all nice to me? Because I'm a girl and I'm smaller than you and you don't think I'm strong enough?"

James eyes got cold. "No that's not why I've been treating you this way, Ashley Grace!" He retorts. "It's just that you're more fragile, and..."

Ashley cuts him off. "I'm more fragile? Like ready to snap at a moments notice? Are you saying my emotions are like a minefield?"

"Well you do cry a lot." Jame mutters under his breath.

Ashley's eyes burn with anger. She turns around and stomps off, leaving him there.

"No, I didn't mean it like that!" James yells after her.

Fine. If she wanted to leave, that was okay with him. He didn't need her anyway! She could stomp off, and that was fine with him. He sits down on the ground and crosses his arms. He didn't care! Suddenly something snaps in him, and tears started rolling down his face. What had he just done? The one thing he had, the one girl that was like family, he'd exploded and thrown her off to the side.

And then he thinks about Ashley. She was going through all he stress he was too. But on top of that, she still had the pestering wound of her parents tragic death only a year ago. This girl could have curled up in a corner and stayed there forever and nobody would have thought it strange. She's been through a lot. But here she is, running for her life, and still finding the strength to support him when he was feeling down. James realizes something.

She needs him. They were all each other had left. They need each other. They need each other's support, they need each other's presence, they need each other's companionship, they literally can not keep going if they don't have each other. And he needs to protect her. Deep down, the need to protect Ashley Grace Jackson is overwhelming. It's like a burning fire that keeps him going. She needs him! Wait. The fire, it's really the only thing keeping him going, too. In this moment, James realizes it isn't only Ashley who needs him. Regardless of anything else, there is one thing he knows. He needs her, too.