Page 60 of Sweet Doe
"What names are we using?" I ask, breaking the quiet.
Asher apparently has connections that reach far and wide. Over the past few days, he's mentioned people who've compiled fake documents and backstories for us, professionals whospecialize in helping people disappear completely. We get to restart our lives under completely new identities, leaving no trace of who we used to be.
"David and Sarah Mitchell. Married couple from Oregon, taking a delayed honeymoon to Canada." His smile is quick, mischievous. "I thought you'd like it."
I stare at him, processing his words.
Honeymoon. Like we're newlyweds instead of fugitives.
The twisted humor of it makes me laugh, a sound that surprises us both in the quiet cabin of the SUV.
"What?" he asks, grinning at my reaction.
"It's just... in a way, it really is a honeymoon, isn't it? The beginning of our life together." I turn to look at him, biting my bottom lip between my teeth through the giddy feelings.
"Is that what you want it to be?" His voice carries a hint of vulnerability that reminds me how much my answer means to him.
"I want it to be whatever makes us both happy," I say carefully.
"Will I be able to give you everything you need? Will I be able to make you happy?”
"We have everything," I say softly, surprised by the certainty in my voice. “Iamhappy.”
His breath catches, and I see his knuckles tighten on the steering wheel. "Sloan... I don't know about that. Everything?"
"Everything." I squeeze his hand, anchoring myself in the warmth of his touch.
"I never thought it would be like this," he says, his voice soft. "When I was planning everything, imagining how it might unfold, I thought it would take years to get to this point. I thought you'd fight me every step of the way."
"Maybe I would have, if you were anyone else." I lean back against the headrests. "But you're not anyone else, are you? You understand me more than I understand myself."
"You understand me, too." His tone is gentle. "You see the monster I can be, and you don't run. You see the violence I'm capable of, and yet… somehow you still chooseme."
"Because you are more than those things." I turn in my seat to face him more fully, studying the strong line of his jaw and the concentration in his eyes as he drives.
We crest a hill, and suddenly the world opens up before us—miles of wilderness stretching beyond us, unmarked by roads or buildings or any sign of human life.
My heart skips as reality sets in. This is it.
I look at my reflection in the passenger window—dark clothes, eyes that burn with life, hair wild and untamed. The woman staring back at me looks like a stranger, but she’sme.
Epilogue 1
SLOAN
Six months later.
The mountain lake spreads before us like liquid glass, so perfectly still that it mirrors the snow-capped peaks and endless sky perfectly. I dip my hand into the crystal-clear water, watching ripples spread outward in perfect circles.
Our tent sits on a small rise overlooking the water, its dark green fabric blending seamlessly with the wilderness around us. From here, you can't see another sign of human existence in any direction—no roads, no buildings, no power lines cutting across the untouched landscape. Just mountains and forest and water that's so pure you can drink straight from the source.
Paradise. That's what Asher calls it, and for once, his view on something doesn’t feel exaggerated.
"Coffee's ready," he says from behind me, and I turn to find him emerging from our camp setup with two steaming mugs. Six months of living off the grid has changed him too— his hair is longer now, sun-streaked and wild, and his skin has been tanned by constant exposure to the outdoor world. He moves through the wilderness like he was always meant to be here.
He looks like he was born for this life.
Then again, so do I.
