Page 1 of Really Poplar

CHAPTERONE

TREATY

There’snothing like early fall in the mountains. Ordinarily, I’d enjoy it. But sadly, today is not the day for that.

Holding up, I push myself against the tree in the middle of the heavy woods. I groan and run my hand along my side, the gash bleeding heavier with all my running.

“Come out, come out wherever you are!” Justin’s laughing voice makes me cover my mouth with my other hand, struggling to hold in a broken, gasping sob.

My pursuer doesn’t even turn.Thank God.He just keeps heading towards the road, obviously thinking that I’d be smart enough to get my ass out of the woods.

“Dammit!” It’s the last thing I hear him mutter as he disappears around the corner of the road.

I let myself relax for half a second, bending over to suck in a sharp breath. I don’t think I’ve taken any for the last five minutes while playing cat and mouse with Justin.

My ex-husband seemed to be taking our divorce just fine. But then all of a sudden he began pestering me about getting together again. I can’t figure it out since I can see that he’s not attracted to me anymore.

The last straw was when he invited himself along when I came out here to the mountain to get some peace and quiet.

I tried to get away from him when I saw him pull up and somehow managed to trip and basically impale myself on a stick.

I wince and cover the wound again. There was something frightening in Justin’s eyes. Like he didn’t mind me being hurt. Didn’t mind it if something permanent happened to me at all. It was cold and calculating and told me all I needed to know.

Whatever’s going on with Justin, he’s not in love with me anymore. God knows, I’m not in love with him anymore.

So why is he still chasing me and pestering me!

I don’t really know. All I know is that I don’t like it and I want him to leave me alone.

I move restlessly and the wound in my side throbs, the gash dripping blood down my pants. My sweater already soaked through.

I limp away from the tree and the opposite direction of the road. Just a little further and then I’ll double back and try to get to my little car at the base of the trail before he notices me. Hopefully by then he’s gone.

Late morning sunlight creeps through the trees, dappling the forest floor and I smile tightly.

It’s beautiful out here. Rustling off to my left makes me tense, slipping behind a big tree but I don’t see anything. I move out from behind the tree and continue through the densely packed trees.

Pain streaks through my side when I take a deep breath. I sit down on the ground and lean against a huge tree, putting my head back and closing my eyes.

“Shit! I absolutely refuse to give in to this. “The bastard would probably laugh his ass off if I died out in these woods.”

No way am I letting Justin win again. The man has been nothing but a pain in my ass since I met him. I still can’t believe that I married him.

Of course, I was very naive when I met him. No experience with men.

Now I know that there are some jerks out there. And they can dress themselves up as great guys. Doesn’t mean they are.

I grit my teeth and stand up. I think that it’s been enough time since Justin took off back to the lot and the road. I turn back in the direction that I think the parking lot is and head back, my steps halting and pained.

I might actually need to go to the damn hospital for this one. And won’t Justin just laugh his ass off.

I manage to keep moving for about an hour and then I find a large, fallen log and sit down, looking back the way I came and then ahead.

“Why can’t I see the parking lot yet?” I stand, my head whipping back and forth. Am I going the wrong way? Should I turn back around?

The clouds are building on the mountain, wind whistling through the trees, branches whipping back and forth like snakes.

I growl and then head back the way I came, I think.

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