Chapter 15

I hope that'll be it. That he'll get the hint and leave me the hell alone. But, of course, I'd never be that lucky, and I hear him jog to catch up. I sigh inwardly but pretend not to notice, not wanting to encourage any further conversation. I see the fence and the stile up ahead, the boundary for Oakridge Farm, and if I can just make it there...

"Aren't you going to tell me your name?" He asks, and I jump as I realize how close he is to me. "That would be the polite thing to do. You're not making a very good first impression, are you?"

'Tm not interested."

"Unique name. I detect a Southern accent, right?

And you lot think us northerners are weird."

I've reached the fence, and I hop over the stile, holding the top of the fence post to heave myself over the wooden block. Once on the other side, I pull my phone back from my blazer pocket and check the signal bar.

I'm still out of range, but I type out a message to Eli anyway, just telling him w