Chapter 18
I got dressed while Miles packed our few supplies into a makeshift backpack made from the blanket. It wasn’t very long before we were leaving our overnight shelter.
He led me down through the rocky cliffs—which, in daylight, were far more treacherous than they appeared in the dark—while he used a walking stick to point out where I was to follow in the moments we couldn’t walk side-by-side.
“Are we almost there yet?” I asked. “This is taking forever.”
I couldn’t see over the ledge and instead focused on hugging the rock as I sidestepped down a narrow portion of the trail. I didn’t have anything against heights, but it wouldn’t be prudent for survival to stare at the ground during this journey.
How long had it been? We had to be almost there. We’d been at this for ages.
“Nobody likes whining,” Miles replied. He closed his hand over mine and pulled me closer to him. “Besides, it’s only been five minutes. It shouldn’t be that much longer, though; I found a shortcut.”
I glanced at him, and my heart skipped. Why was he so happy?
“What’s with that face?” I asked. Was he even watching where we were going?
“Nothing’s wrong.” His smile widened. “Maybe I like spending time with you. I can’t believe you came all this way to see me.”
Why was he going on about this now ? Besides, if that made him happy, how would he feel knowing I couldn’t stand to have him out of sight for more than a few moments?
He’d probably get a kick out of that.
“Do you like spending time with me too?” he asked, blinking down at me, and my chest twisted.
“Maybe not while we’re climbing down a cliff,” I muttered, breaking my resolve and looking toward the ground. “But sure,” I added, looking back to him. “When nobody gets hurt.” The cut on his cheek stood out against his pale skin, and my stomach clenched. “I’m sorry.”
“What?” he asked, then frowned as he touched his jaw. “Oh, that. Don’t worry about it.” He stomped forward. I could barely hear him as he added, “It’s my fault anyway.”
“Miles—” I began, but he cut me off.
“Once we get home, I’m going to make you a chocolate cake so huge you’ll never be able to finish it.”
The man was underestimating my love for chocolate cake.
“Do you like cooking for me?” I asked.
“I do.” He glanced back at me. “You’re the only one who appreciates it.”
My face warmed as he squeezed my hand, and my heart fluttered in nervousness. I wasn’t sure if he’d agree, but what if this was something that we could do to spend time together? “Can I cook with you?”
“What—” Miles let go of my hand, twisting to face me.
The motion threw him off balance, and he shouted as his feet slipped. Before I could move, he’d fallen from my reach and tumbled the last fifteen feet down the incline.
“Miles!” My voice escaped in a strangled scream. He landed on his side—blood staining the ground around him—and didn’t move. I slid down the gravel the rest of the way down the hill, and once at the bottom, I fell to my knees beside him.
“Miles!” I repeated. He was turned away from me, and my terror rose. I was afraid to touch him.
There was so much blood. There was no way he survived this.
What would the others say? I’d killed him. All because I’d been trying to be nice. I would never be nice again.
If I ever returned to civilization, I would resume classes with Finn. I would do anything to understand my new power and save the lives of the remaining boys.
I would be sure to carry on Miles’s legacy and make sure everyone ate well.
“Goddamn it.” Miles rolled onto his back and clutched his thigh. “Fuck my life!”
He was alive!
“Miles!” I covered my mouth, choking in relief. “Are you okay?”
“Damn it!” he cursed as he gingerly moved to his butt.
“You’re cursing in English again.” I scooted toward him, trying to keep my voice calm. “You only do that when you’re really upset.” I twisted my hands in front of me, longing to reach out but afraid of making his pain even worse.
He had opened his mouth—probably to curse some more—but then his attention snapped to me, and he pursed his lips. “I didn’t realize. I’m just really messed up right now.” He glared at his leg. “None of this is your fault,” he emphasized. “It’s because of my fucking guides .”
What in the world did that mean?
I glanced toward his leg. “Can I see?”
He leveled a wary gaze in my direction. “Are you a secret expert in first aid?”
My heart began to race, and my vision blurred as I bit my lip. I had to keep my focus on his wound.
“Not really…” I muttered and pulled the bottom of my shirt away from my stomach. “It was never important for me to know that sort of thing.”
No, I had a different role.
“Bianca—”
A touch brushed against my arm, and I jumped, blinking, and stared at Miles. He’d sat up straighter, focused on me with concern thick in his gaze. “ Mon rêve , where were you?”
I sucked in a breath. “N-nowhere.” My voice sounded strangely high-pitched, even to myself. “I’m here. Let me—” I tugged at the hem of my shirt.
“Don’t use your clothes,” he said, reaching around as he tugged at the blanket. “We can use this. I’m only cut—we only need to stop the bleeding. It shouldn’t be too deep.”
“Okay…” I rushed to obey. The knife had landed on the ground beside him, and I grabbed it. I returned to his side, turned my attention back to his thigh, and bit my lip as I checked out the wound.
Not too deep, my butt. Still…
“I don’t think you’ll need a tourniquet.” I pursed my lips. But he would lose half those pants. They were practically shredded past the knee.
“Do you know how to make a tourniquet?” Miles asked, sweat beginning to break out over his brow. “Did they make one for you when…” His voice trailed off, his vision lowering to my hips.
“No,” I replied. I turned my attention to my task and began cutting cloth strips.
“My injury was too high for that,” I continued, stacking the fabric neatly beside me. Once the pile was big enough, I returned my attention to Miles. I bit my lip, gathering my courage, as I pressed my palm to his stomach and looked into his face.
“Don’t move,” I warned him. “I’m going to cut off your pants now.”
“You’re sexy when you’re bossy,” Miles muttered in response, throwing me a lopsided grin.
Wonderful. He was already becoming delusional. I’d better hurry up.
Before he could utter more nonsense, I hooked my finger in the ripped fabric over his wound and slipped the knife in, sawing through the ruined camo. When it was apparent I could finish the job with my hands, I put the knife back on the ground and pulled the tear apart.
Miles began cursing again, but this time in French.
“One more second.” I couldn’t look at him; otherwise, I’d lose my nerve. By the time the entire leg of his pants was ripped apart, he had begun to shake.
“Sorry…” I said, sitting back on my heels.
“It’s okay…” Miles’s eyes were squeezed shut, and his entire body was tense. “Just get it over with.” The pain seemed to have pulled him back to reality.
I bit my lip, pushing back to my knees. He was right, of course.
To his credit, Miles didn’t flinch or curse again, not even when he had to lift his leg because it was simply too heavy for me to raise by myself, and somehow, he held still while I wrapped his wound.
By the time I was finished, his complexion was disturbingly pale.
“Miles…”
“Sorry, mon rêve .” Miles covered his face with his arm. “Just give me a minute.”
I had no idea what he thought a minute would do. He was in no shape to go anywhere. I was mentally preparing to set up camp at the base of the ravine—because there was no way we could climb back up to the cave now—and hopefully, the others might find us here.
“Fine…” A faint tremor passed beneath us as Miles breathed out, barely perceptible. As I watched, his sick pallor receded, and he gingerly rolled to his side, pushing himself to his knees.
“Miles.” I tentatively tucked my ankles under my butt. “Is everything…”
My attention moved from him to the ground at my knees. The blood had disappeared, and the ground surrounding where he lay was now a lighter shade than before.
“Did you do something?” I asked. He stood without answering me, and I jumped to my feet. I ducked under him and pulled his arm over my shoulders. “Don’t stand up yet!”
“We need to make a plan,” he said, not answering my question.
He was pressed against me, and even though Miles was the shortest of the boys, he still towered over me by a head and a half. Not to mention, he was the most muscular of the group.
I wondered how much he even weighed.
It felt like a million pounds.
But I bore it because now the tables had turned, and it was time for me to help him.
“I left a trail yesterday,” Miles said. “Even if we can’t follow it, the others will. If worse comes to worst, and they haven’t found us by tonight, you can sleep in the cave, and I’ll stay down here.”
I narrowed my eyes. Did he honestly believe that I would allow him to sleep out here alone? In the nearly impossible event that Bigfoot did exist, this would be the perfect time to attack.
“I’m not leaving you,” I told him. I stepped toward the woods, and he had no choice but to limp beside me.
“Bianca.” He sighed. “Don’t—”
“I’m staying.” I glared at him. “Now, which way did we come yesterday?”
Miles sighed and glanced along the tree line. “Right over…” His words trailed off, brow furrowing. “It’s gone.”
“Pardon?” I looked at the base of the trees, yet there were no obnoxious orange mushrooms to be seen.
“Did you do it?” I asked, my pulse spiking.
We needed those horrible things. I had no idea how to get back to the river.
“Of course!” Miles’s words were rushed, panicked. “I always leave a trail. How else would I find my way around?”
Well …
This didn’t seem to be the best time to mention that one of us could have had the foresight to pay attention to the stars—to see which direction we’d been traveling. We’d both failed miserably in that regard.