Chapter 75
seventy-five
EZRA
Noelle fell asleep against me almost instantly.
It’s like her body was in survival mode and the minute she decided she could trust me, it just shut down.
I pulled her close to my side so she could share the little warmth I have.
I can feel her ribs poking out from under the thin shirt she’s wearing.
The wheezing sound coming after every breath is a bad sign.
She doesn’t know how long she’s been here, but it has to have been a while with the state she’s in.
I wish I could see her. Not that assessing how bad of a shape she’s in will matter down here.
I’m hungry to the point of pain. I’m pretty sure my stomach is just eating itself.
The good news is I’ve become nose blind to the smell in here.
The bad news is that no matter how long or how hard I stare at the door, no one walks through it.
I made sure I sat against the wall directly in front of it after pacing the small room so many times I can tell you where every crack in the concrete wall is and where the dirt floor dips down by a few inches.
I have even more respect for blind people because this fucking sucks.
I thought about trying to dig through the floor and under the wall, but I don’t think I could get far before someone comes.
Now that I’m not sure someone was coming, digging doesn’t seem like such a bad idea.
Especially since it’s the only idea. It’s only been a day or two .
. . I think, but the longer we go without food and water, the less likely it is that I can dig us out of here.
Noelle’s wheeze turns into a wet cough, and I know she can’t stay down here much longer and survive.
I’m about to shift her off me so I can feel for the best spot to dig when I hear voices. At least I think I do.
Shifting Noelle into a lying position as gently as I can, I scramble to my feet and press my ear to the door.
The metal is cold against my already cold skin, but I press harder, hoping for anything that could be a person.
I’m pretty sure I can get the better of anyone that comes in here.
Noelle is not, and she laughed at the suggestion.
It made me miss Jo painfully in that moment.
She would’ve not only believed I could but bet she could do it better and faster.
It’s too silent, making me think I’m hearing things. But then someone knocks, causing me to jump back. I stay quiet and glance toward where I left Noelle.
“Don’t answer,” she whispers, terror making her voice shake.
I hear hushed whispers and crunching leaves.
There’s at least two people out there, if not more.
I back up, taking a fighting stance, ready for whoever enters through that door.
I’m expecting some thug with an assault rifle, or maybe Patrick himself, but the door doesn’t open. Instead, I hear the voice of an angel.
“Ezra! Maverick!”
As a single tear falls down my face, I realize this is the second time that I’ve been saved by someone I love screaming my name.
I don’t care how long it’s been. Or how crazy it seems that I fell for her so quickly.
But the second Jo let her real personality shine, my heart was gone.
The half that Maverick didn’t already own went straight to her.
Sitting in the dark gave me so much time to reflect.
It feels so stupid now, to look back and realize how hard I was fighting my feelings for her.
And now she’s here. Saving me in more ways than one.