Chapter 7
Once downstairs, Jeb rinsed out the bowls and the pot in the cold water. Looking over his shoulder, he watched Skylar stand awkwardly in the middle of the small room. It struck him that he’d invited himself into her abode and remembered how she’d always cherished her personal space. His presence would surely feel intrusive. “I’m sorry.”
She jumped, then immediately wrapped her arms around her middle.
“Sorry,” he repeated, chagrined.
“What are you sorry for?” she asked.
He opened his mouth, then chuckled. “Well, the last apology was for startling you.”
“And the first?”
He turned to face her fully. “For just taking over your life here. I didn’t ask if I could stay. I just announced that I was.”
She snorted. “Why do I have the feeling that you and your coworkers usually just take over situations?”
He lifted his arms to the side, palms upward. “You’d be right. We’re trained to see what needs to be done and step in to mitigate the situations.”
Her brows lifted. “Is that what I am? A situation to be mitigated?”
He wiped his hands on the dish towel, then turned and closed the distance between them in just two steps. At only six feet tall, he was one of the shorter Keepers, but he towered over Skylar. He dropped his chin as she leaned her head back, and their eyes locked on each other.
He extended his hand, letting it hang between them with the unspoken invitation. Her gaze flickered down to his outstretched hand, and a crinkle formed between her brows. Time stretched, creating a bubble around them. Finally, with a tentative move, she placed her palm against his. Their contact was like a spark, bridging years and memories. Looking up, her chest heaved with a great sigh.
Closing his fingers around her small hand, he shook his head. “You’re not a situation to mitigate, Skylar.”
“Then what am I?”
“An old friend. Once a good friend. The best I ever had.”
She nodded slowly, and in a voice barely above a whisper, she agreed. “Yes. Me, too. You were the best friend I ever had.”
He yearned to ask more… talk more… delve into every aspect of her life now. But staring, he spied the dark shadows underneath her eyes that had nothing to do with the poor lighting. Her translucent complexion now held a ghostly pallor. Fatigue filled her expression, and he knew there would be time for conversations later. Now, he just wanted to take care of her. “Listen, I know you’re exhausted. Why don’t you just do whatever you normally do at night? I’ll get ready to camp out on the floor.”
The crinkle between her brow deepened. “You can’t sleep on the floor!”
“It’ll be no problem. Honest. Remember, a lot of people don’t have a roof over their heads, so this will be fine.”
“Are you making fun of me?”
He shook his head slowly, his lips twitching. “I’d never make fun of you, Skylar. It was just a poor attempt at levity.”
Pressing her lips together, she held his gaze and smiled. “It’s okay. Anyway, you’re in luck. I have an extra blanket and pillow.”
“Then I’m in luck,” he agreed, squeezing her hand again.
Their hands released, and she moved to kneel at the bed, reaching under to pull out a long plastic tub. She opened the top with a soft pop and pulled out two blankets and a pillow. Shoving the tub back under the bed, she stood and handed them to him. Glancing toward the bathroom, she said, “I’ll be honest, Jeb, the facilities are an upgrade from someone just camping on the land, but they’re still fairly primitive. The generator runs for the computers. I don’t shower often, usually just washing off at the little sink.” Her nose crinkled, and a delicate blush painted her cheeks. “Since it was just me, it didn’t really matter.”
“Don’t worry about it. Just keep remembering my military background. I’ve gone days without a shower and used toilets in the ground. I’ll be fine. Anyway, it won’t be much longer until we get out of here.”
She opened her mouth, then snapped it closed, and nodded. She turned and headed into the bathroom and closed the door.
While she was gone, he checked his phone for the messages he knew were coming in. Rick, Chris, and Poole had made it back to the boat, and they were now ashore, meeting with Hop, who would fly them back to California. Carson reported that LSIWC and Landon had been working with his FBI superiors. They had more questions but would talk to Skylar tomorrow. Carson assured him they were already working on the computer programs necessary to make her disappearance from the island undetectable.
By the time he’d finished with the messages, the bathroom door opened, and Skylar walked out. His gaze raked over her, seeing her now in leggings and a long-sleeved T-shirt. Her curves were more evident than in her baggy sweatshirt, but she still seemed too thin. Anger at her forced existence flared once more, but he tamped it down. There would be time to learn more about what happened to her later.
He stepped to the side, giving her room to move to her bed. “I’ll be just a moment, then I’ll be back.” Once in the tiny room, he used the chemical toilet, then washed his hands and face in the sink. Looking in the mirror, he was glad for his short hair, just scrubbing his hand over his scalp.
Back in the room, he smiled at the sight of Skylar snuggling under the covers. Even though the bed was small, she didn’t take up all the room. Her eyes were on him, and as he dropped his gaze, he saw that she had made a bed on the floor with the blankets and extra pillow.
She leaned up and frowned, peering down as he lay on the floor. “Jeb, I feel so bad?—”
“Nope,” he said, pulling the top blanket over him and laying his head on the pillow. “I’m good. Now go to sleep. Tomorrow will be busy.”
She sighed but settled once again. They lay in the dark, neither speaking. Finally, she said, “Are you asleep?”
“Do you hear me snoring?”
A giggle slipped out. “No, but then I didn’t know if you still snored.”
“Were you just checking to see if I was asleep, or did you want to talk?”
She was momentarily quiet, then said, “I just can’t believe you’re here.”
“I’m glad I’m here, Skylar. And I promise, if I’d known you were in trouble, I would’ve already been here.”
As he lay in the dark, another thought filled his mind. I should have never walked away and stayed away.