Chapter 5
Five
Axel
I grabbed her duffel bag from the trunk and the few things I found in the passenger seat, shivering as I rushed back into the bar.
It was well below freezing, but the wind made it feel downright unbearable.
The thought of her trying to sleep in her car tonight made me furious because it was pretty much a death sentence.
Even if she had enough gas to keep the car running, the heater and the thin layers of clothes she had on wouldn’t be enough to ward off the cold that would inevitably settle into her bones.
By the time I got back to the apartment, I found her sitting on the edge of the bed, frowning at her phone.
“I don’t get good service up here,” I explained as I set her stuff down beside her.
“It sucks, but it also comes in super handy when you’re trying to stay hidden.
No one will be able to track your phone for a while.
But if you do need to use your phone, it should work better downstairs in the bar.
It’ll probably be hit or miss with this storm, though. ”
She nodded as if it all made sense and laid it on the bed beside her duffel bag.
“Thank you for letting me stay with you tonight. That’s very kind of you.”
I nodded and refrained from correcting her that it would be more than just tonight. By the way they described the storm on the news earlier, she wasn’t going anywhere for at least another week, maybe two.
“It’s not a problem.”
“Would you mind if I take a quick shower?” she asked with a hint of worry in her voice.
“Absolutely not. Be my guest. There are clean towels under the sink. Help yourself to whatever you want.”
“Thank you.” She pressed her lips into a thin line and grabbed the duffel bag before going into the bathroom and locking the door.
I sat on the edge of the bed and shoved a hand through my hair, wondering what in the world I had gotten myself into.
It wasn’t like me to get attached to someone I didn’t even know, especially so quickly.
But there was something about her that made me want to protect her with every fiber of my being.
By the time she finished showering, I had already changed into sweats and had gone through my clothes to see if I had anything comfortable she might want to wear.
I didn’t want to go through her belongings to see what she had or didn’t have, but the size of her duffel bag suggested she had packed quickly and likely taken only the essentials.
While it was warm in my apartment, I knew that it wouldn’t be long before the storm knocked the power out, and we would be on our own for the night. That meant that we would both need a few layers to keep warm.
“Thank you for letting me shower,” she said as she came out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her hair. She had on a pair of leggings and a long-sleeved shirt, but I knew it wouldn’t do anything to keep her warm enough.
“Of course. I meant it earlier when I said to help yourself to anything you want.” I reached down and grabbed the stack of clothes I had put aside for her on the bed.
“The power will likely go out soon due to the storm, which means we will lose heat up here. I grabbed a few things from my closet if you want to wear them so you stay warm.”
I extended the stack to her and noticed the warmth in her eyes as she gave me a small smile.
“Thank you. I appreciate that. I didn’t know I would get stuck in the middle of a blizzard, so I didn’t pack accordingly.”
I frowned when I looked down and noticed a red spot on her shirt. Her head immediately lowered as she tried to pull her shirt away from her body to see what I was looking at.
“You’re bleeding,” I said softly, taking a few steps toward her until I was standing right in front of her.
“Oh,” she replied, her voice barely above a whisper. “I’ll go change.”
“Do you mind if I take a look at it?” I raised my eyes and looked into hers, hoping she would feel that she could trust me not to hurt her.
A storm of emotions washed over her. She nodded slowly, closing her eyes as I gently lifted the fabric over her stomach.
I forced myself to keep my emotions in check as I stared at the long cut that went across her abdomen. The skin around it was red and hot, likely indicating an infection. I found the spot that was bleeding and took a closer look.
“I think it’s infected,” I said, clearing my throat. “Have you been putting anything on it?”
She shook her head and winced as my fingers brushed the skin inches away from where it was bleeding.
“I didn’t have much other than triple antibiotic ointment. I ran out of large bandages yesterday and meant to buy more today once I got to a store.”
“My friend, Jo, is a nurse. I can call her and ask her to come look at it if you don’t mind.”
She worried her lip between her teeth as she considered my offer.
“I trust her with my life. She won’t tell anyone.”
In the time it took for her to nod her head, consenting to it, I had my phone pressed to my ear as I called for help.