Chapter Eight
Exposure
Erin
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T UGGING THE MAC OVER my head, I discarded it to the hard floor. “What do you mean?”
Hadn’t he and James shared a similar exchange before the day’s events had unfolded? Eli had vowed not to let anything happen to James as well, but that hadn’t stopped Chelle’s irritating boyfriend from tumbling to his fate.
I faltered at the comparison, aware it wasn’t fair. James had been a fool who’d ignored Eli’s warnings, and that wasn’t what I was doing. I was only asking for a miserly few minutes of privacy to disrobe without his prying eyes.
Staring down at my soaking legs, I couldn’t wait. Despite the welcome heat of the fire, the cold seemed to be seeping into my bones and making it difficult to think.
“Don’t play dumb.” He folded his arms across his chest. “I know you understand.”
“But you said you’d go out there anyway,” I protested, though even as the words left my lips, I wasn’t sure why. Eli’s expression was as unyielding as I’d ever seen it. He wasn’t going to back down without a fight, and he was right on one count; I really did need to change out of the drenched leggings. “If you go now, we’ll both be happy.”
“I’m not going now.” He blew out a breath. “I just told you the plan. I’m going to see what else is hiding around this place.” He flashed the beam around, momentarily blinding me and forcing me to turn away.
“For goodness’ sake!” Exasperation flooded my system as I lowered to tackle my bootlaces before finally relieving my aching feet of the uncomfortable footwear.
Had I survived the nightmare of the day, only to end up stuck there with Eli’s dictatorship? I wasn’t sure how much more I could deal with.
“You’re wasting time.” His back was turned as he searched around the edge of the bed. I had no idea what he expected to find there, but I didn’t press the point. “You could be changing while I’m not watching.”
“How do you know I’m not?” I scoffed, reaching for the waistband of my leggings.
“Call it an educated guess.” Smug arrogance radiated from his tone as I hooked my thumbs under the elastic and yanked the wet material down my thighs.
“Fuck you.” I mouthed the words at the back of his head as I wrenched the sodden attire from my clammy skin. It was good to be rid of the tormenting leggings, but my legs were so cold that I had yet to notice a difference.
Reaching for the top blanket, I unfolded its length and wrapped it around my middle. My panties were also soaked through, but I wasn’t thrilled about the idea of abandoning those as well.
“I thought you weren’t going to let me out of your sight.” My tone was taunting as, gripping the blanket at my waist, I held the wet fabric aloft. Shuffling forward, I draped the leggings beside his clothes.
His lips twisted as he spun to face me. “From now on, I won’t.”
How reassuring.
“There.” He pulled in a breath. “I knew you could be a good girl and do as you were told.”
“Don’t patronize me,” I snapped, vexed at his change of tack. The version of Eli who’d soothed my tears and guided me into the hut was nothing like the mutated adaptation standing in front of me. That version reminded me of James’s chauvinism.
“I’m looking after you.” He articulated the words slowly as though I wouldn’t understand. “I told you that before.”
I considered countering that I didn’t need to be looked after, but that regular comeback didn’t have much clout in the snow-laden environment we’d been forced to take refuge from. The depressing truth was that while we remained trapped there in the ranger’s lodge, I did need him.
Eli had an air of authority about him that had been alluring right from the start. He’d been the guide—the guy who knew which way we should go—but there had been more than only that. There was a surety about him that spoke to my inner child. It assured me that even when he was in trouble, he’d have a plan to put my needs first. Even though the plight of James, Miles, and Chelle didn’t necessarily support the conclusion, I was still certain of his sincerity. He would do everything he could to keep me safe.
“So, what now?” I sensed the fight in me slipping away as he trudged over from the bed. My limbs were warmer in front of the fire, and for the time being, that represented a considerable advance on being stuck out in the freezing weather.
Like Chelle.
Flinching as the thought of her popped into my head again, my focus flitted to the flames. She was out there somewhere. She might still be alone, and if she was, she’d be hungry and desperate.
Please let someone have found her. I tightened the grip on the edge of the blanket. Please, God, look after her.
“Now, we eat.” He dragged the plastic box on top of the small table over to him and pulled open the lid.
“What is there to eat?” If that was the pantry in the place, I couldn’t believe the answer would enthrall me.
“Not much,” he admitted. “A few tins and a packet of long-life biscuits.”
“Sounds exciting.” My belly twisted in anticipation. It had been hours since we’d eaten, and the idea of food was a good one. “How about the lunch we brought along?” My gaze landed on my open pack. “I have sandwiches and fruit.”
“Good idea.” He strode toward my bag and turned to glance my way. “We should ration the food, though. We could be holed up here for a while.”
“Okay.” I didn’t love the idea of the smaller portions, but on a practical level, what he said made sense. We hoped the snow would pass quickly, but we didn’t know anything for sure. It was sound planning to save something for later. “I packed four sandwiches. How about one each now?”
“You’re prepared to share with me?” His dark eyebrow cocked as though he couldn’t believe I’d entertain the idea.
Snorting, I laughed. “I’m not a monster! You’re sharing this place with me, so yeah, I’ll give you a sandwich.”
“Well, thank you.” Finding the foil housing my lunch, his lips tugged into a smile. “Chuck the clothes on the floor in front of the fire. They’ll still dry, but you can relax on the chair while you eat.”
Moving toward the uncomfortable-looking seat, I wasn’t sure anyone could relax on it, but I took his suggestion, draping the wet garments on the ground closer to the flames before I perched on the chair. “What about you?”
“I’ll sit on the end of the bed.”
He motioned to the structure as if I didn’t know where the bed was, and following his lead, my gaze landed on the blanket-covered bedstead. A relatively small double with two disappointing-looking pillows, the prospect of sleeping there didn’t captivate me, but it was only when I scanned the structure that the real problem with the thing smacked me in the face.
“There’s only one bed...” I mumbled the words aloud as though I couldn’t believe the reality hadn’t dawned on me before.
One bed was a problem.
One bed meant only one of us could sleep there.
How could I have been so na?ve? The solitary chair should have been evidence enough that the place had only been designed for one person, but somehow, the inevitable conclusion hadn’t occurred to me until that moment.
“Of course.” He tilted his head at my inane comment. “Don’t worry, I won’t get sandwich crumbs on it.”
“Who’s going to sleep in it, though?” Suddenly, it seemed to be the most important matter in the world.
Never mind about Chelle, or the snow, or the other terrible things that had happened that day. In the firelight, my only focus was the strange little bed and whether or not I was going to get any sleep.
“I sense you’d rather not share the bed.” Moving toward me, he thrust a sandwich in my direction.
“I...” Meeting his eyes, I tried to discern if he was being sarcastic. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Right.” He pressed his lips into a hard line as he retreated to settle on the end of the bed. Peering at the sandwich, his gaze darted to me. “What’s in this?”
“Two have peanut butter and two have cheese.” I hadn’t appreciated how significant my choice of sandwich fillings had been when I’d gotten up early to prepare. “I wasn’t anticipating anyone else eating them.”
“Peanut butter’s good.” He took a bite, his gray eyes spearing me as he chewed.
“And the sleeping arrangements?” I shifted awkwardly on the hard chair as he took his time swallowing the first bite of sandwich.
The large room was silent, save for the occasional crackles from the fire. Far from reassuring, the quiet only amplified the anxiety his delay was heightening inside me. Fumbling with my foil-covered lunch, I couldn’t even contemplate taking a bite. The pang of hunger that had gnawed at me earlier was almost entirely absent.
“The bed is yours.” In the end, he played the gentleman, smirking before he took a second bite. “Good sarnie, by the way.”
“Thanks.” That was not what I’d expected him to say. “On both counts, but what about you? You need to sleep.”
“I’ll take the chair.” He nodded to the hearth. “And if we’re lucky, we can keep the fire going for a while longer.”
“A while longer?” Fresh apprehension tightened in my tummy at the idea of losing the source of heat we’d only just created. My legs were still freezing cold and our clothes still wet. We needed that fire. “But don’t we need the fire?”
“Yes, but we don’t have much wood.” His brow rose. “So, until I can check what, if anything, is stored outside, we need to ration the timber too.”
“Shit, you’re right.” Why hadn’t I thought of that?
Staring at the dancing flames, I felt like such a fool. I wasn’t even vaguely prepared for the challenges that Niantes had posed for me, and even then, after the ordeals of the day, my lack of experience showed.
“You should eat.” He gestured to the untouched sandwich in my hand. “Fueling your body is as important as fueling the fire. It will help to warm you.”
“I’m not really that hungry anymore.” I eyed the bread. “And anyway, it doesn’t feel right me eating in the warm and dry while Chelle’s out there on her own.”
My attention slid reflexively to the dark window beside the fireplace. The only thing visible beyond its pane was the relentless barrage of white flakes still falling outside. It was like an icy Armageddon had descended on the world without warning.
“You should stop tormenting yourself about Chelle.” He rose from the bed, dropping the foil into my bag. He’d demolished the whole sandwich in the time I’d been sitting there. “She’ll have found help by now.”
“We don’t know that.” The words caught in my mouth. “We don’t know what has happened to her.”
We didn’t know anything .
“Please.” His harder tone captured my attention. “Eat one sandwich and then we can get some sleep.” Wandering closer to the window, he looked out at the pale expanse of smooth ice beyond the glass. “Hopefully, the snow will have stopped by morning.”
Pulling in a breath, I lifted the food to my mouth. Forcing myself to take a bite, my gaze fell back to the blaze.
How long before those flames started to dwindle? How long before the cold swept back into the cabin and closed its grasp around my ankles?
Closing my eyes, I tried not to dwell on the eventuality.
I didn’t like Eli’s plan, but it was the best we had.