"Ruby," I say eventually.
"Yeah?"
"Thank you."
"For what?"
"For seeing me. The real me. Not just the hermit in the woods."
She leans her head on my shoulder, and it feels like the most natural thing in the world. "You're welcome."
We stay like that until the fire burns low, neither of us willing to break the moment.
The next morning, I wake to the sound of Ruby cursing softly. I emerge from my bedroom to find her at the radio, trying different frequencies with increasing frustration.
"Still nothing?" I ask.
"No. I've tried every frequency, every possible channel. It's like the whole convoy just vanished." She looks at me, and I can see real fear in her eyes. "They should be at Dawson Ridge by now, setting up, sending out signals. But there's nothing."
"Storm could've damaged equipment."
"For everyone? Every truck? Every handheld unit?" She shakes her head. "Something bad happened, Mayson. I can feel it."
I move to the radio, trying a few adjustments myself, but she's right. There's nothing but static on channels that should be active. It's not a good sign.
"Two days until the rendezvous," she says quietly. "I have to go now. I can’t keep waiting. Even if they're not transmitting, they might be there."
"And if they're not?"
"Then I..." She trails off, and I see her struggling with the reality. "Then I find another settlement. Or I keep moving. Or I..."
"Or you stay here."
The words are out before I can stop them. She turns to look at me, eyes wide.
"Mayson?"
"I know it's not what we agreed. I know you have people, obligations, a whole life beyond this mountain. But if they don't show, if something happened..." I take a breath. "You'd be safe here. We work well together. And I..."
I can't finish. Can't say what I'm really thinking that I've gotten used to her presence, that the cabin feels wrong when I imagine it empty again, that maybe I'm tired of being alone.
"Let's see what happens at Dawson Ridge," she says softly. "One thing at a time."
We spend the day preparing for her departure. I pack food, ammunition, first aid. Draw maps of safe routes. Mark settlements that might take her in if her convoy is gone. Each item I pack feels like a betrayal, like I'm helping her leave when what I want is to convince her to stay.
By evening, everything is ready. She'll leave at first light, hike to Dawson Ridge, wait at the rendezvous point. Either her convoy shows, or they don't. Either way, our time together is ending.
We eat dinner in silence, neither of us willing to address the elephant in the room. After, we sit by the fire, the tension between us so thick it's hard to breathe.
"I'm going to miss this," Ruby says suddenly. "The cabin, the quiet, the... you."
"Ruby."
"I know. I know we agreed, one week, no complications. But I'm not good at pretending, Mayson. I like you. More than I should, given that I'm leaving tomorrow."
"I like you too."
"So what do we do about it?"
