He chuckled. “I thought you’d see it my way.”
I moved back to the hay bale I was sitting on and took the drawstring bag off my back. I loosened the strings and reached inside for a bottle of water. I uncapped it and took a drink.
“Thanks,” Oliver said, grabbing the bottle from my hands.
I wrinkled my nose as I watched him tip it back, but he probably needed it more than me after being so sick the night before.
“How are you feeling?” I asked, finally able to focus on something other than running for my life.
He lowered the bottle and put the cap back on. “I’ll live.”
“You hungry? I have some chips and granola bars in here.”
He shrugged and held out his hand, so I opened the bag and took some for myself before handing the bag to him. He reached inside and pulled out his portion.
“So, what do those guys want, exactly?” I asked.
He shrugged. “Probably to haul my ass back to the boss so he can rip me a new one for totaling that car.”
“If they wanted to grab you, why didn’t they do it at the gas station when we were stopped?” I looked at him for his answer, but he didn’t respond.
He was chewing with his brows knitted together. “I don’t know. Maybe they weren’t sure that I was with you since I was lying down in the backseat.”
“How’d they find us?”
“Fuck if I know. They’re trained for that kind of shit. The sooner we can find a new car to turn in, the better.”
“Well, we’re not going to find it hanging out around here.” I looked around the barn full of hay.
“No, but you’re hurt, and I’m still tired. We should just get some rest, so maybe we can make it twice as far tomorrow.”
A chill rushed through me, and I shivered.
“Fine,” I lay back on the hay. It was too early to go to sleep, but it was too dark and too cold to do anything else. I rolled onto my side and curled up in the fetal position to try to stay warm. I forced my eyes to close and tried to pretend that I was lying in the sun on some tropical island, but it didn’t work. I continued to shiver and shake.
It didn’t take long before I heard the sounds of Oliver’s deep, even breathing. I had no idea how he managed to fall asleep, especially after all the sleep he’d gotten throughout the day, but I was jealous. I tossed and turned, and when that didn’t work, I tried burrowing down into the hay. It helped a little, but not enough, and after hours of shivering, my entire body was sore.
“Ugh,” I whimpered.
“What’s wrong?” Oliver asked in the darkness.
“I’m freezing. I don’t know how you’re sleeping through this.”
“I think I’m still running a fever,” he mumbled. “Come here. I’ll keep you warm.”
I scoffed.
Sure, we’d shared the one kiss, but we hadn’t even been able to talk about it. I didn’t need things getting “complicated”.
“No thanks.”
“Suit yourself.” I heard the sound of the hay as he rolled over, and within minutes, he was back in his deep sleep.
I tried to hold out, but the longer I lasted, the colder I got. My toe was throbbing, but my feet were also like frozen blocks of ice. I was scared I’d end up with frostbite or something, so I finally gave in. I stood and stumbled through the darkness until I felt his leg. He didn’t say anything, but when I lay down beside him, he didn’t seem surprised. He just put his arm over me and held me close to his chest. It was an immediate difference. Instantly, I began to thaw.
I shivered. My hands were tingling and hurting from the cold. I had them inside my sleeves, but I didn’t have enough body heat to heat them. I rolled over and put my hands between us.
“Fuck, you are cold,” he murmured before running his hand up and down my back to create friction.
