Nash grunts out a harsh laugh. “I wish.”
My fury bubbles over, and I whisper-shout at him, “We can’t leave her out there like that! I’m the one getting her. She hasn’t even asked for help! Could you live with yourself if something happened to her?”
North looks out of the window, gnawing on his bottom lip and breathing heavily. I don’t give a damn about his opinion on the matter, so I turn to leave.
Sometimes, it’s better to ask for forgiveness than permission.
Even though I won’t be asking North to forgive me for what I’m about to do.
Just as I want to open the door, North sighs heavily. “Fucking fine, but I don’t want to see her, and I don’t want to hear her. She will be gone as soon as it’s warmer or she gets that heater. You get her, she’s your responsibility, and you’ll look after her.”
“She’s not a damn dog, North.” Nash chuckles, and I can see how he just turned from concerned to giddy.
Forget it, buddy.
“She will be here without you trying to get in her pants, understood? Or I will throwyouout to live in the doghouse.” I point a finger at him, and he smirks at me.
“Whatever you say, brother.”
The relentless coldseeps into my bones as I huddle in my van, shivering uncontrollably.
Of course, there is a fucking snowstorm in September just when my heater broke.Lubec doesn’t give a shit about the calendar.
I’m honestly starting to question if I did something to deserve the karma. Last night was bad enough, but now? Now it’s barely tolerable.
My feet are under the layers of three pairs of socks, and two hoodies hang heavy on my shoulders, the bigger one being Nash’s. It still smells like him, which nearly killed me the whole day, but I chose to ignore it in favor of the warmth. My blanket is cocooning me, but the cold still seeps through, unrelenting. Again, it takes me back to the last time I felt this cold, trapped in that dark room.
The fear had been overwhelming, the certainty that I might not survive. Now, I’m back in that same place, that same bone-deep cold threatening to consume me.
I try to think of ways to stay warm, wrapping my arms around myself and wiggling my toes, hoping to generate some heat. Maybe I could light a few candles, but the risk of fire in this confined space scares me. Fear begins to creep in, a slow and steady crawl up my spine as I watch my breath form frosty clouds.
Fuck, that’s not good.
I clutch the plastic bottle I had filled with warm water a few hours earlier. It’s long gone cold, and the thought of making another trip to the restaurant’s bathroom to refill it makes me shiver even more. Leaving my makeshift cocoon is daunting. I weigh my options, knowing that if I stay here, I might freeze to death, and if I go out into that snowstorm, who knows what could happen.
Pulling aside one of the curtains, I peer outside, but it is nearly a whiteout. The street lamps illuminate the snowflakes, making it look like a yellowy snow globe shaken too hard. I can’t even make out the restaurant just a few feet away. Having no experience whatsoever with snow, I don’t know how to handle all of this.
“We need to get you out of here. I bet Tally would much rather handle the health department for having you sleep a night in the restaurant than the cops handling a body in her driveway,” Saylor urges from beside me with a concerned face, his nose all scrunched up. He’s been with me the whole day, longer than ever before, and I’m dreading the moment he gets pulled away, leaving me alone in the cold. At least his company keeps my thoughts occupied and my mind from completely spiraling. “Why would she even let you sleep outside in this cold?”
“I h-haven’t told her about the heater,” I admit through chattering teeth.
“Are you kidding me? I bet she would have let you sleep inside somewhere!” Saylor is furious. His concern for me is turning more into anger the longer he feels helpless. I have no doubt if he could, he would have thrown me over his shoulder and gotten me over there hours ago.
“Sh-she’s very p-pregnant, okay? And sh-she’s doing enough f-for me as it is,” I stutter.
“She won’t be much longer if you freeze to death, goddammit!” Saylor yells, exasperated. “Come on, grab some shit, you’re going over therenow. I know it’s scary, but I can lead you.”
I’ve reached a point where I’m scared of what will happen if I stay here too long, so I gather a bag with my toiletries, a set of clothes, my phone, and a charger. Then, I push my pillow under my armpit and pull my blanket tighter around me. Just as I stand to leave, there is a loud knock on the side door of the van.
My surprised gaze flicks to Saylor. “Cops?”
He pushes his head out of the side of the van in a way only a ghost can before he pulls it back inside with a relieved grin. “Cavalry. Fuck, I could kiss him.”
“Sloan!” Hunter’s deep voice comes through the door from outside before he knocks again. I fumble with my cold handsto open the van door, and as soon as I get it open, I see him standing there, the hood of his coat up, snow and wind brushing around him.
Relief washes over me.
He came for me.
