This is assertive Phoebe, the woman who didn’t want to die without having kissed me, at least once.So she used all her strength to make it happen, and for that, she deserves credit.
I appreciate a woman who knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to take it.
It wasn’t a proper kiss, of course, not by a long shot.But I think it comforted her.Looking at her now, I wonder if she even remembers she kissed me.
And whether one kiss will be enough for her.
Or for me.
I clear my throat.“Mind if I join you?”
“Sure.”She pulls her knees tighter to her chest and covers her head and shoulders with the blankets.She peers at me with big, owlish eyes as I sit down.The old couch creaks under my weight.
“How are you feeling?”
She shrugs.“I’m okay.I’ve got a wicked headache and I’m sore all over, but other than that, I think I’m fine.No frostbite, I don’t think.Whatever you did, you did it exactly right.”
“I almost lost you.”
Her nod is nearly imperceptible.She bites her bottom lip.“I got lost in the snow and fell through the ice.But the part I don’t get is—”
“How the hell I found you.”
She tilts her head to the side and frowns.“Yeah.I don’t understand how you heard me screaming for help and why you were close enough to rescue me.Because I don’t know where I was, exactly, but it was the middle of nowhere.”
“Fortunately, we both were in the middle of nowhere.”
“And then how you managed to get me out of the water and find this place before I froze to death.”
I chuckle.“I promise I’ll tell you the whole story, but first things first.You need warm fluids.May I interest you in a delicious electrolyte imitation chocolate drink?”
She laughs.It’s weak, but it’s good to see.It’s good to hear.I think this is the first moment I allow myself to believe she’ll get past this unscathed.
“Where did you findthat?”she asks.
“Part of the whole story I mentioned—hold that thought.”
I grab the old pan from the cupboard, a chipped ceramic mug, a spoon, and an envelope of the chocolate shit I know all too well.It’s disgusting, but it will do the trick.
I feel her watching me as I rinse the pan and cup, boil the snow I collected for drinking water, and stir in the powder.I walk back to the couch and sit, its construction groaning under me again.“Here you go.”
“Thank you, Evander.”When she accepts the cup, her fingers brush against mine.A static charge jolts through my whole body, one that isn’t caused by the cold, dry air.
Phoebe herself is the source.
I watch with a sense of relief as she brings the hot drink to her lips and sips.Dehydration—another concern I can cross off my list.
“This is the best imitation chocolate I’ve ever tasted.”Her owl eyes crinkle at me over the rim of the mug.She takes another healthy sip.
“Phoebe, I need to give you a rundown of what we’re dealing with here.Keep drinking, okay?”
She does.
By now she’s figured out that I had to strip her bare.I hope she doesn’t feel too awkward about that.I will get around to telling her what I did to save her.
But right now, there are more important things to discuss.
She needs to hear the truth, but in a way that won’t cause her to panic.So I’ll tell her that I know my training and experience will keep us safe.Any factors I have control over, I’ll handle.No doubt about it.And that’s what I’ll tell her.
