For a handful of seconds,the world was pitch black, and silence reigned.
“Cool,” I said once I’dgotten over the surprise, pulling my phone out of my pocket and flicking on thetorch function.
The nightstand drawersyielded a pack of tealights and a box of safety matches.
Better than nothing, Isupposed.
I could feel Ashley watchingme as I set the candles around the room. So much for a night of peace.
We were miles away from hisstalker, wehadto be by now, but I wouldn’t have blamed him for beingscared. This was a horror movie scenario.
“I was about to ask if youcould eat, but…”
“I wouldn’t send you out inthat for the world,” Ashley said. “I’m fine.”
That was a lie. All he’d eaten todaywas a handful of fries, and if I was so hungry I felt like my stomach wastrying to eat itself, then he must have been starving.
I grabbed my bag, sortingthrough it until I got my hands on what I was looking for.
“Here,” I said, handing overa choice of protein bars—chocolate and salted caramel. “It’s notmuch, but it’s something.”
“Which one of these tastesless like I’m being punished for my vanity?” Ashley asked.
“Go for the chocolate,” Iadvised. “It actually tastes more or less like a brownie.”
Ashley shrugged and took myadvice. I kept those two kinds in my bag because they weren’t entirelygross, so I didn’t feeltooguilty about not having anything else tooffer him.
“Okay,” Ashley said afterhis first mouthful. “This isn’t nearly as bad as I expected. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
I watched him pick piecesoff and put them in his mouth in silence for a while, my eyes adjusting to thelow light of the candles.
They’d only last a handful ofhours, but that was fine. We’d be asleep by the time they burned out, andtomorrow there’d at least be sunlight to work with.
“Sorry about this,” I said. “ThoughtI was doing a good thing.”
“You were,” Ashley said. “Theroads would be in chaos by now and we don’t know how far the storm extends orwhere it ended up heading. Or, I mean… we don’t knownow, because we’ve lost cellservice.”
“I wanted to give youanother night,” I admitted. “Before… y’know.”
“Kinda figured that out,” hesaid. “You’re a sweetheart. Thank you.”
“Wasn’t quite meant to belike this. I was imagining takeout and soothing mindless TV.”
“It’s perfect. You’reperfect.”
You’re perfect, too, I thought.
But I didn’t meanperfect, that wasn’t what I wantedto say, and I couldn’t put my finger on what itwasthat I wanted tosay. What the feeling welling up under my ribcage was, or why it felt sogoddamn urgent.
So I ate my protein bar andsaid nothing.
“Dinner by candlelight,”Ashley spoke up after a moment.
“Romantic, huh?” I joked.
“Kind of.” Ashley shrugged. “Thisis right up there on thenicest things anyone’s ever done for melist.”
