His breaths were steady and even, and his back was reassuringly solid against my chest. It was… nice. We were still screwed ten ways to Sunday, but there was something aboutSebastian’s presence that made the situation a teensy bit better, though I’d never admit it.
We hit a patch of rough ground, and I almost instinctively buried my face in his shoulder before I caught myself.
Stop it. He isnotyour emotional support companion. You’re here together by default, not choice.
I repeated the mantra until my pulse stopped pounding.
I needed to get back to civilization ASAP. The wilderness was clearly messing with my brain.
The forest was huge, and we continued on for what felt like hours before we took a break. He set me down, and cool air rushed to fill the void left by the warmth of his body.
I looked around at the clearing. It was identical to every other clearing we’d passed that day. “We’re lost again.” It wasn’t a question.
Sebastian blew out a sigh. “Yeah.”
The sun hung low in the sky, and I tasted the first bite of evening chill. It was going to be dark soon, and our chances of finding the main road before then were slim.
I waited for fear to set in, but I didn’t feel anything except numb exhaustion. Was this what giving up felt like? Had I already resigned myself to the fact that we might die in these woods?
I thought I was more resilient than that, but I hadn’t eaten all day, and I didn’t have enough energy to freak out.
“We should set up camp here,” Sebastian said. “We won’t get far before the sun sets, and I want to get a fire going before it does. I’ll handle the fire; you set up something for us to sleep on.”
Normally, I wouldn’t take orders from him, but he was right. Our clothes weren’t warm enough for sleeping outdoors, and if we didn’t get a fire started soon, we really were going to freeze.
Thankfully, we’d had the foresight to bring a change of outfits. I cleared away some branches and twigs and formed a makeshiftbed with our sweaters and pants. We could use our coats as blankets again. Hopefully, that and the fire would be enough.
I was a little worried the wood would be too damp from last night’s storm, but Sebastian found enough dry tinder to make it work. He even brought back a bunch of wild berries from his wood-hunting expedition.
“Dinner.” He dropped a handful in my palms. “Don’t worry. They’re safe to eat.”
I eyed them suspiciously even as my stomach leapt with anticipation. “Are you sure?”
“I’m eighty percent sure.” Sebastian popped one in his mouth. “If I fall to the ground and start convulsing, then I guess I was wrong.”
“That’s not funny,” I grumbled. Nevertheless, I cautiously ate one. A sweet burst of flavor exploded on my tongue, and after I confirmed they weren’t poisonous, I scarfed down the rest in quick succession.
“If you were to die tomorrow, what would you want your last meal to be?” I asked through a mouthful of berry juice. I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand.
If my mother saw me eating like this, she’d have my head, but screw it. This wasn’t a Michelin-starred restaurant, and dining etiquette was the least of my worries right now.
Sebastian side-eyed me. “A bit of a morbid topic given the circumstances, don’t you think?” But his brow knitted in concentration before he said, “A5 Wagyu steak, medium rare, and freshly caught lobster tail with rosemary garlic mashed potatoes on the side and a perfectly executed crème brûlée for dessert. Plus a glass of 1926 Macallan Adami to wash it all down. What about you?”
“Hmm.” I chewed thoughtfully on my last berry. “Chocolate, definitely. A nice, big slice of chocolate cake paired with a chocolate milkshake—the good kind that’s so thick it’s almost like ice cream,not the watery kind. For the main course, I want truffle tagliatelle and burrata pizza with a side of sweet potato fries. Oh, and lots and lots of strawberries. They’re my favorite fruit.”
“I know.” Sebastian’s mouth quirked. “I remember when you cleared out that farmer’s stand in the Hamptons. I’ve never seen someone eat so many strawberries so fast.”
“I was twelve!” I said defensively. “I was at the beach all day, and I was hungry. Plus, those strawberries were really good.”
“I didn’t say it was a bad thing. It was kind of endearing.” His grin widened. “Almost as endearing as when you threw up later from eating so fast.”
“If you’re going to bring up embarrassing moments from my past, I can do the same, Mr. Fell-Into-A-Pool-In-His-Brioni-Suit.”
“I still looked good,” he said, unfazed. “I got half a dozen numbers after that.”
I rolled my eyes. Of course he had.
Our shadows lengthened. The sun had set while we were talking, but the fire crackled with reassuring steadiness as we sat side by side, letting its warmth seep into our chilled bones.
