“My feet are n-numb,” she informs me. “Can you g-get me a n-new p-pair of s-socks?”
I grab a clean pair of wool socks out of my bag and roll them onto her feet and up her legs. Whatever reason she doesn’t like her feet being touched must not matter right now since she doesn’t flinch away. I lift her back up and walk her over to the bed, setting her on the mattress.
Under the privacy of the blankets, she shimmies out of her underwear then tosses the wet garment on the floor next to the bed. Her lips aren’t blue anymore, but they’re still pale. Her cheeks still lack any color whatsoever and her teeth are rattling so hard I’m afraid she’ll chip a tooth.
“Maverick?”
“Yeah, baby?”
“I’m s-still c-cold. C-can you s-stay with m-me?”
I study her shaking form, prepared to do whatever it takes to make sure she’s safe and warm. “Of course.” I strip all the way down to my briefs before sliding under the covers next to her. She curls into me immediately, burying her face in my chest as our legs intertwine.Jesus Christ. Her skin is still like ice.
Zeus whines from his spot on the floor as a large clap of thunder booms a few miles away. I found him as a puppy in a storm just like this one—hence his namesake—but he’s never liked storms. “It’s okay, boy.”
“I-I’m sorry.” Delilah shivers against me.
“Don’t apologize.” I lean down and kiss the top of her head.
“I t-took a walk a-and e-ended up on the b-beach. It g-got d-dark and s-started raining. I c-couldn’t f-find my way b-back.”
“Shhh,” I whisper. “It’s okay. You’re safe now.”
She manages a small nod as her breathing seems to even out and her shivers lessen. “Thank you.”
A small, disbelieving laugh huffs past my lips. “For what?”
She sighs, snuggling into me further. “For saving me.”
“Benji found you,” I remind her, running my hands up and down her back.
“That’s not what I mean,” she says, sounding sleepy.
With her bare skin plastered to mine, her temperature seems to be coming up, which means I can take my first deep breath in a few hours. Her breath steadies as she falls asleep to the sound of the rain against the canvas of my tent coming down in a strong, steady rhythm. But even with Delilah safe beside me, my mind won’t stop going over all the what-ifs.What if we hadn’t found her in time? What if she still gets sick from being in the cold for so long? What if she goes back to New Athens and I never see her again?
In reality, I’ve only known her for a matter of days, but it feels like I’ve known her for a lifetime. I’m not really one to believe in fate or destiny or whatever bullshit people usually put their faith in, but with Delilah, I think maybe we were meant to be together. Two souls who were always destined to meet. Two paths that were always meant to cross. How else can I explain the sense of peace that washes over me when I hold her in my arms? Or the choking anxiety I feel when she’s out of my sight? And the primal instinct to keep her safe over every other impulse?
Before my thoughts can spiral and I talk myself into keeping her here forever, Bec peeks her head inside my tent. She breathes a visible sigh of relief upon seeing Delilah asleep next to me. “How’s she doing?”
“She’ll be okay.”
“Fucking hell.” Bec flops down in the chair at my desk. “She scared the shit outta me.”
I lean down, pressing a lingering kiss to the top of Delilah’s head, just because I can. Because I need the reminder that she’s safe. “You and me both.”
She sits in silence for a moment before her eyes find mine, full of concern. “What are we gonna do when she goes back?”
“Believe me,” I say. “There’s no shortage of possibilities playing out in my head right now.”
Bec nods, looking down at the floor. “How can I be so worried for someone I barely know?”
“I’ve been asking myself the same question,” I admit, looking down at Delilah. “She’s extraordinary.”
My closest friend smiles. “She really is.” A beat of silence passes before Bec speaks again. “Goddamn stubborn though.”
I huff a laugh, still studying Delilah’s relaxed face as she sleeps. “I’ll take stubbornness over submissiveness any day.”
“I’ll drink to that,” Bec says, pulling a flask out of her jacket’s inside pocket.
