Left for Wild - Harloe Rae Page 0,22
the ass right about now. Speaking of ass, maybe I’ll finally lose the junk in my trunk.
The weariness in my bones is suddenly laced with lead. A yawn soon follows, as if to prove a point. I trap the squeaky sound with gloved fingers.
“Tired?” Halder rocks on his heels. The movement reminds me that he’s still standing. His ongoing strength somehow makes me more drained.
I muffle another wave of fatigue. “Very. It just hit me.”
“You’ve been through a lot today.”
I almost roll my eyes. “No more than you. Far less, if we’re being fair.”
“If it makes you feel better, I’m fucking exhausted.” He clucks his tongue and shrugs.
“Acting tough for my benefit?”
“And my pride.” A rough chuckle scrapes out of him.
“Pretty sure you have that in spades.”
“Not so much lately. Being locked up has a cruel certainty for breaking a man.”
I bite back a string of expletives. Foot, meet mouth. Somehow I dig myself into these deep holes of humiliation. And how do I even respond to that? There’s nothing I can provide to soften his burden. I lick my dry lips, scouring for a crumb of anything worthy. “Well, you’re out now. You can rebuild better than before.”
He stares at me without an ounce of armor blocking the view. His green eyes are a mirror of emotion. I see pain, struggle, and sorrow. But beckoning louder than all that is retribution. “That’s the goal. I have plenty to prove.”
“You’ll make it happen.” My faith in him is probably too established, but I believe he can accomplish anything. Am I catching a bit of hero worship? Perhaps. But Halder has earned it. I wouldn’t survive a single night without him.
Instead of allowing more gloom to drag me down, I turn my sights to the brighter side. If I squint hard enough, our surroundings resemble a nature resort. The addition of fire and shelter has improved my mood significantly. I can trick myself into believing we’re here on purpose, taking a vacation. Any lumberjack forester worth his salt would be jealous of the oasis Halder created for us.
I stare at our rustic accommodations. Soon the empty space will be occupied with our bodies, crammed next to one another in such narrow quarters. Two randoms forced to endure the most unlikely of situations at countless turns. The plot twists are only beginning while we’re also trying to escape the freaking wilderness. This suddenly resembles a backwoods social experiment. But what am I expecting to happen? On top of staying alive, we’re going to add sex into the mix for extra credit?
“So, uh, what are the sleeping arrangements?” If I’m going to embarrass myself, I might as well go full tilt.
He follows my gaze to the shelter. “Not sure it’s going to get better than that for now.”
“That’s for both of us, right?” The urge to berate myself occurs one second after the question whizzes past my lips.
Of course it is. Good grief, Blakely. It’s like a freaking slumber party. Put on your big-girl panties, cuddle up, and get cozy.
I tug on the hat covering my head, hoping the wool will swallow me. “Being out here is really messing with my mind. Screwing with us is probably the point…Forcing choices that aren’t really options at all. They can’t steal our free will. We’ll find our breaking points, willingly or not.”
That distracting furrow dents his brow. “What do you mean?”
“All of this. Our entire situation. It’s just so…strange. We barely know each other, and I’m about to sleep beside you. But in the grand scheme of things, that’s a very small concern to have. Right?” I’m babbling, bordering on that near-hysteria from this afternoon. “This is really odd.”
It’s not as if we require separation between us. That would defeat the purpose. He probably thinks I’m some squeamish virgin. The trials between us are kicking off, but I’ve been challenged before. This is just a whole new level. That doesn’t mean it will beat me. Why am I making a big deal out of this? Halder doesn’t appear to be overanalyzing our situation. He’s been thinking logically about this, from a survival perspective. There is absolutely no reason to continue down this trail of ridiculous proportions. Why did I even bring it up? It’s safe to say that I’m not the best version of myself within all this nonsense. We’re trapped and need to be practical.
That freshly budding pride we were just discussing seems to deflate off his broad frame before my eyes. “Does sharing