Left for Wild - Harloe Rae Page 0,28

it weird to be nostalgic after one day?”

Halder flashes me a dimple. “Probably not? I’m the wrong guy to ask. My list of attachments is damn short.”

“Oh. Maybe it’s weird to miss a place we’re forced to stay.” I take a final backward glance, sending the fading view of our clearing a silent goodbye. There’s a handful of decent memories I’ll cherish. Heat coils up my throat while a certain fiery minute from earlier invades my reverie. I lick my bottom lip, envisioning the gentle slide of another joining in.

His rough timbre only heightens my fantasy reel. “That spot treated us well. It was a good starter setup.”

A few blinks snap me out of that warm puddle. “I think the upgrades are what made it special.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.” He turns more fully to the side so I can see more of his face.

“As you should.”

Halder shakes his head. “Troublemaker.”

I open my mouth to reply, but am abruptly cut off. The pinch in my bladder is sudden and urgent. That level of insistence brings forth a flurry of dread until I’m dizzy. A bolt of shrill alarm soon follows.

What’s with the extreme onset? Why didn’t I have to pee until now? Had I been that dehydrated? Were there digestive suppressants in those drugs I was pumped full of? The most dire, and mortifying thought, chimes in last. I’ll have to relieve myself in front of Halder.

Once the urge presents itself, there’s no denying my need for release. The pressure is too intense. I dart my gaze this way and that, as if there’s a hidden outhouse posted nearby. The balloon in my lower abdomen expands, shooting tingles from top to bottom. Performing the potty dance has never sounded better. Crossing my legs in elegant formation might buy me a few precious moments.

My utter silence must set off some warning bells in Halder’s super-human abilities. He stops in his tracks and spins to face me. “What’s wrong?”

“Why do you think there’s a problem?” My voice is straining from holding the desperation at bay.

He gestures at me. “That sour look you’re sporting is a wicked tell.”

“I’m fine,” I grit.

“Just spit it out.” He makes a circular signal with his hand.

I gulp at the knot in my windpipe. “I need to pee.”

“And?”

“The timing is super inconvenient, not to mention embarrassing.”

A groove carves his smooth forehead. “Everyone uses the bathroom, Blakely.”

“I know that.” Is my tone petulant? Without a doubt, and it’s freaking childish.

“So?”

How do I explain my shyness? He’s just a person, one I happen to have a growing crush on. “It’s different with you here.”

He gives me a lazy smirk. “Because I’m hot?”

“Not the time for jokes.” I grind my molars when his grin spreads.

“Oh, I forgot. Laughing will only make it worse. Why are you delaying the inevitable?”

“Excuse me for trying to preserve my dignity.”

Halder flicks a wrist to the tall trees across from us. “I won’t see anything.”

“But you’ll hear it.”

“Would you like me to plug my ears?”

Is it ridiculous for me to say yes? I roll my tongue over my teeth while searching for another solution. “How about you crumple some leaves or make other noise to drown mine out?”

“I’ll take a piss. That should do the trick, yeah?”

“You’re so nonchalant about it.”

A simple shrug. “I’m a man.”

“That’s sexist.”

He grunts with a sharp nod of acceptance. “It’s the unfair stigma society provides. We don’t have to buy into that, Blakely. You’re my equal on the same playing field. Out here, we make the rules.”

It’s no surprise that his explanation is poetic perfection to soothe my nerves about urinating with an audience. He’s right, of course. The stage fright isn’t necessary. It’s a natural bodily function. He’s bound to hear me do worse. That truth brings forth a chilling foresight, and I almost whimper.

What’s going to happen when number two demands exit? Oh, Lord. I’ll never be able to face him again. That’s trouble for another dark hour. At least I don’t have to deal with getting my period. I can thank my overly cautious mother and her stand on birth control for that. But another thought immediately follows. My reprieve will only be good for a month. What if we’re stuck out here for longer? I shake the unnecessary jumble from my mind. Cleaning up that mess can also wait until warranted. Literally.

“Ready?” Halder has moved off the path and in the process of stepping behind a large pine.

“Yep.” My tone is little more than a squeak.

I