Liam did it.
He wasn’t trying to manipulate her or hurt her. She didn’t get the vibe that he was trying to get anything from her.
“So, why you?” she asked, sitting on the bed and grabbing her phone from the front pocket of her backpack. There was a spare battery pack but that and her phone were both dead. The solar charger wouldn’t work inside so she dug around for her cord.
Liam grinned, noticing the way she avoided the topic of his clothes on her body and letting her get away with it anyway. “Why me what?”
“Why are you the one assigned to babysit me? Why would I ask for you specifically when I don’t even know you?” She held the cord and her phone, glaring at him. Normally she wasn’t so mean, but something about him was so disarming. She didn’t trust it.
Strange, his smile dropped from his face at that question. Zoe had been sure he’d be super smug about the whole thing.
“There are outlets there,” he said, pointing at the wall. “But I’ll take you upstairs. It’s more comfortable and you can watch TV or something.”
“You’re avoiding the question.” But she stood and followed him out of the room anyway.
Wherever they’d taken her was somewhere underground. It reminded her a lot of the hospital. Everything was clean and smelled of antiseptic and chemicals. There were tons of empty rooms that were identical to hers and Sam’s.
Then there was a space that looked like it could be a waiting room or a living room, but the walls were lined with metal and glass shelves. The medical supplies were way more than what civilians should have access to.
It only made her more suspicious. This place might not be a cult, but it sure felt like one.
That feeling only grew when he led her upstairs. Zoe kept her eyes on the floor so she wouldn’t inspect his small waist that tapered outward into shoulders that would make any girl’s mouth water.
Why couldn’t he wear a shirt? Why did he have to be so distracting? Why were his tattoos so beautiful? She got lost in the forest of ink on his right shoulder that bled into his sleeve. Wolves were everywhere and she couldn’t stop looking for the little details.
“Here,” Liam said, waving his hand at one of the side tables.
Zoe took a moment to take in the huge living room with a couch that looked like it could fit twenty people. On one side was nothing but glass instead of a wall and she could see why. The forest was beautiful even in early spring.
For longer than was probably polite, she stared outside. It was like being back in Silver Falls. There was a sense of peace and belonging, a removal from the insanity of her modern life that made it feel like time moved slower than normal.
At the same time, she felt something strange tickle the back of her neck as she remembered all the animals that hunted in forests.
The animals that had hunted her.
“Is there anything you want to watch while we wait for the doctor?” Liam asked. Either he was oblivious to her anxiety at seeing all those trees or he was politely pretending he didn’t notice.
Zoe tore her gaze from the windows and plugged in her battery and her phone, wondering what the hell she was going to tell the hospital. Did she even still have a job? Fuck, what if people were looking for her?
“How long has it been since you found me?” she asked, crossing her arms over her chest as she stared at her phone like that was going to somehow make it charge faster.
“Five days in total,” Liam said, grabbing the remote and turning on the TV before setting it next to her phone. “If you include the night you were attacked.”
All sense of fun and mischief was gone. There was something strained about his expression and body language that she wasn’t sure how to interpret. They didn’t know each other. Why would any of this stress him out?
Zoe kept pressing the power button, grinding her teeth together every time she saw the battery symbol instead of her home page.
Five days.
There was no doubt in her mind that she was going to lose her fucking job. It wasn’t like she had a doctor’s note to explain exactly what had happened. Maybe this doctor Liam knew was legit and they would actually be able to give her something the hospital would accept.
But then there