Total pages in book: 61
Estimated words: 58342 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 292(@200wpm)___ 233(@250wpm)___ 194(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 58342 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 292(@200wpm)___ 233(@250wpm)___ 194(@300wpm)
I set down the pot and walk over to her. “Helps you push past what? Is it the ankle or the headache?”
A flicker of annoyance passes over her expression. “I said I’m fine.”
What’s with her? Why won’t she just tell me what’s bothering her?
“If there’s something going on with you, I need to know about it.”
She scoffs. “Why?”
“Because...we’re in this together.”
She takes a deep breath, pinching her brows together. “I’m trying to be in a better mood, okay? And while I’ve felt better, we were in a plane crash almost a week ago. I think eating might help, so I’m going to finish making our food.”
I nod, not liking it but trying to give her space. The lack of food has taken a toll on me, so maybe that’s what’s going on with her, too. I don’t think so, though. It’s all I can do not to tell her to strip down so I can inspect every inch of her and make sure she doesn’t have an infected cut somewhere or something.
Nothing is as simple here as it would be at home. I can’t take her to a hospital for antibiotics. But I can’t force her to tell me what’s going on, either. All I can do is wait, which isn’t easy for me. I solve problems and never avoid dealing with things head-on.
Fighting won’t help anything, though, so I return to filling the tub. About half an hour later, Trinity announces that it’s time to eat.
I sit at the kitchen table, my mouth watering when she sets down a plate of hot white rice covered with chili. Her plate only has about a cup of rice and a cup of dried bananas.
“You need protein,” I tell her.
She shakes her head. “This is what I’m eating. I don’t think the chili would agree with my stomach.”
“But--”
She cuts me off. “Let’s just eat, Lincoln.”
I hold her gaze for a few seconds, something I see in her eyes making me back down. “Call me Linc. All my friends do.”
She sits down. “Am I your friend?”
I grin at her. “With this meal, you just became my best friend. How’d you do this?”
“With the hot plate I found in one of the kitchen cabinets. It took forever to boil the water and cook the rice, and it’s just canned chili, but it’s better than beef jerky and protein bars.”
“Much better. Thanks for making it.”
“Thanks for the bathwater.”
“It’s heating up right now.”
She smiles. “I can’t wait.”
The first bite of my first hot meal in nearly a week doesn’t disappoint. I nod with approval and we both eat in silence for a minute. Trinity made me an enormous plate and I plan to eat every last morsel.
“I’ll go out again tomorrow,” I say. “I figure I’ll try a different direction.”
She nods, her expression telling me she’s not a big fan of the idea.
“I saw a plane overhead when I was out. It was too far up for anyone to see me.”
“Do you think it was the search party?”
I shrug. “It could have been a commercial plane, I don’t know.”
“At least we have a safe place to wait it out,” she murmurs. “And plenty of food.”
She nibbles at the food, only half of it gone by the time I’m finished with my entire plate. My concern for her is at the front of my mind. Something’s not right.
My only chance to look her over for injuries might be when she’s taking a bath. I don’t want to look like a perv, but I have to know if she’s hurt. An infection while stuck here would be serious. I’m not sure what I’ll do if I find out she’s got something going on that needs quick treatment, but it’s not knowing that’s making me crazy right now.
“You should eat the rest of that,” I tell her, nodding toward her half-empty plate.
“I can’t.”
“Why not? We’re literally starving here.”
“I’m just not hungry for more.” She picks up both of our plates and takes them over to the counter. “I’m going to wash these and then take a bath.”
I press my lips together, willing myself not to argue with her. We’ve got to get along, or we’ll both be miserable.
Whatever’s going on with her, I’m going to have to figure it out on my own.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Trinity
“Could you maybe...wait in the outhouse?”
Lincoln gapes at me, clearly not on board with the idea. “The outhouse? It’s cold as shit out there.”
“I can make it fast. Ten minutes?”
He lowers his brows, consternation written all over his face. “It took me an hour to fill that tub, and you want to take a ten-minute bath?”
I’m in no mood to bicker with him. My headache hasn’t budged an inch and the fatigue and nausea have gotten even worse.
“No, I’d love to sit in there for an hour, but not with you watching me.”