Page 133 of Last Light

It reminds me of something, however.

I let Travis’s hand slip out of mine and straighten up. “Oh. Do you want me to get Cheryl? Or... or someone?”

Travis blinks and frowns. “What? Why?”

“I just thought... thought you might want to see her.”

“Why? She’s not hurt or somethin’, is she?”

“No. She’s fine. She was worried about you. I just thought...”

He’s still frowning like he can’t figure out what I’m trying to say. “I can talk to her later. I don’t really feel like dealin’ with a big crowd right now.”

“Okay. Do you want me to... to leave?”

He makes a sound of gruff indignation. “No! I mean, not unless you wanna. Maybe you need to rest or somethin’.”

“I don’t need to rest.”

“Yeah, you do. You look kinda tired.” He tries to scoot over on the bed and hisses in pain. “Why don’tcha lay down next to me.”

I really like that idea since my back is killing me from sitting awkwardly in the chair for so long, but I’m worried about hurting Travis. “I better not. They’ll get mad if they think I made you move. You’re supposed to lie still.”

“I don’t care what I’m s’posed to do.” He edges over toward one side of the bed, leaving an empty space beside him. “I told you. Don’t like to be bossed around. You’re real little. Plenty of room for you here.”

“I’m not that little.”

“Yeah, you are.” He’s giving me my favorite little smile—the one that’s soft and fond.

I can’t possibly resist it. I carefully climb onto the bed, turning on my side so I’m facing him but staying near the edge so I’m not crowding him.

He reaches for my hand again.

We lie together like that for several minutes.

Finally Travis says softly, “I’m so sorry, Layne.”

“Sorry for what?”

“For bein’ stupid. For not payin’ attention when I should’ve. I deserved to get shot. I walked you right into danger without a single... I’m so sorry.”

“You don’t have to be sorry about that, Travis. We couldn’t have known those guys were there. I’d forgotten that we were back in the same area where we saw them the first time. We couldn’t have known we’d run into them.”

“But I sure as hell shoulda known we might not be alone. I don’t know what I was thinkin’. Such a damn fool. All worried ’bout what I was gonna say to you and tryin’ to find the right words and not even keepin’ guard for danger.”

“I wasn’t paying attention either.”

He lets out a long breath. “And we never did get to have our talk.”

My breath hitches. “N-no. I guess not.”

The room is silent for a minute. Nothing but our shallow breathing.

He called out for me when he was delirious. He didn’t call for Cheryl or anyone else.

Surely that means something.

Maybe I was wrong. About a lot of things.

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