Page 28 of Bones

But at that small—and probably meaningless—gesture, I was closer than I ever expected to get.

Pushing down how good and fuckingrightit felt, I got back to trying to read her expression before the clouds shifted, and we lost the little light we had.

All the times I stayed in the darkness, and now I’d kill for a flashlight.

Hell, I’d take a birthday candle if it meant seeing her better.

“Is your car that way?” At her headshake, I asked, “Your house?”

Another negative. She pointed at me and then over my shoulder again.

“My place?”

That got a nod.

“Okay, my place.” I released her wrists. “Follow close, okay?”

Rather than another nod, she nudged me forward.

The first half mile was uneventful other than the few times I slowed too much for her liking, and she would nudge me again. After that, though, shit went downhill.

Literally.

The ground sloped, the brush and trees growing thicker until there was barely any space to navigate. I did what I could to clear the way for her, but she slipped and slammed into my back.

“You’re good,” I said when she made a distressed sound. I stayed in place until she got her bearings and inched back.

By the third time, she stopped putting that distance between us. She reached out and gripped the sides of my shirt, keeping hold as we walked.

If I were smart, I’d have taken that win.

But I was a selfish bastard. I couldn’t stop myself from pushing.

Pausing, I turned even though we couldn’t see each other in that level of darkness. She dropped her hold.

I wanted it back.

“This part of the terrain gets rough,” I told her honestly. “We can keep going like this, but it’ll take a while. It’ll go faster if you let me carry you.” It would go even faster if I could teleport us, but something like that might be a bit hard to explain. Especially if it didn’t work. “Already told you I won’t hurt you. Also won’t take it personally if you keep the pocketknife in your hand.” Panic hit, and I amended, “But only if you aim it at me,notnear yourself. If you’d rather walk, we’ll have to slow down so you don’t trip and break your ankle or arm or neck or?—”

She grabbed my wrists the same way I’d grabbed hers earlier. She put them to her head so I could feel her shake her head.

“No about slowing down?”

She shook her head.

“We can’t go too?—”

She shook it faster.

“You’ll let me carry you?”

She hesitated before nodding.

Not giving her the chance to change her mind, I lifted her into my hold with no effort.

Feed her.

She’s starving.

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