Page 5 of Faron
The burn of whiskey on my broken skin didn’t come close to the burn of her breath on my jaw.
“Damn hero complex,” she muttered, wrapping gauze around my ribs with more care than she wanted to admit. “You ever think about not being everyone’s savior?”
“Once. Didn’t like it.”
That made her laugh—an actual laugh, unguarded and bright. It crinkled the corners of her eyes and for a breathless second, she wasn’t the woman hardened by war. She was just Blue—the girl who once signed up to save the world and lost herself in the process.
“Idiot,” she said softly.
“You’re mean,” I shot back.
She leaned in, too close, all sage and sweat and something I hadn’t let myself want in a long damn time. Her eyes dipped to my mouth. Like maybe she was about to remember how it felt.
“This doesn’t change anything, Lightfoot.”
But she didn’t pull away.
Not right away.
When she did, it felt like ripping gauze from raw flesh. She stood fast, armored herself with her medic’s kit, and turned away like the moment hadn’t cracked the air in two.
“Sleep. Dawn comes fast. And so does extraction.”
I caught her wrist. Her pulse jumped beneath my thumb—fierce, wild, alive.
“Thank you, Blue Davis. Now tell me... why the fuck are you still here?”
She didn’t answer.
Just slipped into the night like a shadow, leaving me wide awake, aching, with Bear at my side and the taste of her name on my tongue.
7
Faron
“Where the hell is she?” I muttered, eyes scanning every shadow.
The cave was empty. Her presence—gone. But then I saw the note, scrawled in her sharp, rushed handwriting.
Faron,
I’m glad you finally went to sleep. I had to leave, maybe I’ll see you around sometime.
We, after all, live in a small world.
–Blue
My chest tightened like someone’d punched the air out of me. Damn her.
I looked down at Bear, who was watching me like he already knew. I scooped him up and pulled him into my arms.
“I thought you were dead, buddy,” I whispered. “I love you.” I kissed the top of his ragged head, breathing him in.
The others were still out cold. I gave them a few more minutes, then gently shook them awake.
Chuck blinked up at me, groggy. Joel stretched and winced.
“It’s good to be out of that prison,” Chuck muttered. “Did I thank you?”
