Page 101 of Brambles and Bellflowers
Miles began cursing again, but this time in French.
“One more second.” I couldn’t look at him; otherwise, I’d lose my nerve. By the time the entire leg of his pants was ripped apart, he had begun to shake.
“Sorry…” I said, sitting back on my heels.
“It’s okay…” Miles’s eyes were squeezed shut, and his entire body was tense. “Just get it over with.” The pain seemed to have pulled him back to reality.
I bit my lip, pushing back to my knees. He was right, of course.
To his credit, Miles didn’t flinch or curse again, not even when he had to lift his leg because it was simply too heavy for me to raise by myself, and somehow, he held still while I wrapped his wound.
By the time I was finished, his complexion was disturbingly pale.
“Miles…”
“Sorry,mon rêve.” Miles covered his face with his arm. “Just give me a minute.”
I had no idea what he thought a minute would do. He was in no shape to go anywhere. I was mentally preparing to set up camp at the base of the ravine—because there was no way we could climb back up to the cave now—and hopefully, the others might find us here.
“Fine…” A faint tremor passed beneath us as Miles breathed out, barely perceptible. As I watched, his sick pallor receded, and he gingerly rolled to his side, pushing himself to his knees.
“Miles.” I tentatively tucked my ankles under my butt. “Is everything…”
My attention moved from him to the ground at my knees. The blood had disappeared, and the ground surrounding where he lay was now a lighter shade than before.
“Did you do something?” I asked. He stood without answering me, and I jumped to my feet. I ducked under him and pulled his arm over my shoulders. “Don’t stand up yet!”
“We need to make a plan,” he said, not answering my question.
He was pressed against me, and even though Miles was the shortest of the boys, he still towered over me by a head and a half. Not to mention, hewasthe most muscular of the group.
I wondered how much he even weighed.
It felt like a million pounds.
But I bore it because now the tables had turned, and it was time for me to help him.
“I left a trail yesterday,” Miles said. “Even if we can’t follow it, the others will. If worse comes to worst, and they haven’t found us by tonight, you can sleep in the cave, and I’ll stay down here.”
I narrowed my eyes. Did he honestly believe that I would allow him to sleep out here alone? In the nearly impossible event that Bigfoot did exist, this would be the perfect time to attack.
“I’m not leaving you,” I told him. I stepped toward the woods, and he had no choice but to limp beside me.
“Bianca.” He sighed. “Don’t—”
“I’m staying.” I glared at him. “Now, which way did we come yesterday?”
Miles sighed and glanced along the tree line. “Right over…” His words trailed off, brow furrowing. “It’s gone.”
“Pardon?” I looked at the base of the trees, yet there were no obnoxious orange mushrooms to be seen.
“Did you do it?” I asked, my pulse spiking.
We needed those horrible things. I had no idea how to get back to the river.
“Of course!” Miles’s words were rushed, panicked. “I always leave a trail. How else would I find my way around?”
Well…
