Nevermore

Chapter 13

Alright! So my last chapter went unedited, so sorry for all the typos. Your continued support means a lot! Enjoy!

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I let Roshan have his space. 

I won't lie, I am a little angry with him. After all that I told him, it only seems natural that he'd share something major about himself. 

Yet, he doesn't owe me anything. People are allowed to have their secretes. 

The sun is setting when he returns to the hut. These past few days, I haven't ventured out into the forest. I'm not sure what I'm waiting for. 

His hair is glistens in the dying sun. He must have bathed or gone swimming in the pool. I try desperately not to think about a naked Roshan. My cheeks flush red. Roshan greets me by the door briefly, before heading inside. 

I've already made a stew for dinner. The garden's various vegetables and herbs go a long way. If he's lucky, Roshan will bring back the occasional pheasant. He sets traps.

After what he told me about the broken bird, I don't know how he has it in himself to kill one. I'm not sure if it affects him. Hunger wins in the end, anyway. 

"You're blushing," he states, breaking me from my thoughts.

I laugh hesitantly. 

"Let's dish out dinner. I don't know about you, but I'm hungry," I say, blatantly switching the subject. 

Roshan gives me a knowing glance, but humors me. 

We sit down to eat at the small wooden table. 

No one says anything for a while, our stomachs are more important than our need for noise. After a few bites, I decide to casually ease into conversation. 

"What did you do in the jungle today?" I ask. Maybe I wasn't that subtle. 

"Went for a walk, then went swimming," he replies. 

I can't take the small talk anymore. What does he do when he's alone? There is only so much time one can spend in the trees without  boredom. 

"Really? Do you do that everyday? That's a lot of time spent by yourself,"

His jaw ticks, and he continues to stuff his mouth. His eyes glint humorously at me. 

"Jealous?" he winks. 

"In your dreams," I scoff. 

We make eye contact over our food and fall into giggles. 

"Seriously, what do you do all day?" I return. I can't help it. 

He hesitates for a second, as if choosing his words carefully. He's already made his first mistake by hesitating. His fiery eyes meet my inquisitive ones. 

"Honestly, I'm not ready to tell you. Don't worry about it, I want you to focus on feeling better," he manages. 

I'm touched and frustrated at the same time. I hope that he's not using my condition to weasel his way out of my inquisition. 

I send him a sharp look, "We're not done talking about this,"

He looks at me evenly. 

"I know,"

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I wake up to the sharp hooting of an owl. Moonlight streams down on the cots from the doorway. A heavy weight is laid across my waist. Roshan's arm is wrapped around my abdomen, our faces inches apart. 

Thankfully, his eyes are closed. 

His large torso rises and falls to the cadence of his deep breathing. His chest is bare. I've never seen him shirtless. As he lays on his side, his broad shoulder stretches up towards the night sky. His gloriously dark curls spill into his closed eyes. Tentatively, I brush them aside. 

I never noticed it until now, but his nose is crooked. A small chuckle eases from my lips. As selfish as it is, its nice to know he is not flawless. 

As hard as it is, I tear myself away from him. I listen for the beating of my own heart. The owl continues its eerie solo. 

There is something I need to do. 

Quietly as can be, I ease myself out from under Roshan's arm. My feet hit the floor of the hut, and I pad silently towards the doorway. I stop there, and sneak a look to make sure he is still sleeping. 

Reassured, I creep out into the night.