Rescue

Part 14: Twisted Reality

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Adora POV

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    I opens my eyes and see nothing but darkness. I can feel that my face is pressed up against something, plus something heavy is draped around my body.

    The suddenly realization that I'm hugging something makes me tilt my head up, my nose brushing against Ray's chin. Holy sh*t.

    That heavy object draped around my body is his arm. And that 'something' I'm hugging is him.

    Careful not to wake him, I lift my head slightly and figure out we're in the bedroom. I don't remember coming in here.

    Ray's chest shakes a little, accompanying the sound of a yawn from him.

    Do I pretend I'm asleep? Do I get up? Do I just stay here and greet him?

He's definitely awake, and I don't think he realizes I'm awake. My face is in his chest again like it was before, so he can't tell that my eyes are open. His chin rests on my head and I can feel his pointer finger gently tracing my upper spine.

    My cheeks heat up and he continues drawing gentle lines on my back, putting almost no pressure whatsoever. Now his finger travels up my neck and he starts to pet my head, carefully pulling it closer to his chest as if I wasn't close enough already.

    I'm comfortable as hell right now. I'm not stiff anywhere, my body temperature is perfect, and someone is petting my head. What more could I possibly want?

    He twirls a piece of my hair around his finger and combs through it gently as if I could break if the wind blew by.

    "Seeing you nearly fall off the tree gives me nightmares," he whispers. "Whether you like it or not, I'll do everything in my power to protect you."

    I smile and let out a giggle. He halts his hand movement immediately and I tilt my head to look at him. "I'm honored," I say.

    He looked like a deer in the headlights, clearly he had no idea I was awake the whole time.

    "Nature's calling, I'm going to the woods. Be back in five minutes." I pat his head and rush out if the cabin to spare him any extra embarrassment.

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Ray POV

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I twirl a strand Adora's soft hair around my finger, protecting her in my arms. Images of her slipping off the branch and shaking in my lap when I caught her keep flashing through my mind. I should definitely care, but I don't know if I should care this much about someone just within days of knowing them.

I guess it's because she's all I have at this point. She makes me smile and makes me feel useful, as if I'm not running away and hiding from the authorities.

"Seeing you nearly fall off the tree gives me nightmares," I whisper into her hair. "Whether you like it or not, I'll do everything in my power to protect you."

I hear a giggle from her and freeze my hand immediately. Did she just... hear what I said? And feel me playing with her hair?

"I'm honored," she says while looking up with a twinkle in her eyes.

I move to say something, but she excuses herself to the woods and leaves me in the room by myself. My cheeks are probably bright red right now.

No. I can't like her.

We just met a few days ago. What would she think? I don't wanna make her uncomfortable. After all, we're gonna be living with each other for god knows how long.

I run a hand through my hair and sigh in frustration. My imagination is scaring me, now. It keeps playing images of what would have happened if I didn't catch her. If the coyote managed to get to her and injure her.

I growl in frustration at myself and lift the covers, standing up. I find my white socks on the floor and put them on.

I open the door of the bedroom and see Adora sitting on the sofa with two large hunting bows and a few dozen arrows.

"What's this?" I ask, disregarding all my previous thoughts.

"We can't just eat fish all the time," she says through a smile. "We gotta learn to get some other food, I found these in the shed. I think my family left them here."

"You can shoot a bow and arrow?" I ask and cock an eyebrow.

"Well, no... I've only ever watched my dad and my brother do it. My dad didn't want girls to do the hunting."

"Well, looks like neither of us have experience."

"There's a first for everything, I suppose."

She stands up and hands me a bow and a sling of arrows to put around my back, and we leave the cabin.

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One hour later

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We're huddled next to each other in a group of bushes. We triple checked for any poison ivy, so we've been hanging out here waiting for some prey to show up.

Occasionally we share a few jokes and giggles , keeping our hands on our bows at all times.

I'm telling another corny dad joke and she suddenly puts her pointer finger on my lips. I make eye contact with her and she shifts her eyes over to a bush, and they widen with fear.

I follow her line of sight and see a coyote standing there, sniffing the air.

By instinct, I quickly and quietly pull her behind me and I feel her grab the back of my shirt in both fists, peeking over my shoulder.

"What do we do?" she whispers as quietly into my ear as she can.

I don't know.