Subject #013 | ✓

Chapter 19

Surprisingly, I get through the night without a single dream. It's like I never really fell asleep. Rather, I was just behind a dark curtain without a visual.

I wake up warm and toasty. My neck has cramped throughout the night, and I want to let out a cry of anguish, but I hold back.

Alix hasn't moved since I last saw him, and I don't necessarily blame him, because if my leg was in the same condition as his, then I wouldn't want to move very far if I moved at all. It's too bad we don't have Netflix out here. I was stupid enough to leave my phone on my bed when I left.

At first I think he's still asleep, but it isn't long before he realizes I'm awake and shifts around.

"Thank Galoshes you're awake, Jess. You have a bony head, I hope you know that." Alix says, his voice thick with sleep.

I rub my eyes, groaning when my neck pops. "Yeah, well your shoulder ain't that comfortable, either."

It takes me a few seconds for my vision to focus, and when it does, a crackling fire is the source of the heat I woke up to. "Who made the fire?"

The last thing I remember about last night was Liz snoring, Alix's story... and that black cat. I hadn't had the effort last night to ask Alix about it, and if I did, he'd probably think I'm crazy. At this point in time, I wouldn't doubt it.

"Liz. She got up a while ago and made it. She's out trying to get us some food. She's responsible, that one." He replies, his voice filled with something like admiration. For some reason, it rubs me the wrong way, though I say nothing. There's something else in his voice as well. Pain. I internally scold myself. I haven't even asked him how he's doing with his leg.

"How are you doing, by the way? I didn't even think to ask." Something changed between us last night. I'm not sure what, but something changed. We can actually talk to each other without having to resort to sarcasm.

"That depends." He says. "Do you trust me enough to believe that whatever I tell you will be an honest answer?"

This is his way of asking me whether I trust him. The last time I said yes, he saw right through my white lie. This time, I say it with confidence. "Yes."

"I feel like I just stepped on a lego and then stubbed my toe."

I wince just thinking about it. "Okay, so... it hurts pretty bad then." I say.

"You said it, Princess."

"I'm a lot of things, but I'm not a princess." I mumble under my breath before tensing the muscles in my legs and pushing myself up off of Grayson the tree.

"What did you say?" Alix asks, a gleam of something in his eye. I almost slap him, but I stop myself. He's already in pain. I'll slap him later.

"Nothing, my liege." I drawl, rolling my eyes. "Can I check it? If it hurts as bad as you say it does, then it may be infected."

"What fire is in mine ears? Can this be true?" He starts, quoting Beatrice from Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing. "Did I just hear Jess Hollens offer to help me? Like, help me help me? You do have a heart."

"I have a heart, but only to keep me alive. My soul is a different story." I say, and I think he can tell I'm getting pretty pissed off, so he backs down.

"Okay, okay, fine. Thou hast my permission to check my cut, M'lady."

"Can we cut the Shakespeare s**t? I just got out of school, so don't make it seem like I'm back." I say, kneeling back down and hesitantly lifting up the hem of his jeans. The edge of the bandage peeks out from underneath, and I almost choke on air.