“Shit, ouch.” I rubbed my thigh. That was definitely going to bruise.
I remembered seeing a box of what looked like camping supplies in the closet by the bathroom. Carefully, I made my way there and started rummaging through the disorganized mess.
I pulled out a lantern and fiddled with the power button a few times only to realize the batteries must be dead. Groaning, I continued to rummage. My eyes adjusted slightly to the dark, and I came across a few candles and a lighter. This would have to do for now.
I set two candles on the kitchen table and two on the coffee table and lit them. They gave off a very dim glow. It was better than nothing.
I remembered Bev had left some books on the bookshelf. I snagged one that looked like a mystery thriller. I wrapped a blanket around myself and curled up on the floor to put the book right next to the candles.
I had only gotten through a few chapters when a banging at the front door made me jump.
Instinctively, I ducked under the coffee table like I was worried someone was trying to break in and kidnap me. When the banging continued, I realized it was probably just Bev checking on me. I walked over to the door, still wrapped in my blanket. It had only been twenty minutes or so since the power had gone out, but it was already chilly in here.
I opened the door to find Giles standing there in a large coat with the hood up. His brow was creased, and his jaw was locked. His arms were full of wood and a large square box. He looked very irritated.
“Hey, what ar—”
“You don’t answer your phone?” he asked, moving past me into the entryway. I closed the door behind him.
“Sorry, it was off.” I had forgotten about my phone.
“I called you like a hundred times.” He set down the stuff he was carrying and glared at me. “You can’t have your phone off in a storm like this. How was anyone supposed to know you were okay?”
“Shit, I didn’t even think about it.”
“You’re damn right you didn’t think.” He tore off his mittens and ran his hands through his hair. “It’s freezing in here.”
“Well, duh, there’s no power.”
“You have a wood-burning stove.” He gestured toward the cute black piece of furniture with the pipe going up to the ceiling.
“Oh.”So that wasn’t just for decoration.
He groaned as he stooped down to the stove, opened it, and placed pieces of wood inside. “So, you were planning to just freeze to death in here?”
I shrugged pathetically. “It hasn’t been that long. I figured the power would come back on eventually.”
“Not tonight it won’t. The main power line to the whole town is down, and the storm is too bad for them to fix it. They’ll have to wait until it blows over, which likely won’t be until morning.”
He held a lighter to the bottom of the woodpile. When a small flame flickered to life, he shut the door and stood up.
“Thank you.” I smiled weakly.
Giles paced around the apartment. He opened a few cabinets before pulling out my phone.
“No food at all in here, but I found your missing phone.” He handed it to me and gave me a look like he expected me to explain, but I just grabbed it from him and set it on the table.
“I’ve been meaning to get to the grocery store, but I’ve been busy.”
“Well, I didn’t have much at my house, but I brought some granola bars and a few other things to get you through the night.”
Giles mentioning his house captured my interest.
“Where do you live?” I asked.
His eyebrows shot up, and the tension in his brow lifted.
“On the other side of town.”
