“Maybe you should take a few layers off. It’ll be easier to warm you up if we’re closer to skin to skin.”
“What? Is this your way of getting me naked?”
I can’t help but snort, shaking my head. “If I wanted to get you naked, it wouldn’t be like this. I have a little more class than that.”
Briggs starts to take his jacket off, tossing it outside the sleeping bag. “You’re a classy guy, I can tell. If you’re seducing someone, they’d be able to tell.”
“Exactly.”
Once Briggs is down to his boxers, socks, and shirt, I close the zipper the rest of the way, leaving us tucked away inside. I open my arms for him, wrapping him up with my body. He’s freezing but already the chattering has slowed down. He melts against me. That does something to my insides, watching him relax and find comfort against my body.
I run my hands against his back, helping to warm him up further. Eventually, his body stops shaking. The sleeping bagis warm inside, like a miniature sauna. Briggs lets out a long breath, his entire body going slack.
“Thank you,” he whispers, just barely loud enough to hear.
“It’s okay. Payback,” I say as a joke.
Briggs shakes his head. Our legs are tangled and I can feel that his toes are still a little cold. I’m sure they'll warm up soon. “No payback is needed, Wade, I’m serious. I know we didn’t choose to do this together but I’m glad for it nonetheless. I couldn’t imagine doing this on my own anymore.”
I swallow around the lump in my throat. I’m sure Briggs can hear the way my heart races. “We’re in this together.”
I can feel Briggs smile against my skin. “Together. I like the sound of that.”
“Me too.” I squeeze him. “Now go to sleep. We have a lot of ground to cover tomorrow.”
Briggs falls asleep against me but I don’t find sleep again this night. I’m too busy listening to Briggs breathe, too busy listening to his heart beat. My mind is a tidal wave of noise. Together. I can’t stop thinking about that one word and everything it means.
For better or for worse, I’ve hitched my wagon to Briggs. I should be scared to rely on another person but instead, all I feel is relief that I don’t have to figure this all out on my own anymore.
Together.
That funny feeling in my chest comes back with a vengeance, plowing into me and stealing my breath. It’s warm and exciting but also terrifying. Holding Briggs only makes it worse. I don’t know what tomorrow will bring, but for the first time in a long time, I look forward to it instead of dreading it and I have Briggs to thank for that.
Chapter Seven
Briggs
It’s been almost aweek since making it into Canada. Already, so many things have changed. Every night when we find a place to make camp, we tuck ourselves together in one sleeping bag instead of two. I don’t think I’ve slept this well since before I lost my brother.
Wade makes me feel safe, he makes me feel warm all over and not just in temperature. Neither of us have talked about this change yet every night, he opens up his sleeping bag and I crawl inside.
We talk more easily. It’s like sleeping next to each other has knocked down some imaginary wall neither of us even realized was there until it was gone. I still haven’t told him the full story of what happened with my brother but I tell him about what my life was like before the outbreak. In turn, Wade tells me about his family and what it was like being raised as a werewolf in secret.
The more I hear Wade talk, the more my heart stirs in a way I wasn’t prepared for. After all this time, I assumed my heartwould never stir again. I assumed that part of myself had died along with everyone else.
Wade makes my heart feel alive again.
Which is complicated as fuck. What the hell am I supposed to do? Tell him I have a crush on him? Hell no. I’m not putting him in that sort of position. All we have is each other and if I make things weird by telling him I’ve developed feelings for him, he might leave. Or worse, he’ll stick around out of obligation.
The best thing I can do is put a tight lid on these feelings. I’m just thankful to have Wade here at all. His companionship and presence is enough.
“We should start looking for a place to camp.”
I turn towards Wade, shaking my head. “Just a little further.”
“You said that an hour ago.”
“I know, but I have a good feeling. Just a little further.”
