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“Is there anything to eat?” she asks and I immediately feel like an idiot for not offering something first. I’m not used to taking care of someone else, but it’s a challenge I strangely look forward to rising to.
“Of course. It won’t be hot food unless I go outside, but I’m sure we can fill your belly,” I reply, walking over to a few boxes of supplies. I pull out a loaf of bread, some figs and a couple of apples and turn to go back to the bed. I’m stopped in my tracks when I catch sight of her lying along my pallet, her sultry limbs spread out and the trusting, happy expression on her face. My chest feels full and tight and for a moment, it’s like I can’t breathe I’m so overwhelmed by her.
“What?” she asks with concern, “is something wrong?”
“No,” I reply, crossing the last of the distance, “absolutely nothing.”
We eat in companionable silence until it’s all gone, and I make a mental note to feed her better tomorrow. Though I have no complaints about her body by any stretch, she’s still too thin for my liking.
“Tomorrow is supply day,” I tell her. “So we’ll have some more choices then. Other than that, I don’t have much to do for the next two days.”
“So, I get you all to myself?” she asks with a beautiful smile and I chuckle, leaning down to kiss her. Her mouth is so soft and inviting, I wish I could kiss her forever.
“Mmmm,” she says after a minute, breaking away, “I need to pee.” I point around the corner to where my small bathroom sits. Luckily, we have running water here and I do have one of the few toilets that still flush properly. Leaning back on the bed, I listen as she makes her way around the room, humming softly.
“So, now what?” she asks when she gets back.
“I can think of a few things.” I lean forward and nip at her neck and she swats me away laughing.
“I thought you said you needed a break!” she giggles.
“Got one,” I murmur as I continue my ministrations until she pushes me away again.
“Well, I still need a bit of a break,” she informs me with a raised brow. I roll my eyes exaggeratedly and open my arms to pull her close. If I can’t be inside her, I’ll at least hold her.
Gods, what has this woman done to me?
“Tell me something about you,” she says, snuggling into my chest. I am stricken by the ease in which our bodies meld together.
“The Tomb gossip didn’t tell you enough?” I ask, keeping my tone light. I was thinking about it today actually and wondering if she would be scared off completely by my reputation.
I’m not a good man, and don’t pretend to be. Growing up here killed any bit of goodness in me, or so I thought before Ana.
“I’d rather know you for myself and make my own call, thank you very much,” she replies tartly. I chuckle and kiss her forehead.
“Well, you know I’ve been here since I was a kid and I took over. What do you want to know?”
She considers this for a moment. “Tell me about Ethan.” A small stab of jealousy shoots through me. “I mean, he’s your best friend, right? How did that happen?”
I feel the pang in me deflate when I realize why she’s asking. I sit back and think about it for a moment. I’ve never really thought of Ethan as my best friend before but seeing as how he’s the only person I can really tolerate or really talk to, I suppose that’s a good way to describe it as any.
“Well,” I begin, “we both got here at similar times and were alone and the youngest here, so naturally we banded together.” A hint of a smile pulls at my lip when I think of the crap Ethan and I used to pull. “We used to cause so much fucking trouble around here. I’m surprised either of us made it to adulthood.”
“Oh yeah? Like what?” she asks.
“Hmmm, well there was the time we wanted to make a fire, you know, for fun, and we didn’t realize fabric smokes more than it burns.” I chuckle lightly.
“Obviously, you’ve noticed the lack of windows here. The entire place was smoky for days after, and in the middle of summer too. People couldn’t stand to be in their rooms, and it was too hot in the yard. Earned myself a beating for that one. Or there was the time we threw literal shit at the old leader, Brenan, then ran and hid for a week before he found us. Another beating. Never stopped us though. Wasn’t much of a childhood, but at least we had each other.”
“So, you two were little shit starters basically?” she comments. “Doesn’t surprise me somehow.”
“What about you?” I ask. “What was your childhood like?”
I feel her tense in my arms and peer down to get a look at her face. I wish I was better with emotions because I have no clue what’s going on in that pretty little head of hers.
“Ana?” I ask lightly after a moment and she sighs.
“I had a good childhood,” she says softly, “until I didn’t.”
