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“Sorry,” I say, chastised. “I was just getting water. But look! Does this mean we can go back to the house?”
He puts me back down and surveys the landscape, his expression calculating. “Yes. I’ll go back first, and then the others will come help you. Drag you over the snow on a sled.”
I scowl. “Oh, Hell, no. I can walk just fine.”
He sighs, shoulders slumping. “Fine. Get your clothes on.”
I blink. “That’s it? You’re not even gonna growl at me?”
“There’s no point. You’d just follow me, anyway.”
I pat his cheek. “Aw. Teddy. You’re really getting to know me.”
I’m dying to get back to the cabin—some part of me is terrified that the snow will start again, and we’ll be trapped even longer—but Coles insists that we eat something hot before we leave. After wolfing down a can of chilli and some freeze-dried coffee, we pack up the tent and all the equipment, preparing for the trek back to the house. Cole fusses over me like a mother hen, making sure I have enough layers, that my coat is zipped properly, that my scarf is tucked tightly around my neck. Eventually, I stop protesting and just let him have at it. I scared him. If this is what he needs to feel calm, I should let him.
It’s almost forty minutes until we step out of the shack. The sun is fully risen, now, and I have to squint over the glare that shines off the snow. We’re not too far from the house; only a hundred metres or so.
“Stay close to me,” Cole orders, gripping the strap of his pack.
I nod. He gives me one last check-over, then we plunge into the snow. It feels almost like swimming; so much has fallen over the night that it’s piled up to our waists.
Well. My waist. It’s only up to Cole’s thighs. He sees me struggling, and his mouth quirks.
“Why are you so small?”
“I shrank in the wash.”
“Come on.” He makes to pick me up, and I stumble back. “No! Your shoulder!”
“It’s fine. I don’t want you getting too cold.”
“I can make it,” I insist. He reaches for me again, and I glare at him. “Pick me up, and I’ll kick you in the dick so hard your balls fall out of your mouth.”
Sighing, he turns around and keeps ploughing on ahead. I follow him determinedly, sticking to the path that his big body clears through the thick snow. I can feel the energy leaching out of me with every step. The cabin gets closer and closer, and nerves start to twist in my stomach. I remember Riv’s face as he shouted at me. I shouldn’t let myself get excited. I’m not expecting a warm welcome.
Still, I can’t help the wave of relief that washes over me as I stumble the last few steps to the front door, leaning heavily on the wall. I’m shaking all over, sweating under my coats. I guess Cole was right about me still being weak.
“Do you have a key?” I gasp as he pulls up next to me.
“They will have left it unlocked for you.” He hikes his pack higher onto his shoulder, but doesn’t reach for the handle. I look up at him. “Open it,” he orders.
My heart beating in my mouth, I close my fingers around the door handle and push inside the cabin.
The two men are in the lounge, sitting silently at the dining table with mugs of something in front of them. They both look up as we step inside. Eli’s mouth falls open. Riven flinches like he’s been hit.
For a second, we’re all silent.
“I found her,” Cole says gruffly.
I give them a weak smile. I’m not sure what to say.Surprise? Sorry I almost died? My dramatic exit got interrupted, can I stay here a couple of days until I can try again?
“You look like a birdhouse,” I tell Eli. He shuts his mouth, standing suddenly, and crosses the room in a couple of long strides. I yelp as grabs me around the waist, pulling me off the ground and into his arms.
“Don’tdo that,” he orders, burrowing his face into my hair. “Fy fan, vad jag älskar dig.Don’teverdo that again.” He presses his lips to my forehead. He’s breathing fast and jerkily, like he can’t get the air in. His eyes are red. He’s been crying.
I close my eyes, breathing in the soft pine scent of him. “Did you see the video?” I whisper.
He pushes hair behind my ear. “The first few seconds. We stopped it as soon as we realised what it was.”
