Page 35 of The Edge of Never

Well, that’s just fucking great.

“If you weren’t going to give me a lecture, then what was the point in saying that?”

“I dinnae lecture ye.”

I scoffed. As if that was true. He had told me I was doing everything wrong several times over the course, looked at me as if I was stupid, and treated me like a child who couldn’t take care of themselves.

“Really now? You’re not going to tell me I dug that hole wrong?”

“No.”

“That’s a first.”

He huffed. I took a peek at his face to find him scowling. Those dark green eyes were full of annoyance. Well, I was pissed at him too. I was trying my best, and I got no thanks for it.

“Ye’re going tae fast.”

“Well, I’m sorry that I want to get you back to the tent quickly to keep you from getting cold again. Woe is me that I’m concerned about your health after you almost died on me.”

“I didnae asked ye tae save me.”

I almost stopped dead in my tracks. How fucking dare he say that to me. What the hell was wrong with him? I didn’t have to go out of my way to help him, but I had. I cared enough about his stupid arse to keep him alive.

“Would you rather I left you in that stream to freeze to death? Did you know I almost fell in trying to drag you out? You’re a lot fucking bigger than me, so it wasn’t easy. We would both be dead if I’d gone in with you, so the least you could be is grateful rather than being a fucking prick.”

Everything inside me was screaming at me to stomp away and leave him there to find his own way back to the tent. Instead, I silently seethed by his side. I wasn’t that petty or cruel. I didn’t have it in me to leave Thane to fend for himself. Maybe that made me soft-hearted, but I didn’t like to see other people in pain or struggling. Sienna always told me I was too nice for my own good.

Why are you thinking about her again? Fuck Sienna.

I didn’t owe her my thoughts, time, or attention. After the way she treated me, she didn’t deserve any of it. And I didn’t want her in my life any longer.

“Kit.”

The way he said my name had me flinching. I liked it too much, and I really didn’t want to like anything about Thane at that moment. Not when I was angry at him for making me care.

“Don’t,” I snapped. “Don’t say my name.”

The moment the words left my mouth, I wished them back. I wished I could rewind time, but life didn’t work that way.

“Am no allowed tae say yer name?”

The way he sounded so hurt by my statement left me with an odd feeling in my chest.

“No, no, you’re not. How am I meant to stay mad at you if you’re saying my name with your damn accent? I want to be angry at you, so just shut up and let me be.”

Why do you have word vomit around this man? It’s like you can’t fucking help yourself.

The only saving grace was I hadn’t blurted out that I was wildly attracted to him. There would be no coming back from that. It would likely be the most embarrassing moment of my life since he would have to reject me, and it would be a whole stupid thing.

Thane didn’t say anything the rest of the way back to the tent. I wasn’t unhappy about that. Maybe he realised he pushed me too far. Was it so bad I wanted to feel like I had actually done something right when I saved his life? That I wanted to feel appreciated for it? Maybe I was an idiot for wishing he would say something nice to me for once.

As soon as we got back, I made sure he got into the tent okay, and then I gathered up the water bottles to go fill them at the stream to get away from him. As I walked, I tried to breathe and re-centre myself.

It was hard when I was angry and feeling a little hurt by his words. The fact he didn’t ask me to save him.

What did he think I was going to do? I couldn’t leave him in the water. He was my only way out of here. I had no idea what direction to walk in or how to get back to civilisation. Though whether Thane knew now we’d lost the map, I had no idea. He still had more knowledge of the area than I did. Besides, the biggest reason I had to save him was that I didn’t want him to die. I wanted him alive and, well, because I liked him despite myself.

Once I filled up the water bottles at the stream, I was still upset. The snow was coming down harder, but I would have rather stayed out here than be near him. Remembering I needed to clear some of the snow from around the sides of the tent, I walked back. I didn’t go inside.

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