Page 23 of Unleashed

Slade grimaced. "No. They’re brand new."

"First mistake," I muttered, finishing the last pole and securing the tent in place. I turned to look at his blister, swollen and filled with fluid. With a sigh, I rifled through my bag and pulled out some salve and a bandage.

Slade sat there, sheepish, as I knelt in front of him. “I guess I bit off more than I could chew,” he admitted, watching as I carefully applied the salve.

“Maybe you should go home,” I said, trying to keep my tone neutral.

His eyes flicked up to meet mine, a question hanging between us. “Do you want me to go?”

“I wanted this trip to be relaxing,” I replied, avoiding his gaze as I pressed the bandage onto his heel.

“And I’m ruining it for you?” His voice was softer now, a trace of vulnerability seeping in.

“I didn’t say that,” I said, standing and brushing off my knees. “But I worry you won’t be able to keep up.”

Slade straightened, a hint of defiance creeping into his tired face. “I won’t let this get in the way of our trip. I promise.”

I glanced at his blistered foot and then back at him, shaking my head. “I don’t want you to get injured. That could get infected.”

He raised an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. “Is that care I hear in your voice?”

“Of course, idiot,” I muttered, rolling my eyes. “I care for you.”

“But you don’t love me,” he said, the statement hanging in the air between us like a challenge.

I paused, biting back the response that surged up. “I wish it was that easy,” I finally said, the words tasting bitter. “Let’s get some food in you.”

We fell into a silence as I busied myself with dinner. The ready-to-eat meals were easy enough—beef stew for me, chicken and rice for Slade. After heating the water over the small fire, I poured it into the meal packages and handed one to him. We sat across from each other in the fading light, eating quietly. Despite everything, it wasn’t bad for a dehydrated meal.

As we finished up, I broke the silence. “I guess you’re sharing the tent with me.”

Slade looked at me with a teasing glint in his eye. “Unless you want to help me put mine up?”

I shook my head, exhaustion creeping into my limbs. “I’m tired, and it’s not necessary. Let’s turn in. I want an early start tomorrow.”

He nodded and hobbled into the tent, leaving me to put out the fire. By the time I crawled in after him, he was already unrolling his blue sleeping bag. I unzipped mine, a flash of red against the dim light, trying to ignore the way my heart jumped when he pulled off his shirt. His chest, muscular and tanned, was hard to miss. I quickly averted my gaze, focusing on my own bag. But as I tugged off my gray t-shirt, revealing my black sports bra, I felt his eyes on me.

“Your stomach is pretty muscular,” he said, breaking the tension. “Do you still work out?”

“Not as much,” I admitted, settling into my bag. “I let my job take over.”

Slade frowned, leaning back on his elbows. “I’m sorry.”

I shrugged. “It was my choice, Slade. You had nothing to do with it. I thought it would help me advance.”

“For what it’s worth,”he murmured, “my father’s not happy that you left.”

I scoffed, rolling my eyes. “He should’ve thought about that before putting Thomas in the position. What’s he going to do without me carrying him?”

“There’s already talk of replacing Thomas,” Slade said quietly, glancing at me.

“He’ll be an easy act to follow.”

Slade turned toward me, his voice soft. “I wish you would change your mind.”

I shook my head, reaching over to turn off the small lantern. “Go to sleep, Slade.”

The darkness wrapped around us, and I closed my eyes, hoping for sleep to take me quickly. But just as I started to drift off, I felt his hand, tentative and warm, brush against my arm.

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