Page 38 of Through The Woods

“I thought I’d find you out here.” The male voice startled me out of my reverie and I swung the flashlight up, connecting with a face. He cursed and I realized who I’d just attacked.

“Charm?” I jumped up and began patting his face awkwardly.

Make friends with him...well, this was certainly not going according to plan. I’d just done the exact opposite by assaulting him.

He reached up and grabbed my hands, pulling them down. “What the fuck, Neve?”

I tried to move my hands back up to his cheek, but he held them pinned down near my waist. “I’m sorry—I wasn’t expecting anyone. You weren’t supposed to be back yet.” I winced at the sharp pain in my side. “If it helps, I think I hurt myself just as much as I hurt you.”

He led me back over the ledge and pushed me into a sitting position. “Let me look.” He released his hold on me and his hands skimmed up my ribs. I bit down on my lip to keep myself quiet.

He pushed the sweatshirt and my t-shirt up, exposing the stab wound. “Can you manage to hold on to the flashlight or you gonna try to take me out again?”

“I can manage.” My hands were shaking, but I held the flashlight in a death grip as he looked me over. His face was scruffier than the last time I saw him and, as I moved the flashlight slightly, I could see his cheek was rapidly swelling.

He reached up and held the end of it steady. “Looks like the wound is still closed. Maybe try and avoid attacking anyone else for a couple of days though.”

He stood up and I pointed the flashlight at his head. “Hold still. Let me see your cheek.”

He shrugged it off. “I’m good.”

I bit back a smart-ass comment.

Be his friend.

I stood up on my tiptoes and cupped his chin in my hand, while inspecting the damage. There was a small jolt that I was absolutely going to blame on static electricity. “You’re going to have a bruise. I’m really sorry.”

I’d made a grave mistake coming out here; even bigger than reading the journal. Touching him made me wish for things that could never be. See, now I that I knew how fiercely he could love someone, I found myself wanting to be on the receiving end of it. I wanted him to look at me and see something other than a junkie.

Charm took a step back and I belatedly realized how we must’ve looked—with my hands on his face, it sent the wrong message. It was too intimate. This was quickly turning into a most uncomfortable situation.

I dropped my hands down to my sides, mumbled another apology, and went to sit back down on the ledge. To my surprise, he joined me.

“Your hands were cold.” He kept his focus anywhere, but on me.

I pulled the sleeves down over my hands and apologized again.

“Stop doin’ that.” He grabbed the sleeves of my sweatshirt and pulled my hands free, before wrapping them up in his own. “Stop apologizing for everything.”

Warmth spread throughout my body, leaving me off kilter. I nodded. “Sor—” He glared at me again and I amended, “So, you’re back early. Did it go well?”

He nodded. “I think it’ll be a good partnership. How’s it going here?” He continued to rub my hands in between his, even though they hadn’t been cold for the past few minutes. If anything, they were growing sweaty from the contact.

“Things are excellent here—did you get your shipment that night?” I’d been struggling for a conversation topic, but even in the dim light, I could see his eyes as they turned thunderous.

“What do you know about that?” If a voice could come out sounding like a growl, then Charm had mastered it.

I swallowed and squeaked out, “Um, I may have overheard your phone conversation when I was cleaning your room that day.”

He stiffened at my confession and released my hands, letting them fall back into my lap. “Anyone else you’ve shared that information with?”

I shook my head quickly. “No, I swear—in fact, I don’t even know why I brought it up. I just wanted to make conversation.”

I was waiting for him to stand up and throw me off the edge of the ledge, but instead he nodded slowly, as if calming himself back down.

Charm eyed me thoughtfully. “I got you something when I was out. Stay here.”

He returned a few minutes later with a small package and thrust it into my hands. “Here. Open it.”

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