Page 131 of Mountain Boss

The air feels as chilled as it did outside, and the floorboards are freezing beneath my sock-covered feet.

Stopping, I go back to the thermostat by the front door and use my phone to illuminate the unit.

It’s off.

What the fuck?

I push the tab fromofftoheat.

Nothing happens.

I seem to recall some rattling last time I turned this unit on. But maybe I’m misremembering.

Sighing, I turn back toward the bedroom. This is probably why she got sick.

Was it not bad enough that she slept on a damn board already? Now she’s self-sacrificing by sleeping in a damn frozen room.

The form in the bed doesn’t appear to stir as I enter the bedroom, but when I get closer, I can see she’s shivering.

“Courtney?” I whisper.

She doesn’t react.

I stand in indecision for a minute, unsure if it’s the right call to wake her—to see how she’s feeling—or let her sleep to get better.

Her body trembles again.

“Dammit,” I huff.

I’m annoyed with myself for not bringing more than a can offucking stew. But I didn’t know what else to do. And I didn’t count on the heat being off.

Stepping up to the edge of the bunk, I place a hand on the mattress and lean over Courtney’s sleeping body.

She’s curled up on her side, facing away from me, blankets up to her damn nose.

“Court—” I trail off as I place my other hand on the mattress beside the first.

Why does this mattress feel so fucking hard?

I lift and lower my palms, checking the firmness.

Christ.

I grit my teeth.

It’s so cold in here the memory foam has gone hard.

Does she think I wouldn’t allow her to turn the fucking heat on?

She’s the damn maintenance person. I know she knows how to work a thermostat.

I grip her shoulder with one of my hands and give her a gentle shake. “Courtney.”

She groans and tries to shrug me off.

“Cookie.” I raise my voice louder.

“What?” she grumbles, not moving otherwise.

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