Page 35 of Stranded

I watch her carefully as she finishes her mouthful of food before she responds. “It’s not a big deal,” she says with a shrug.

“It was to us,” Kingsley tells her. She just shrugs shyly and takes another bite, avoiding eye contact with any of us.

After we finish eating, Zee shows us how to make the fire smolder for the jerky drying process. It’s crazy how much she knows, proving she’s been out here awhile. I’m dying to ask about the grave, and if she knew the person buried there, but this is the longest she’s spent around us and I don’t want to wreck it.

“Tink, I’m going to go fill our waterskins before it gets dark, do you want to come with me?” I ask, hoping for some more time with her before she inevitably runs off for the night.

“Sure, mine’s empty anyway,” she says, shaking her own waterskin.

“You should have told us earlier, Zee,” West says in frustration.

She just shrugs and moves to join me as we exit camp, taking the path towards the waterfall. She tries to take one of the guys' waterskins I’m carrying, but I pull it away from her with a smile and shake my head. “Nope, I can carry them.”

“But I want to help.”

I laugh at her, and without thinking, grab her hand and shake my head. “Tink, you’ve done so much for us already. Let me carry the water. It’s the very least I can do.”

When she doesn’t answer, I glance at her and see her staring down at our entwined hands as we walk along the path.Shit.I’m supposed to be giving her space, the incident with the hug earlier should have me remembering to take things slow. But since she doesn't look like she’s freaking out, I decide to see what she does.

She doesn’t say anything and eventually she gives my hand a tiny squeeze, like she’s trying to figure out if she likes it. Then she turns back to watch the path in front of us, leaving our hands connected.

Somehow, that small victory makes me feel like I’ve just climbed a mountain with her, and I can’t stop from smiling the rest of the way to the waterfall.

As we fill the waterskins, I can’t help but ask her questions, dying to know more about this enticing little creature.

“So, Tink. Tell me something about you.”

“Like what?” she asks, watching the water flow into her waterskin.

“Anything, we barely know anything about you.”

“My favorite color used to be green.”

My eyebrows lift in surprise at the randomness of that fact. “Used to be?” I ask for clarification.

“Before I came here. Now, surrounded by green twenty-four seven… I’d give almost anything for another color. Maybe pink? I haven’t seen anything pink in such a long time,” she says wistfully.

“How long, Tink?” I ask quietly, desperate to know the answer to that burning question.

Her lips press together tightly and she shakes her head.

I’m feeling desperate for answers, so I ask, “Why won’t you tell us anything, Zee? Why keep it a secret?”

She stands up quickly and takes a step back from me. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

“But why?”

“I have to go, it’s getting late,” she says as she turns and runs towards the trees.

“Zee, no wait! I’m sorry! You don’t have to answer anything!” When she disappears between the trees, I yell again. “Zee? I’m sorry!” I wait a few more minutes and when she doesn’t return, I gather our three filled waterskins and walk back to camp full of frustration and guilt.

Chapter seventeen

Darla

Iclimb into my hammock and lay back with a sigh, my mind running a hundred miles a minute. I wasn’t even sure what I felt right now. I’m frustrated at Bower for pushing me for answers, but I’m also frustrated at myself for running.

I didn’t really have an excuse for not telling them anything, other than I know that once I start answering, they’ll get to the questions that I really don’t want to answer. I don’t even want to think about them.

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