Page 50 of Ronan

That I’ll be another person who leaves him.

Unable to help myself, I push his hair from his face, careful to avoid his glasses. A sweet whine escapes his throat as he nuzzles against my touch, and a potent rush of affection builds in my chest.

He needs to sleep, and I have been still for far too long.

Once my bladder is empty and my teeth cleaned, I pull on a pair of leather pants and a thin shirt, raking my fingers through my hair.

A smile tugs at my lips at the memory of Cameron calling me a drama queen. With that in mind, I tie it into a knot on top of my head before I get to work in the kitchen. Boomerang follows me like a shadow until I toss food in her bowl and eating becomes her only concern.

The oven is useless without the solar panels, so I build a small fire outside and cook a pot of rice. While it boils, I busy myself searching the kitchen and find a few jars of honey and maple syrup tucked into a high cabinet. Cameron walks in as I’m chopping dried fruit, adorably rumpled with his messy hair and a crease from the pillow running across his cheek.

“Morning,” he mumbles, rubbing his eyes. I took a few minutes to scrub the furniture, so the chair he sinks into is clean, as is the table.

“Good morning.” He glances up at me as I place his bowl in front of him, and I grab his chin, letting my eyes roam his face before I press a kiss on his lips. What’s intended to be a quick peck turns deeper, my fingers digging into his skin as I pour this pent-up desire into it. When we finally separate, his lips are swollen and his breathing is fast.

“Oh,” he whispers as I pull back, still holding his chin, and his eyes are wide. “Wow.”

“Made you speechless, huh? That’s a hell of a trick.” He scowls as I laugh, dropping another kiss on his head as I scoot his bowl closer, and he finally notices it.

“Shit, that looks amazing.” He shovels a giant bite into his mouth with a moan before narrowing his glare. “Wait,” he says through a mouthful, pausing to swallow as he points his spoon at me. “Did you just cook the rice to stick to my ribs?”

“I haven’t the foggiest idea what you mean.” I put my most innocent smile on my face, but he only rolls his eyes, and we slide into a comfortable silence as we eat breakfast. The quiet ease I feel sitting across from him is unexpected. We aren’t speaking, but there’s no pressure to fill the gaps with meaningless small talk.

After he eats, he’s brighter and more alert, and I push my own empty bowl away with a content sigh. “I want to spend a few days searching this camp.”

“You don’t think the raiders have hit this place by now?”

I shrug, gesturing towards the kitchen pantry. “There was honey in the cabinets and soap in the shower. Either there was so much here that they couldn’t haul it all, or it’s somehow been missed.”

“Scavengers only take what they can carry, which is normally limited to what fits in a couple of bags. It’s possible this was an extremely well-stocked camp that just hasn’t run out of supplies yet.” He waves a hand, gesturing towards the solar panels outside. “I’d like to tinker with the solar, too.”

The self-assured way he says it causes my eyebrow to shoot up. “You have experience with those?”

“We had them in the community I was raised in. Not the same ones, and it’s been a while, but it can’t hurt to try. The idea of a warm shower is too tempting to not give it a shot.” A giant nostalgic smile spreads over his face, and I’m hit with sudden guilt for the luxuries I’ve had over the years. Never once did I stop to consider others might not have the same.

“Alright, on the condition that I am nearby while you work.” He rolls his eyes, clearly unimpressed.

“Last night, you were so dead asleep on that bed that I could’ve killed you and you wouldn’t have even twitched.”

“At least it would’ve been a peaceful way to go.” I gesture at the bandage around my forearm. “Honestly, I feel like I deserve a pass, given my injuries. As the one who sewed me up, you’d think you would remember.”

“Eh, it was kind of forgettable.”

“Funny, you had a very different opinion at the time. What was it you said… that I was bleeding to death?”

“Hmm... doesn’t ring a bell.”

“You seemed pretty concerned.”

He fails to hide his grin as he shakes his head. “Sorry, my memory tends to be a bit selective.”

“Why doesn’t that surprise me?” I grumble, and his smile only spreads.

Hours later, we’re covered in a fine layer of desert dust, the silence only broken by the clink of metal as Cameron works on the solar panels. Piles of scavenged objects sit in front of me as I sort the day’s discoveries.

There’s more here than we could ever transport—the food alone could fill the entire van. Dried foods and soaps, medical supplies, clothing, ropes and survival gear,and even a few weapons make up my hoard. No guns, which is disappointing. Plenty of swords and knives, though, and they’ve always served me well.

The best find of the day is the cache of gasoline in the shadowy corner of the garage. The trip to get us here took three-quarters of our tank, and that stress has been a constant nag at the back of my mind. Old gas is a risk, but with a few containers of fuel stabilizer nearby, I’m optimistic.

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