Page 86 of Charlie and Her Sweet Escape
We paused, our foreheads pressed together, our breathing ragged. “It’s dark,” Bennett said.
“Yeah.” I didn’t know anyone could feel like this. All those teenage longings I’d convinced myself were mythical, or that I’d grown out of … even those weren’t at the level of what I was feeling now for Bennett.
“We should go to the shelter.”
“Yeah,” I breathed again, my brain still whirling and tilting like I was coming off of a spinning ride.
He chuckled and brushed some hair behind my ear, then placed a finger under my chin as he dropped another breathlessly sweet kiss on my lips.
Our fingers were casually linked as we went back to our shelter. The outside fire had burned out. The stars twinkled above us in the rare clear night. I tilted my head up and stared at the wide expanse of the Milky Way. It was easy to feel so alone out here, with so much space around us. How could one little person mean anything in the face of all this?
Bennett tugged my hand and smiled at me.
This was how. I had found where I belonged.
When we got to the opening of the shelter, he went to grab the camera, but I impulsively put a hand on his arm to stop him. He gave me a questioning glance.
“I think we should leave them out here,” I said.
Heat flared in his gaze, and he nearly dropped the camera in his haste to release it. I laughed, feeling light and happy as I threw my arms around him, and we stumbled into our poor, broken-down shelter. But it was all we needed.
Ididn’t know what woke me up, but it was still dark outside. I blinked my eyes open, able to see a little bit from the light of the full moon and clear night. Bennettwas sound asleep with his arms around me. His breathing was deep and steady, with none of the restlessness that had been plaguing him since he was injured.
Steady.That was the perfect word to describe Bennett. I could think of a few more S-words to describe him. Sexy. Smart. Serious. Scrumptious. He was the perfect companion for a season ofMarried in the Wild.
The perfect companion for life.
Rosie had been right. Our marriage of convenience had slipped into love. When had Bennett first realized he loved me? When had I gone from being his little sister’s best friend to someone he wanted to adore?
I had a million questions I wanted him to answer, and I couldn’t wait to spend the rest of my life holding his hand and kissing him between asking them.
A noise sounded from outside, and I held still to listen. It wasn’t a bear. There wasn’t the chuffing sound. It almost sounded like footsteps. The nights were getting longer, and we were supposed to have a med check soon, but I’d lost track of days since our last one.
It probably was the medical staff. And I needed to use the restroom.
I wanted Bennett to keep sleeping. I’d step outside, see if they were here, and find my Log Loo. Hopefully the wind was making noises, and I could slip right back into the sleeping bag and snuggle next to my husband.
I noiselessly slid out of the sleeping bag and got dressed. I grabbed Bennett’s huge coat and flashlight. I waved to the cameras, which were still set up in the open area outside of our shelter. I didn’t know how these scenes were going to be edited, but I could only imagine what our family was going to say.
I couldn’t imagine any scenario in which they weren’t thrilled. My cheeks still heated at the thought as I headed towardmy bathroom log. It was too dark to see very far, but I didn’t spot any flashlights or movement. I finished my business quickly and was walking back when I heard a noise behind me.
I whirled around, but a hand went over my mouth before I could say a word.
35
BENNETT
Istretched my arms as I awoke, surprised to not find Charlie in the sleeping bag beside me. I had hoped we could have a lazy morning and spend most of it curled together. My coat was missing, which meant she’d probably gone to the bathroom.
I threw on my clothes and stepped outside into the fresh air, pulling it deeply into my lungs. Had there ever been a more beautiful day than today? The early-morning sun was covered by fog, the ground was damp and heavy with dew, and a rotten scent drifted toward camp.
But seriously, the best day ever.
The outside fire hadn’t been started yet, so maybe she’d just woken up. I got the logs together, whistling a song from an old movie my sister made me watch more times than I would have liked. Last night was the best night’s sleep I’d had since we got out here, and it was giving me renewed energy. Today, I’d tackle the shelter and try to get it into better condition. It was never going to be as good as it was, but we just needed to limp it along until we won.
And we might win. Hope surged within me now that we’d made it this far. Charlie would get the money she needed for her mom. And me? I didn’t care one bit about the money. I never had. I cared about Charlie, even before I knew I was going to be obsessed with her. That I was going to find the love of my life.
I retied a loose corner of our tarp. When the bear had shredded it, pieces of rope had fallen to the ground and littered the moss and leaves around our shelter. I picked up a piece of it, twisting it in my fingers.
