Total pages in book: 75
Estimated words: 69836 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 349(@200wpm)___ 279(@250wpm)___ 233(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 69836 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 349(@200wpm)___ 279(@250wpm)___ 233(@300wpm)
He shrugs, enjoying another gulp of water, and when he turns, the sun shines through his hair in a way so picturesque I wish I had any kind of artistic talent to capture the image forever.
“I’m trying to fatten you up for your own good.”
A nasty feeling curls in my chest. “Oh? You said you’d like me as a worm, but now I’m too skinny?” I try to make a joke out of it, but I’m suddenly self-conscious.
Cesar laughs and places his cool hand on my shoulder. “I would like you in any form. As a worm, without any of your limbs, you name it, but you are underweight. That’s why you get tired so fast, and why you get ill as easily as you said you do. I want you to be in optimal health.”
I frown at him. “No limbs? Here I was, worried you consider me too bony, but now I’m thinking you want to suck the marrow out of my arm or something.” It is reassuring to hear though. That he likes me as I am. His enthusiasm for me shows every day, but I’m allowed to be a little needy sometimes.
“No limbs, no tongue, no hair. I don’t think there’s anything that would make me stop wanting you,” he says and cups my face with icy cold fingers.
My heartbeat speeds up, but just as I’m about to speak, he clasps his hand over my mouth and makes a shushing sound while pulling me close.
I knew he was strong, but the way he holds me now offers no give whatsoever, as if he has steel instead of bones.
I trust him so much I have no instinct to try getting away. Maybe he spotted a cop car already headed up our driveway? I’ve noticed his hearing and his sense of smell are incredible. As my eyes search for what he’s seeing, I freeze, not even breathing anymore.
A whole pack of wolves, must be at least a dozen, are passing our cabin on the other side. They move close to the trees, but I can see each one so clearly. As panic settles in my bones, Cesar whispers right into my ear. “Don’t be scared. They can’t smell us from here, because of the direction of the wind. They likely wouldn’t attack two grown adults, and even if that happened, I would protect you. Just watch. Aren’t they beautiful?”
I have never seen so many wild animals from up close, and as his words sink in, I relax, letting myself just enjoy the sense of wonder as the pack trails past us. Minutes feel like hours, but when they’re finally gone, Cesar’s hold on me eases, and he kisses the top of my forehead.
In all my adult life, I’ve never felt so safe, and I let myself enjoy the moment. My stupid doubts whether I’m too skinny forgotten, I indulge in the love I find in his arms. I know it’s too soon to say the L-word, so I settle for ‘like’, but it’s love that I feel so very deeply. Maybe we’ve not known each other that long, but it’s been more intense than any of my relationships.
Cesar would stand between me and a pack of wolves. I wholeheartedly believe that.
The table inside is prepared for our evening meal, and while Cesar is still insistent on doing most of the chores, he lets me handle the food tonight and sits in his usual place with a wide smile. He’s about to take the first spoonful in his mouth when he freezes, eyes darting toward the door.
“What is—” I try but he silences me with a gesture. It takes a moment longer, but I too recognize a distant buzz, and my stomach plummets. Someone’s driving toward us.
Cesar grabs my plate and stuffs it inside the nearest cupboard, leaving only his within sight, then dashes toward the trap door leading into the attic. He’s tall enough to grab the foldable ladder attached upstairs and drag it down.
“Get in there, and whatever happens, do not reveal yourself,” he says like the man who first brought me here—curt, tense, and uncertain where he stands.
I can’t believe our idyll could be cut short so fast. I give him a desperate look, but he’s the proficient one, so I won’t be arguing, and rush up the ladder.
I just hope it’s a friendly neighbor here to tell us the road is not covered in snow anymore, not a SWAT unit.
Chapter 13
Eli
Is it cops? The real owner of this place? I have no idea, but Cesar hasn’t disappointed me yet, so I crawl away from the ladder he’s pushed back in after me and reach into the toolbox resting next to the trapdoor. My fingers tighten on a wooden handle, and moments later I pull out a hammer with a flat face on one side and a claw on the other. It’s the same one Cesar used to hang up our Christmas decorations. I don’t think I could efficiently defend myself with it, but its weight still feels reassuring, so I take it with me.