Hot bile burned my throat as I dry heaved over
the porcelain. I’d had nothing in my stomach since the coffee and eggs at the
cabin. It seemed a lifetime ago. The fever was back with a vengeance, and it kept
climbing as my body aches heightened.
“Ellia,”
Cade said, lifting me off the floor. “We need to get you to the doctor.”
“There’s
nothing they can do.” I wanted to fall into the arms of sleep—or death. “It’s the
flu. I have to ride it out, but, right now I’d rather just die.”
He
helped me to my feet and back to the bed. I opened my eyes when the medicine
cup touched my lips, followed by water. The icy cloth was back on my forehead
as my thoughts spun around in a jumbled haze. As I was dozing off, his phone
beeped. I tried hard to listen to what he was saying, but slumber stole me away
from reality.
When
I woke next, the only light was near the door. It was nighttime, but that didn’t
seem possible. Did I sleep the whole day away? When I sat up, there was
another man in the room, and I didn’t see Cade. I was confused as I muffled the
scream in my blankets--the man was asleep in his chair. My darting eyes
scanned the area like a frightened animal as I slid to the edge of the bed and contemplated
my escape route. Cade came out of the bathroom and saw my expression of terror.
“It’s
okay,” he said, sitting on the bed next to me. “He’s with me. That’s Special Agent
Roberts. We are transporting you to a safe house at daybreak, and you will be
in Agent Roberts custody until further notice. How do you feel?” He touched his
hand on my forehead to check for fever. “Seems normal at the moment. You’ve
been asleep a long time.”
“I’m
a little better, but I’m still tired.” As if I were a helpless child, he put me
back under the covers, tucking them around me.
“Go
back to sleep. You will be safe, I promise.” He got off the bed and sat in the
chair near Roberts. My head was full of questions again. I stared at him, not
able to comprehend all that had happened, and he looked at me too. For a single
fleeting moment, that special connection we’d always had, flared between us. He
tore his gaze away first, though, reminding me what we had remained nothing
more than a memory. Neither of us would ever be the same. I turned away to
hide my tears from him.
***
Sam
was in the audience the night of the talent show, and he witnessed the big kiss
at the end of Cade’s performance. He went straight to our mother and blabbed about
my new boyfriend, news she would not appreciate. My mom had never remarried,
and she worked a lot of hours as a real estate agent to support us. She loved
her work, though, so she wasn’t bitter about her job. Her boyfriend, Randy, also
took up a considerable amount of her time. She was rarely ever home, but when
she was, she liked to prove she was still in charge.
My
mom and I weren’t enemies, but we were far from friends. I didn’t bother to
tell her I’d broken up with Will or acquired a new boyfriend. I got home late
that night, almost two hours after my curfew, not considering that my mother
might be home to check. After the talent show, Cade and I took my truck to the
lake to spend time together. We’d talked for a long time and then made out for
a while. When things got a little too heated, we both stopped and went back to
talking. I nearly fell over when he admitted he was a virgin too.
“How
can that even be possible?” I asked, not sure if he was teasing me.
“What
do you mean by that?”
“Seriously,
Cade, don’t tease me. There is not a chance a guy who is as totally hot as you
would not have gone all the way yet.”
He
laughed at me. “I could say the same about you.”
“Whatever,”
I said. “I am not hot, and nobody but Will ever asked me out.”
“That’s
only because you were with Will. Other guys talk about you all the time. They definitely
find you hot, although a little intimidating.
the porcelain. I’d had nothing in my stomach since the coffee and eggs at the
cabin. It seemed a lifetime ago. The fever was back with a vengeance, and it kept
climbing as my body aches heightened.
“Ellia,”
Cade said, lifting me off the floor. “We need to get you to the doctor.”
“There’s
nothing they can do.” I wanted to fall into the arms of sleep—or death. “It’s the
flu. I have to ride it out, but, right now I’d rather just die.”
He
helped me to my feet and back to the bed. I opened my eyes when the medicine
cup touched my lips, followed by water. The icy cloth was back on my forehead
as my thoughts spun around in a jumbled haze. As I was dozing off, his phone
beeped. I tried hard to listen to what he was saying, but slumber stole me away
from reality.
When
I woke next, the only light was near the door. It was nighttime, but that didn’t
seem possible. Did I sleep the whole day away? When I sat up, there was
another man in the room, and I didn’t see Cade. I was confused as I muffled the
scream in my blankets--the man was asleep in his chair. My darting eyes
scanned the area like a frightened animal as I slid to the edge of the bed and contemplated
my escape route. Cade came out of the bathroom and saw my expression of terror.
“It’s
okay,” he said, sitting on the bed next to me. “He’s with me. That’s Special Agent
Roberts. We are transporting you to a safe house at daybreak, and you will be
in Agent Roberts custody until further notice. How do you feel?” He touched his
hand on my forehead to check for fever. “Seems normal at the moment. You’ve
been asleep a long time.”
“I’m
a little better, but I’m still tired.” As if I were a helpless child, he put me
back under the covers, tucking them around me.
“Go
back to sleep. You will be safe, I promise.” He got off the bed and sat in the
chair near Roberts. My head was full of questions again. I stared at him, not
able to comprehend all that had happened, and he looked at me too. For a single
fleeting moment, that special connection we’d always had, flared between us. He
tore his gaze away first, though, reminding me what we had remained nothing
more than a memory. Neither of us would ever be the same. I turned away to
hide my tears from him.
***
Sam
was in the audience the night of the talent show, and he witnessed the big kiss
at the end of Cade’s performance. He went straight to our mother and blabbed about
my new boyfriend, news she would not appreciate. My mom had never remarried,
and she worked a lot of hours as a real estate agent to support us. She loved
her work, though, so she wasn’t bitter about her job. Her boyfriend, Randy, also
took up a considerable amount of her time. She was rarely ever home, but when
she was, she liked to prove she was still in charge.
My
mom and I weren’t enemies, but we were far from friends. I didn’t bother to
tell her I’d broken up with Will or acquired a new boyfriend. I got home late
that night, almost two hours after my curfew, not considering that my mother
might be home to check. After the talent show, Cade and I took my truck to the
lake to spend time together. We’d talked for a long time and then made out for
a while. When things got a little too heated, we both stopped and went back to
talking. I nearly fell over when he admitted he was a virgin too.
“How
can that even be possible?” I asked, not sure if he was teasing me.
“What
do you mean by that?”
“Seriously,
Cade, don’t tease me. There is not a chance a guy who is as totally hot as you
would not have gone all the way yet.”
He
laughed at me. “I could say the same about you.”
“Whatever,”
I said. “I am not hot, and nobody but Will ever asked me out.”
“That’s
only because you were with Will. Other guys talk about you all the time. They definitely
find you hot, although a little intimidating.
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