Praying for Daylight by J.C. Isabella Page A

call my sister.” She went from furious, to half terrified and begging in a blink. I didn’t know how to process it. “You can’t tell her where I am.”
    “Kate, does anyone know where you are?” I asked, trying to keep calm, when really, I was so upset from the look on her face. I was the enemy now because I threatened to out her hiding place.
    “No, no one does. They can’t know. Please, I’m begging you. Don’t call her. Don’t tell her. I’m already worried I’ve screwed this up hanging out with you, and Chase, and Briar.”
    I took her hands, “Kate, what happened to you? Please, I just want to help.”
    “If I need help, I’ll ask you. I promise. Right now I just need to stay out of sight, off the radar.”
    “What did those Hollywood people do to you? What’s got you so paranoid?” I tried to plead with my expression, but by the look on her face nothing would make her talk.
    “They didn’t do anything. It’s one person. And I don’t want that person to find me. So just drop it. I will tell you if I need help.” Her lips pursed. “Okay?”
    I backed off, letting her hands go. “Fine,”
    “Where are you going?” she asked, sliding after me as I left the tent feeling a little dejected. I just wanted to help and she wouldn’t let me.
    “To check the fire and get the guns. Go to sleep.”
    She frowned. “Where are you sleeping?”
    “By the fire,” I nodded at my black sack and rolled bag.
    “What if the wolf comes?”
    “He won’t mess with me,” I reached for the zipper to close her tent. She stopped me. “Kate, I’ll be fine.”
    She frowned. “Maybe you could share with me…there is plenty of space.”
    “You really want to share a tent?”
    “O’Brian, considering our history, sharing a tent is tame,” she punched my arm, laughing. “Look, I’m extending an olive branch. I know you’re mad because I’m not telling, so the least I can do is show you that I’m going to be okay.”
    “Okay, if it will make you feel better.”
    She snorted, knowing I’d caught her, “I just don’t want to find your maimed body when I wake up.”
    “Sure,” I grabbed my sleeping bag, trying to hide a grin. “Why can’t you just tell me you don’t want to be alone? Things would be so much easier.”
    “I don’t know…but since you’re so skilled at reading my mind, you can just fill in what I’m really trying to say from now on. How about that?”
    I shook my head and crawled in, zipping the tent closed. Kate turned, laying on her side with her back to me. I rolled out my sleeping bag and dropped on top of it.
    For a while, I stared at the poles keeping the tent together, feeling the silence stretching between us. I wished she would tell me, but one thing I loved about her was her stubborn attitude. So I’d just have to bide my time until I learned more.
    “Thanks for staying with me,” Kate whispered.
    “You’re welcome.” I smiled. “Come here.”
    She glanced over her shoulder at me, “Why?”
    “Because you want to,” I waited and lifted my arm, watching her. She sighed heavily and turned over, scooting so she was curled into my side, and rested her head on my chest. I wrapped my arms around her and closed my eyes. “There, now we can sleep.”
    “You are not telling anyone we cuddled.”
    “It’s no one else’s business.” Out of old habit, I kissed the top of her head.
    “Lips to yourself, O’Brian,” She laughed.
    “Okay, I’m sorry.”
    “Don’t apologize.”
    “Only if you stop trying to act so tough. I’m tough enough for the both of us.”
    “Sure you are,” she was really laughing now. “Now go to sleep.”
    “Not sleepy,” I yawned. “So do you have plans Sunday night?”
    “Why?”
    I shrugged, “Thought maybe we could have dinner.”
    “You know I’m free,” she sighed. “We can talk more in the morning.”
    “Nah, tomorrow you might change your mind. I like this warm, cuddly Kate.”
    “Fine, what do you want to do for