Dani didn’t object. “Good night,” she whispered.
“Good night.” It was all Lynn could get out, completely overloaded by sensations.
CHAPTER 14
SUNLIGHT HIT HER FACE THROUGH the windows. Lynn groaned when wakefulness tugged at her. She blinked her eyes open to scan her surroundings and realized Dani wasn’t there. Skeever had taken her place on the bedding. The door was shut.
When Dani had extracted herself from her hold as first light hit the room, Lynn had woken up, and Dani had told her to go back to sleep. In order to avoid any awkwardness, Lynn had.
She sat up, unpleasantly surprised by the amount of pain that flared through her battered limbs. These last few days were taking their toll. The night had been weird too. She hadn’t expected to fall asleep, and she didn’t remember it happening. She’d slept the sleep of the dead. That was something Lynn had never thought would happen when touching another person—but it had.
Lynn shook her hair out and got up. She didn’t want to think about what all of this meant. She had a sneaking suspicion that if she allowed herself to go down that mental road, she’d come to realize that the defining factor in her sleeping so profoundly had been Dani. Thoughts like that would get complicated really fast.
As she pulled the door open, Skeever whimpered but didn’t rouse.
Guess someone else is getting a good night’s sleep too. Lynn couldn’t help smiling. “Dani?” A tiny, nervous flutter coursed through her at the thought of seeing Dani again after last night. Should she bring up holding her? Would it be weird if she did? Would it be weirder if she didn’t?
“Over here!” Dani’s voice came from upstairs.
Lynn steeled herself. She followed the sound up and looked outside through the windows as she climbed the stairs. The rain had ceased. From what she could see of the sky, it would be a clear, dry day. Perfect for traveling—and for digging a grave. She hadn’t forgotten about burying the boy.
Dani sat cross-legged on the floor of the family’s living room. She had laid out twenty or so items around her backpack. Some were part of her old gear; some were new additions from the family’s stores. Judging by the way Dani’s pack stood open and she inspected every item, she was deciding which items were worthy enough to take up valuable space in her inventory.
“Morning.” Lynn kept her voice neutral but allowed a small smile.
Dani smiled too. “Morning. I’m almost ready. I already ate too.” She pointed at a plate by her leg. “By the time you’ve finished breakfast, I’ll be done.”
Lynn inspected her. She seemed more rested too and far more at ease than last night. Something felt off, though, something Lynn couldn’t place. Dani seemed a little too chipper. The boy’s body lay maybe twenty paces behind her, but that didn’t seem to affect her at all. “Sounds like a plan.”
She moved past Dani to load up a plate. “So, um… any nightmares?” She chanced a glance over her shoulder.
Dani added some rope to her pack. “No nightmares.”
When no further explanation or attempt at communication came, Lynn turned around. “Dani?” She waited for eye contact. “Are things awkward between us now?” Her chest tightened as she awaited a reply.
Dani shook her head. “No. I… I really appreciate that you, you know, held me and everything. And I really didn’t have nightmares. I’m just a little overwhelmed, I guess. Yesterday—all of it—was a bit much.” She leaned back on her hands. “But it’s not, you know, me and you.” She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes.
Lynn nodded. “I can understand that. And I’m glad we’re okay. Is there anything I can do?” Like last night? With something as simple as holding her, Lynn had managed to chase Dani’s fears away—for real this time, not like in the car. Dani had no reason to have an ulterior motive now; Lynn was already committed. She could trust that Dani had made the request simply to feel better, and it had worked. Lynn wanted to do that again.
Dani smiled again and dipped her head down. “I’m not sure a hug’s going to solve it this time.”
“We could try.” The words left her mouth before Lynn had fully vetted them. Now they were out there, and Lynn’s heart skipped a beat or two—then another when she realized that maybe she would be okay with a hug. Maybe it would be nice. The thought left her feeling more vulnerable than running into the street naked. “I’m sor—”
“Okay.” Dani lifted her head again and nodded. “Let’s try.”
Lynn closed her mouth. The potentially very embarrassing question of “how?” had threatened to slip out. She put her plate on top of a pile of clothes and walked over. Before she could change her mind, she kneeled and opened her arms. Her cheeks radiated heat, which was horrible but beyond her control.
Dani sat up, wiped her hands on her pants, and scooted forward until their knees met.
Lynn swallowed and held her pose.
Dani had to lean over to wrap her arms around Lynn’s torso, just under her armpits.
Lynn met her halfway. She ended up wrapping her arms awkwardly around Dani’s neck and leaning in to her to stabilize them. Little sparks raised the hairs on her skin wherever they touched. When Dani settled her head on her shoulder and exhaled against her neck, the sparks spread until all of her skin erupted in goose bumps.
She leaned her head against Dani’s as much as she dared. Dani’s soft hair tickled her skin. Lynn was very aware of the fact that she had forgotten how to hug, and it didn’t come naturally to her. The position also didn’t help.
It wasn’t the same as yesterday when Dani had broken down; Dani was aware now and nearly as stiff as Lynn knew herself to be. Her breathing was steady, if a little shallow. Her arms and hands didn’t move.
Lynn was awash in sensations. Not just the touch, but also the scent of Dani was foreign. It wasn’t unpleasant, just new. She let the seconds tick by.
Slowly, Dani relaxed. Two or three fingertips began to travel along Lynn’s spine, traversing just a vertebra up, then going back down.
Lynn swallowed as the minute touch flushed her entire system with heat. She tightened her hold a little and shifted her hand so she could rest it against the back of Dani’s head, just like yesterday.
Dani’s breath hitched.
The puff of air that followed seemed to wrap all the way around Lynn’s neck like a caress. She started to stroke too. It had soothed Dani yesterday, and hopefully, it would soothe her now.
After a few seconds, Dani rested a bit more of her weight against Lynn’s shoulder. Her hand flattened on Lynn’s back.
Lynn closed her eyes. More time passed. She didn’t know how much, and she didn’t care. She was experiencing things she hadn’t experienced in so long. Maybe she had never experienced them at all. She tried to put them into words, to analyze them and file them, to tuck them away to make sense of later, but even as she tried it, she knew she would fail. She couldn’t define how Dani affected her; she just did. It was terrifying… and really nice.
“I was wrong.”
The words were spoken softer than a whisper, but because Dani’s lips were so close to her ear, Lynn caught the words easily. “Wrong about what?”
“This helps. I do feel better.”
The almost imperceptible rasp in Dani’s voice vibrated down Lynn’s entire body and settled hotly in her gut. Her fingers flexed against Dani’s skull. “Me too.”
Dani sagged a little more. “Good.” She exhaled again, and her breath left more goose bumps in its wake. She started to stroke Lynn’s spine again, but only for a few moments. Then she slowly pulled back and sat up. Her gaze was slightly dazed when it met Lynn’s. She smiled.