Chapter Four

Bailey

 

My eyes opened to darkness. Only a small flame in the fireplace, and one lit candle across the room offered a glimpse to my surroundings. The large room was familiar, and the man with long shaggy blonde hair and goatee on the couch was a warm relief to see, even though it was only his silhouette.

I knew it was obvious he’d rescued me, saved me from a cold, horrible death on that trail below his cabin. My knight in shining plaid. I giggled to myself as I struggled to sit up in the bed. Everything hurt worse than I’d remembered when falling asleep. My bladder was full, pushing against other organs and creating a cramp that made me fear to move.

The small door to the bathroom was across the room, only a few steps, but might as well be a thousand miles. My hip burnt as I tried to slide my leg from the bed, causing me to let out a moan. I looked towards the silhouette on the couch. It appeared to stir, but remained lying down.

It had to be extremely early since the sun hadn’t yet come out. Looking out the window, I noticed the glow of white from the snow that had fallen on the ground. I hoped it was over, that the storm had finally passed, and that I’d be able to make it down this mountain. I still wasn’t sure where I was going once I left or who would be waiting for me. Everything seemed foggy.

I bit down, and tried moving once again. The stiffness from the swelling in my hip and ankle prevented me from lifting up on my own. Xander, my savior, was still silent on the couch across the room. I knew I needed help, but I hated to intrude. I’d already taken over his bed and his life. Shit, the pain was so bad. I had to make it to the restroom to empty my bladder soon, or it would do it for me, right here on these blue sheets. “Umm…Xander,” I muttered, not loud enough to wake him in case he was still sleeping. I watched hopefully as he began to stir and then lift from the couch.

“You okay?” he asked as he moved towards me.

I wasn’t. I wasn’t about to piss all over his bed. “I just need some help making it to the bathroom,” I explained.

He leaned over, lighting a candle so I could see the path we would take to the bathroom. His blue eyes shimmered in the light, and his smile was warm and soothing. “Of course,” he said softly.

He slid his arm behind my back, scooting me up on the bed. As I twisted to put my feet on the ground, I let out a moan of pain. I was embarrassed that I couldn’t take care of myself, but grateful he’d come to my aide. “Don’t rush,” he insisted. I chuckled. I had to rush. I’d stayed in the bed far too long struggling with whether or not to ask for his help. I needed to go. Now.

I wrapped my arms around his neck, helping to pull myself to my feet. My ankle ached so bad from the pressure of my weight, I nearly buckled. His strong arms caught me, holding me in place as he instructed me to put my weight on him instead of my bad ankle. “Do you want me to carry you?” he asked.

“No,” I said quickly. It was enough to ask him for help, but I wanted to walk. I needed to walk. At some point, hopefully soon, I was going to have to walk off this mountain.

It took everything I had in me to make it to the bathroom, even with his help. I shut the door while he insisted on waiting just outside until I was finished.

A small candle sat on the back of the toilet giving me enough light to see my surroundings. Inside the small room, there wasn’t much decoration or color. The walls were made of wood paneling, just like the rest of the cabin, and the only thing in the room besides the fixtures was a black razor on the sink. I chuckled at the sight of the unused object. The man outside the door was more than just a few days without a shave. I wondered if he ever shaved.

Finally, my bladder released, offering some relief, but not enough for comfort. I washed my hands, opened the door, and found Xander standing at attention, waiting to help me back to the bed. “I’m sorry I woke you,” I apologized.

“I wasn’t really asleep. I never am,” he smiled.

I hobbled alongside him, giving him most of my weight as we made it back to the bed. He helped me up, lifted the blankets around me, and asked if I needed anything. “Why are you out here all alone?” I asked.

“I like it like that,” he admitted with a grin.

The fact he’d made himself a home what seemed to be so far from town confused me and made me a little uneasy. What was he hiding from, or who?

“Have you lived here long?” I questioned, hoping to get some insight into his life, and lifestyle.

“No, just a couple months, maybe less,” he offered up.

“Where did you live before?” I pushed, still hoping to find some answers.

“Molokai,” he grinned. It was obvious he wasn’t excited about my questioning, but I couldn’t help my curiosity.

I started to ask him why he moved here, but I couldn’t remember where here was. Panic started to set in, and my chest began to ache. “Calm down,” he soothed me, stroking my hair from my face as my breathing grew rapid and uncontrolled. Tears pushed out of my eyes with a forceful rush, warming my cheeks and creating a look of panic on Xander’s face.

“I’m sorry,” I sobbed, wiping my eyes.

Xander didn’t respond, he just turned from me and walked away. I tried to slow my breathing as I watched him enter the bathroom, and then exit with a handful of tissue. “Here,” he smiled, handing me the wad of toilet paper.

I blew my nose, cleared my throat, and stared into the man’s dreamy blue eyes. He truly was handsome, even if he was a fugitive, a recluse, or worse, a mountainside slayer.

“Thank you,” I smiled. “I just feel so alone. I don’t know if there is anyone looking for me, or if there is, who that’d be,” I admitted.

“As soon as the storm lets up, we’ll get you out of here. Until then, I’ll take care of you,” he smiled. “You’re safe, that’s all that matters for now. When the storm is over, and you’re better, we’ll get you back into town,” he sighed. Something shifted in his voice when he mentioned town. I assumed living out here all alone the way he did, that town wasn’t his favorite place to be, but why?

“How long do you think that’ll be?” I questioned.

“There’s already fifteen inches on the ground, and the radio said another ten is expected by nightfall,” he responded.

I felt sick to my stomach. I was never getting off this mountain.

I tried not to display the panic I felt on my face, but from the look of Xander’s, it was obvious I’d failed.

“Let me look at that wound,” he leaned in, carefully removing the bandage from my head. “Looks great,” he assured me, getting up to retreat into the bathroom.

I heard him fumbling through the medicine chest, and then he returned with a yellow box with a red cross on it. I let him clean the wound, and then reapply the bandage, only flinching once. My head didn’t hurt that bad, only when he touched it with the alcohol sopped cotton ball. Why was my memory so foggy if my hip and ankle were banged up worse than my head?

“Can I check the ankle?” he asked.

I nodded, anxious to see the damage myself. He lifted the blanket from my leg, and carefully touched the swollen joint. “It’s pretty swollen,” he proclaimed. Well, I didn’t need a doctor for that. “I’ll get some ice. You need to stay off of it today,” he instructed.

I fell back onto the pillow behind me, letting out a long sigh. It wasn’t like I had anywhere to go, or any way of getting there, but I couldn’t stand being stuck in this bed another day.

Xander returned to my bedside with an ice pack. I shuddered as he applied the cold bag to my ankle, causing him to laugh. His eyes lifted to mine, filled with kindness, and something so sweet I could almost taste it. “So, why did you move from Hawaii? It doesn’t seem like this place, whatever it is, has very good weather?” I chuckled.

“Bethel, Maine,” he gave me our location. The name didn’t strike me as completely odd, but it wasn’t exactly familiar either. “Too many tourists,” he added.

“You didn’t have family there?” I pushed.

He shook his head, but the look on his face told me he did. He obviously left someone behind, another thing I would wonder about while he took care of me in this isolated cabin.

“Family here?” I continued my probing.

He shook his head, this time smiling with a crooked grin. “You ask a lot of questions.”

“Does that bother you?” I asked, suddenly worried I may anger him. I didn’t know this man. I didn’t know what he was capable of, what he’d snuck up in these woods to hide from. I knew enough that I should tread lightly.

“No, it’s just not fair. Not like I can ask you anything,” he chuckled.

The teasing made me laugh and lifted the tension from my soul, making me feel more at ease around him.

“I’ll make us breakfast. You just relax for a while and let the ice work its magic,” he ordered, slipping from the side of my bed to the other side of the cabin.