Page 18

Elena

W armth seeped into my bones for the first time in nearly two weeks, and I let myself sink into the feeling.

The fire flickered steadily in its makeshift pit, casting an orange glow through the cabin. The glow reflected off some of the now-exposed metal walls, almost making them seem less cold. The air inside the plane wasn’t tropical by any means, but it was no longer freezing, and that alone was a miracle.

For the first time since the crash, I felt human again.

My face wasn’t as swollen anymore. The bruises had faded from deep purple to lighter shades of yellow and pink, the worst along my cheekbone nearly gone. The soreness still lingered, but it was dull and manageable.

And the guys had figured out the water situation.

Troy and Adrian realized the water tank had survived the crash, which meant the toilet still flushed. It was still nearly full, and Adrian had gone out earlier to refill every empty bottle we had.

It had been enough to sustain us for now. And when the time came, they said we could refill the tank with melted snow if needed.

When they told me that, I joked that I wanted a shower.

Troy had immediately jumped on the idea, saying the water wouldn’t be warm, but maybe they could heat some of it in the metal bowl he had salvaged from the wreckage.

I hadn’t expected him to take it so seriously.

But the second I said I’d love that, he had grabbed the bowl and gone outside to collect snow, heating it carefully over the fire.

And now here I was—cleaner than I had been in twelve days.

Troy had been the one to help me to the bathroom. He always did. He always offered before Adrian could or would, jumping at the opportunity before his brother even had the chance to argue.

Adrian had scowled as usual.

It was hard to tell if it was because of Troy’s enthusiasm or the way Troy and I had been different from each other lately.

I had washed with my travel soaps, scrubbing away the layers of grime, feeling lighter as I rinsed myself clean with the warmed water. It hadn’t been a real shower, but it was close enough.

I had even managed to wash my hair in the metal bowl, running my fingers through the damp strands as I changed into fresh clothes.

I felt almost normal again when I limped out of the tiny bathroom.

Troy was waiting for me.

He leaned against the wall, arms crossed, his green eyes flicking over me. A slow smile curved his lips as he tilted his head slightly.

“You smell nice,” he said, his voice warm.

Heat crawled up my neck.

I was blushing. I never blushed.

Troy took notice. We had a light now. It was just some solar light they’d found in the Dean’s toolbox, but having a little light in the cabin at night was nice. The fact that we could set it outside during the day to recharge made it much better.

Troy’s grin widened slightly before he stepped forward, wrapping an arm around my waist to help me back to the raft. His grip was careful, gentle, but firm—like he had been waiting for an excuse to touch me.

The thought sent another rush of warmth through me, one I didn’t know what to do with. Maybe I was losing my mind, creating a situation that wasn’t happening. I pushed the feelings away and focused on getting back to my seat.

He helped me sit, then picked up my empty bowl. “I’m gonna warm some water for myself,” he said easily before heading back toward the fire.

I watched him for a moment before finally exhaling, shaking my head at myself.

I wasn’t thinking about Troy. I wasn’t. I was just relieved to be clean. That’s all.

The plane was quiet now, just the crackling of the fire and the faint sound of the wind whistling outside.

I was left alone with Adrian.

He hadn’t spoken much since the crash, at least to me, but that wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. He had been reading earlier, but now he sat staring into the flames, his green eyes seemingly distant, lost in thought, his expression unreadable.

Minutes passed before he finally broke the silence.

“How are you feeling?”

I blinked, startled by the question.

Adrian didn’t usually ask things like that.

I cast him a glance before answering. “Better. It’s amazing what being clean can do.”

He gave me a small smile, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Good,” he murmured. “I’m glad.”

Silence settled again.

I shifted, smoothing my hands over the blanket in my lap before clearing my throat. “Are you going to wash up?”

Adrian nodded. “Yeah.”

I expected the conversation to end there, but then he spoke again, his voice softer this time.

“You were late the day we took off.”

I blinked. “Yeah, because the driver got stuck in traffic. I’ve apologized already for that, Adrian.”

Adrian nodded slowly, staring into the flames. “I thought you were trying to skip out.”

I frowned slightly. “No,” I murmured, shaking my head. “Your dad was good to me. I wanted to support him.”

Adrian’s gaze flicked to mine.

“But,” I added quietly, “I did think about it. ”

His jaw tensed.

I let out a slow breath. “In retrospect, I wish I would have skipped.” A bitter laugh slipped from my lips before I shook my head. “But I could never do that to him. I knew this weekend meant a lot to him. But the feeling remains. I-I don’t belong here. Within your family.”

Adrian exhaled sharply, rubbing his palm over his face. “Don’t say that,” he snarled, his glare set on me. I shivered beneath the look. “Don’t ever fucking say that. You’re a part of our family, Elena. For better or worse.”

I tore my gaze away from him and looked at my hands on my lap. I knew I shouldn’t pursue the topic, but I did anyway. “I’ve never felt like I belonged in your family,” I whispered, my voice wavering. “Steve is good to me, but I’ve always felt like an outsider with you and Troy. If I could have changed one thing, it would have been my mom meeting Steve. Then you guys would have been happier.”

Adrian let out a soft noise I couldn’t decipher. I didn’t bother to look at him. I continued to speak.

“I don’t want you to think I’m looking for sympathy either because I’m not. That’s not me. I just wanted you to know in case s-something happens and I don’t make it. Or you guys need to make a choice. I’ll be OK dying. I don’t think I ever really belonged anywhere anyway.”

I hadn’t heard him move, but he was at my side immediately, his fingers beneath my jaw, forcing my attention on him.

“Don’t you ever fucking say those words again,” he whispered. Fiercely. “Do you hear me, butterfly?”

I swallowed hard at his words.

His hand slipped along my jaw, so he was holding my face. He gave it a shake.

“Fucking tell me, Elena. Tell me you didn’t mean what you just said.”

I stared into his eyes, my heart in my throat .

“I meant every word of it?—”

His lip curled up as he snarled softly. His grip on my face grew tighter until I let out a soft whimper.

“I don’t want you to leave us,” he finally whispered thickly. His eyes skirted over my face, then darted to my lips. “I… I care about you.”

I blinked in confusion at his sudden words. They didn’t sound right falling from his lips.

“You care about me?”

His grip on my face slackened until he was cradling my cheek, his handsome face displaying a pained expression.

“Of course I do. You’re my sister.” The way he said that sounded like he was being choked. “But I’m torn because I wish you weren’t, too.”

My bottom lip wobbled with sadness.

He shifted slightly, his thumb gently trailing along my bottom lip, forcing me to look into his eyes again.

My breath caught in my chest as we stared back at one another.

“It feels wrong,” he said softly. “To feel…”

I had no idea what he was saying to me.

“If you weren’t my sister, I’d have…” his voice trailed off, his face darkening. He let his hand drop away from my face, leaving emptiness in its wake. “Doesn’t matter now,” he muttered. “Everything’s fucked.”

There was anger in his voice. Frustration.

I lowered my gaze to my lap again, my heart pounding hard.

Silence stretched between us again.

Then, softly, Adrian cleared his throat.

“I like your hair out of its braid.”

I looked up at him.

He watched me carefully, his expression unreadable, his fingers absently curled against his knee.

“It’s beautiful,” he continued, his voice quieter now.

I absently reached up, touching my hair, feeling the damp strands between my fingers.

I wasn’t sure how to respond. Adrian had never complimented me before, but hell, everything that happened between us had never happened before.

He watched me for a moment longer before he shifted closer, his gaze still locked on me. Then, without hesitation, he reached out, threading his fingers through my hair.

I sucked in a sharp breath.

His touch was careful, slow, and reverent in a way I didn’t expect. His fingers brushed against my scalp, smoothing through the strands as if he had wanted to do this for a while.

I closed my eyes.

It felt nice.

Comforting.

Safe.

The fire crackled beside us, casting flickering shadows across the wreckage, and I let myself get lost in the sensation of his touch.

Then, softly, he spoke.

“We’re going to make it,” he murmured.

His voice was steady. Certain.

Something about the way he said it made me believe him.

I opened my eyes, finding his green gaze fixed on me, filled with something I couldn’t place.

Before I could say anything, the bathroom door clicked open.

Adrian’s hand slipped away.

I felt empty without it.

Troy stepped out, shaking the dampness from his hair, and Adrian immediately stood.

Without a word, he grabbed the empty bowl from Troy’s hands and turned toward the fire, kneeling to warm another batch of snow water.

He didn’t hesitate. Didn’t look back. Didn’t acknowledge what had just happened between us.

But I felt it.

And I knew he did, too.

A part of me wanted to say something.

But I didn’t.

Because I wasn’t sure I could handle the answer, and life was hard enough already.