Chapter 16 : All I Could Feel Was Him
♦Lena*
I wanted nothing more than to crawl into my sleeping bag and close my eyes. I was exhausted. I truly hadn’t slept much at all over the past week. This was not at all how I'd envisioned my time spent on my field study.
I was meant to be researching the plant samples and soil, determining the best course of action for the area to not only improve their harvests but also gather information on the area's flora as a whole to add to my report that I was required to turn in to Morhan.
Instead. I found myself sitting on the edge of the bed I shared with Xander, unwinding iris bandages.
"It looks so much better," I whispered, in awe of the abrupt change taking place on his skin. I’d expected the wound to be large based on the damage it had done to his body, but it was small, just a few teeth marks where the swelling had gone down.
"I'll get the sample we need." he said, closing his eyes as he laid back against his pillow with his hands behind his head, "while you're back on campus."
It wasn't a question. I knew pushing the subject would be fruitless.
"I need to put new bandages on you-"
"I'm fine for a minute. I've been wearing them all day."
I placed my hands in my lap. pursing my lips. Bethany had brought me a medical kit. but it didn't have the herbs and tinctures Hemy's medkit possessed. It was obvious to me that Henry's medkit was for him. and him alone.
"Well." I sighed, rising from the bed. "I'm going to read for a bit. I brought my textbooks on the medical uses of plants local to tills area-"
"Lena, we're both exhausted. Please, just sleep."
"We need to know-"
"You're not going to find what you're looking for in those books." His eyes were closed as he spoke, on the edge of sleep himself “The bed's warm. Lay down, okay?"
"Not until you have fresh bandages." I protested.
He sighed deeply, then shrugged, which was invitation enough for me to get on with it. I grabbed the medical kit off the kitchenette counter and brought it back into the bedroom. I rifled through the contents, finding antibiotic ointment and several rolls of fresh bandages.
"I'm going to go wash my hands." I said, looking down at the supplies to make sure I had everything I needed. Xander could easily do this himself, but I knew he wasn't going to. He'd let the wound get infected again before he made a big deal out of it.
I did all the little things I needed to do in order to get ready for bed. brushed my teeth, then washed my hands thoroughly. By the time I'd changed into pajamas and my hands were so clean they were raw. I found Xander sitting up in bed. looking toward the window
"Did you see something?" I asked as I came back into the room.
He shook his head, turning in my direction, his face void of expression. "Let's get this over with." he mumbled, his shoulders falling a bit as I stood hi front of him, positioning myself between his knees as I bent to my task.
"This is going to scar. I think you should've gotten stitches, honestly."
"No. thanks.' he said with a brief smile, then shook his head as if thinking of some long-forgotten memory. “I've never needed them."
"Me neither." I murmured as I rolled the bandage over his chest and back to hold the piece of ointment-soaked gauze over the wound m place.
“Why does talking about the royal family make you so uncomfortable?" he asked, abruptly changing the subject.
I blinked, then met his eye. "What do you mean?"
"Over dinner, when everyone was talking about the Princes of Poldesse."
"It's just gossip." I replied, feeling a slight tightening hi my stomach. I tucked the loose end of the bandage in place over his chest.
wants to
"Not you. though."
"No. not me."
"Do you know them?"
the supplies back
“The princes?"
on the hiside
the side as I straightened up to my frill height and
looked a little defensive when
and gossip about it." I couldn't hide the bite in my voice. My cheeks reddened as I scooped up the medical supplies, turning from the bed to set it
"Why would you care?"
out the light. Now. he couldn't see the emotions playing over my face as I climbed
us as we settled into our sleeping bags. I was lying flat on my back, staring at the ceiling
the princess is
No one has seen her in
“Weird, right?"
it was rude to gossip about them." I huffed, turning
not gossip.
speculate about? Maybe she just doesn't like being out in
what
one who wanted to go to sleep. Xander." I closed my eyes and began to turn away from him
he said, shrugging his
alone." I grumbled as I turned away from him, rustling my
“Fine," he replied.
eyes to stare blankly at the wall. It was raining again, the sound of it reverberating through the room as it pounded
yet again. I knew Xander was still awake. He was facing my back, the two of us only inches
as he moved closer to me. effectively spooning himself around me while zipped up in his sleeping
penetrating my sleeping bag. wanning me from within. His aim came around me. pulling me
annoy me." I
getting comfortable. There's no room on here with
wrong, but
felt his chest rise and fall, then
I know it hurt
"It's fine-"
"Not to me."
"We're not together. Xander."
feels pretty together to me." he whispered into my
felt a rush of desire as
None of what had happened had changed that for me. But I couldn't shake the feeling that it wasn't meant to be. Every tune we were alone together, like we were now, we were pulled apart by some catastrophe. It
I wanted to think
tears welling in the corners and threatening to spill over my lashes. I was inches away from
breathed against my skin, sending a ripple of gooseflesh up my anus. He wanted
said now or never once before. I had to
turned to him, and his hand came up to caress the side of my face, his fingers tangling in my hair as he pulled me into a
I was a goner.
our sleeping bags. Xander was on top of me. kissing me deeply as his hands traveled the length of my sides, and
would it be this tune? Would the roof cave in? Would a flash flood wash the farm away? Would
my lips, lowering himself on top of me and
hying to push the doubt out of my mind
head to the side so he had access to my neck. “We're
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