Page 109 of Nothing But Air

“I don’t think I can sleep. Not after everything.”

“Try anyway. I’ll keep watch.”

“You need sleep too. You’ve been up too and your ribs?—”

“Will be fine.”

She finally looked at him. “You always say that.”

“Because it’s always true.”

“Until it isn’t.” Her voice was tired. Hollow. “That’s the whole point, Teague. Someday it won’t be fine. And I can’t—” She stopped. Shook her head. “Never mind.”

“Can’t what?”

“Can’t watch it happen.” Her eyes met his. “I won’t do it again.”

“I’m not Landon.”

“No. You’re worse.” The words came out flat. Final. “Landon was reckless because he didn’t know better. You’re reckless because you don’t care enough about yourself.”

“That’s not?—”

“Isn’t it?” She turned back to her gear. “Get some rest, Teague. We can take shifts.”

“I’ll wake you in an hour.”

“No, you won’t.” She didn’t look up. “Because you don’t trust anyone else to keep watch. Just like you don’t trust anyone else to make the call. Just like you’ll always choose the mission over your own safety.”

“Eden—”

“Fine. Have it your way, boss.”

Boss.

Like he was nothing more than a team leader. Like the past couple days hadn’t happened. Like those two kisses hadn’t turned his whole world sideways.

He leaned closer, lowered his voice. “We don’t know who to trust. And until we do, I’m keeping watch. That’s not about the mission. That’s about keeping you safe.”

“I can take care of myself.”

“Never said you couldn’t.”

She moved to her sleeping bag without another word, positioning it against a rock face.

Teague sat on her open side—between her and the camp, between her and whatever threat might come—and added wood to the fire. The heat warmed his fingers that had gone half numb.

And it gave him something to do with his hands besides clenching them into fists.

An hour passed. The fire crackled. Eden’s breathing eventually evened into something like sleep.

Marcus looked up from his notebook.

“I’m sorry.” His voice was rough. “About the cave. I shouldn’t have—” He stopped. Swallowed. “I wasn’t thinking clearly.”

“No. You weren’t.” Teague positioned himself to see both Marcus and Kyle. “You going to tell me what you were really looking for?”

Marcus’s hand tightened on his pen. “I can’t. Not yet.”