But the heat of the flames had suggested that it was all very real.
There had to be an explanation for it. Maybe she’d lit more than two candles and had forgotten? It wouldn’t have been the first time she’d spaced doing something, especially with her condition—memory loss was a common symptom, according to the doctors, and her experiences had supported that.
Maybe her interaction with Merrick had never happened, and she’d just had a particularly vivid dream after taking a cold bath, brushing her teeth, and getting back into bed.
But it had felt so real.
Another crack of thunder pulled her out of her thoughts.
It was time to go.
Her stomach cramped with hunger; she hoped Merrick would be kind enough to offer something more to eat before they headed out into the storm.
With a sigh, Adalynn pushed herself up and swung her legs around to get into a sitting position. “Danny, it’s time to wake up. We don’t want to overstay our welcome and anger our host.”
There was no movement, no response. Not even a groan of protest.
Turning her head, Adalynn reached out to shake her brother awake. “Dan—” Her eyes widened.
He was gone.
“Danny?” she called, scanning the room. He was nowhere—he wasn’t rummaging through the tall, dark armoire against the wall, wasn’t standing by the door bouncing impatiently, wasn’t standing in front of the window or sitting on the floor. But his bugout bag was sitting on the floor. A flare of frustration joined her alarm, but she quickly stamped them both down.
We’re okay. Danny’s okay. This is our first taste of comfort and security in a long time, and he just…just got a little complacent. He’s just a kid.
But he still needed to remember. As much as she hated being hard on him, she wasn’t going to be around forever, and he needed to be careful. He needed to stay alert regardless of how safe things seemed. Merrick was a stranger, and people hid their true nature all the time; why would he be any different? That didn’t mean he was crazy, or a killer…but it didn’t mean he wasn’t, either.
Oh, so now I take that into consideration, after I stood there and let him gawk at my naked body. Way to go, Adalynn.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, Adalynn grabbed her boots and shoved her feet into them, tying them quickly. She stood, picked up their bugout bags—swinging one over each shoulder—and left the room to find her brother.
As she walked down the hall toward the spiral staircase, she glanced into the currently unoccupied bathroom, where her drying clothing dangled from the curtain rail over the tub; she’d have to collect her clothing after she collected Danny. But she lingered at the doorway, finding herself again fighting back the memories of what had transpired within.
Just a dream. It wasn’t real—couldn’t have been real.
She descended the steps, and when she reached the bottom, her eyes flicked to the front door, catching a glimpse of the rain through the windows flanking the entrance. She stopped abruptly as she was turning away and swung her gaze back to the left window—a fully intact window.
Brows falling low and eyes narrowing, Adalynn slowly approached it.
“I broke it,” she whispered. That was how they’d entered—she’d broken the window, reached through, and unlocked the door.
Wasn’t it?
She lifted a hand and lightly tapped on the glass, producing a soft clinking sound with her nail.
I’m not going crazy.
She looked down. There wasn’t so much as a sliver of broken glass on the floor. Adalynn pressed the heels of her hands to her eyes until flecks of color danced behind her eyelids. When she pulled her hands away, she looked at the window again; it was still intact.
Not. Crazy.
Laughter carried into the foyer from down the hall, faint but undeniably Danny’s. Adalynn followed the sound, and the voices that came on its heels, to the kitchen. She slowed when she reached the doorway and leaned forward to peer around the doorframe. Danny and Merrick were seated at the kitchen table, sharing crackers and peanut butter.
“You’ve really never heard of Stranger Things? It’s like the best piece of entertainment ever created,” Danny said before shoving another peanut butter-laden cracker into his mouth.
“Several thousand years of human civilization may disagree with that assessment, young Daniel,” Merrick replied. He was leaning back in his chair casually, exuding effortless sensuality; Adalynn wouldn’t have thought him capable of it were it not for their brief encounter in the bathroom.
“Whatever, man. Just ’cause it’s, like, really old doesn’t mean it’s better. Stranger Things is pretty much set in old times, anyway.”
“Given what I know of modern entertainment,” Merrick replied, “I doubt I’ve missed anything.”
Was this really the same man from the day before? The one who’d seemed ready to shed blood over the very peanut butter they were eating now while discussing TV shows?
Danny’s eyes shifted past Merrick to meet Adalynn’s, and his smile widened. “Morning, Addy!”
Now that she’d been spotted, she had no choice but to enter the kitchen. She tightened her grip on the shoulder strap of Danny’s bag as she neared the table. “Morning.”
Merrick turned his head to look at her and arched one of his dark brows. The corner of his mouth rose along with it. A subtle light flared in his eyes, reminiscent of the light they’d contained last night in the bathroom.
Oh no, it wasn’t a dream at all. That was real.
“Good morning, Adalynn,” he said. “How did you sleep?”
His voice, deep and sultry, washed over her, making her nipples tingle and her heart beat just a little faster.
“Good. Very good, actually. Thank you,” she replied.
“Are you hungry?” Merrick’s eyes suggested he was—for her.
Instantaneous heat suffused her. How had things changed so drastically, so quickly?
“Merrick’s sharing his peanut butter,” Danny said. “I have a cracker waiting here for you.”
Her gaze shifted to her brother. “I am hungry, but… Danny, did you forget something this morning?”
He cocked his head, brow furrowed. “Huh?”
Adalynn swung his bugout bag off her shoulder and dangled it in front of him.
Danny ducked his head, cheeks coloring. “Ohhh. Well, I mean…it was with you, right? So it’s…okay?”
“Not okay. What if something happened to me?”
Danny’s shoulders sagged. “Sorry, Addy.”
Adalynn placed both packs on the floor beside the table before slipping her arm around her brother in a quick hug. “Just don’t forget next time.” She pulled back and straightened. “There’s hot water. You need to take a quick bath before we go. That is”—she turned her face toward Merrick—“if it’s okay with you, Merrick? I don’t want us to overstay our welcome.”
Merrick’s smile faltered, falling into a faint but troubled frown. “He may bathe, yes, and take some time to enjoy it if he is inclined. As for leaving…you do not yet have to go.”
“It’d be best if we leave soon. We have a long way to go before we reach the next town, and we’re losing daylight already.”