Hunter decided to cook breakfast for everyone that morning – since she and Joshua had spent the first few hours of dawn watching the sun rise over the treetops and not saying much at all – but when they went back inside, breakfast was already being prepared. She found Chantal, Benji, Fearne and Imogen fixing a continental breakfast to welcome she and Will home.
Chantal offered to show her where she could shower, and she gratefully complied. "Will's in there, but I think he just stepped out," she said as they climbed up the steep stairs to the upper level. Hunter swallowed, not sure whether she was ready to face Will. When Chantal took her into the second bedroom – complete with a chest of drawers, two single beds and an old desk with a simple lamp on top – she showed her the stash of clothes at their disposal. Hunter was amazed at how prepared Dr. Rosenthal was for their arrival.
Hunter meandered from the bedroom across the hall to the bathroom. She was so lost in tired thought that she jumped in fright as the bathroom door swung open before she could turn the handle and she bumped straight into Will's bare chest.
"Oh, shit-"
Will's long, wet hair hung over his eyes and dripped water down his muscled pecks. Her cheeks went instantly red when she saw the v-line leading below where the towel was wrapped around his waist. His doe-brown eyes caused her stomach to knot up and her knees to go weak. She was so distracted by how different he looked already that she found herself breathless. He didn't have dirt on his face. Not even a 5 o'clock shadow lined his square jaw. And though he still looked tired and beaten, there was a certain strength in the way he held himself. A renewed strength.
Taking advantage of the fact that he couldn't run away from her while she stood in the doorway, Hunter threw her arms around his neck. A puff of air escaped his lips. His skin was warm from the shower and he smelled like soap. It occurred to her that she had not yet showered and he was basically naked, but it only mattered that he was still alive and with her.
"No more suffering," she whispered against his collarbone, feeling strands of damp hair stick to her cheek. "I promise."
For a moment he stood there. That told her he was still mad, still hurt that she'd sentenced him to die. She understood that. But if she could find it in her to forgive Joshua for the way he hurt her, surely Will could as well.
One hand came to rest between her shoulder blades, the other pressed lightly against her hair, and she let her eyes close in relief. The touch sent the fire into a frenzy inside her, and for different reasons.
Hunter pulled back. "Are you okay?"
Will smiled down at her, but it was a reserved smile. She knew before he spoke that he was lying. "Couldn't be better. I'm uh ... going to go put some clothes on."
"Uh, sure," she mumbled, blushing again. He held the towel as he crossed to the opposite room.
No sooner had he gone did Hunter feel a pang of emptiness. Would she ever want to let him out of her sight again?
After a rather strange and short shower, Hunter dried herself and changed without looking in the mirror for fear of scarring herself at how ghostly she must look. Then she went back downstairs to join the others.
Being in this place with those she'd met in ICE was a strange experience. They were all dressed in normal clothing. The sunlight and acceptance of freedom changed the way they acted. Benji laughed and talked more. Chantal actually managed to find make-up and had never looked more radiant. She even admitted Marcus scrubbed up nicely after a shave and a good haircut.
As they all sat down for breakfast – all except Joshua, whom she imagined was too afraid to face Will just yet – Hunter and Will asked them all to explain their escape and what had changed over the past week.
It was apparently easy for them to get to where they were. There was a bit of a hike through the mountain, and once they found a main road, Chantal forced a man to drive them to the nearest town and buy them food. Fearne then wiped his memory. They avoided speaking to anyone before they were sure the Agents hadn't followed them.
Everything they'd done since arriving at the cabin was mostly taking walks and exploring the cabin and venturing to the local store five minutes from the house to buy food and necessities with some of the cash they found in a jar in the pantry. When she asked how they got there, they explained that Dr. Rosenthal had an old car in the garage that Marcus knew how to drive from his days of playing Grand Theft Auto. At that, Hunter almost laughed. There was no way he learned to drive from a video game. There was more to that lie than he admitted.
Tomorrow was Benji's birthday and they'd already decided to bake a cake and have a party. It was such a simple thing, but it made them so happy.
The food they cooked up was more wonderful than her hot shower. She didn't want to appear ravenous in front of the younger ones, but it was all she could do not to shovel the entire table into her mouth. Will – having not eaten anything but gray goo for sixteen years – looked as though he was in some kind of trance. He ate slowly, not finishing his meal, and then disappeared to the bathroom shortly after.
The younger ones had found an old board-game and – while Chantal and Hunter cleared the table and washed the dishes – the younger ones sat down beside the fireplace to play, laughing and arguing like a normal family. Hunter couldn't keep the smile off her face.
"You feeling okay?" asked Chantal as she piled plates and cups onto the drying rack.
"Yeah," she said. She wasn't sure how she felt just yet. It was all so overwhelming.
"Don't worry, it'll all sink in after a day or two. I remember I couldn't get over how green and colorful everything was until I spent my second day staring into the toilet bowl at my green and colorful vomit." Hunter cringed. "That's when I had to step back and remind myself to take it easy."
"I'm more worried about Will. It'll be a while before he's used to it."
As she spoke, Will came back downstairs. His face was flushed and his eyes were bloodshot. Chantal offered him a cup of coffee but he declined, flopping down on the sofa beside Mosi to watch the children play.
When Hunter and Chantal were finishing cleaning the kitchen, she glanced out the window and saw Joshua walking back inside. Will turned his head and instantly, his eyes went dark.
"Guys? Who is that?"
They turned just as Joshua entered with a cautious smile on his face.
"Uh ..." said Hunter, having forgotten that Will was the only person who hadn't met her guardian yet. She dropped the dishcloth and walked around the kitchen bench to stand beside Will.
Joshua and Will met eyes. It was clear they both recognized each other. Joshua's shoulders slumped – this was another person he needed to beg forgiveness from. But Will didn't look like he wanted to forgive Joshua as quickly as Hunter did.
"You," he said.
"William. It's ... it's good to see you."
YOU ARE READING
Consuming Fire
Science Fiction*AVAILABLE ON AMAZON* The third in the ROUGE series ... 'The true heroes are the ones who have courage, even when they have no power at all.' After Hunter and Will are rescued from the terrifying institution and brought to the safe house where the o...
