Never Alone

Chapter 20

     Her teeth chattered and she rubbed her stocking feet together vigorously in an attempt to generate heat. Every time she let out a breath, it hung in the air above her. While she preferred purple to black, she was grateful for the heavy fabric of the sleeping bag though it was still insufficient to keep her warm. Reaching out of the bag to see if the zipper had any farther to slide, her arm nearly turned to ice as the frigid air inside the tent wrapped cold fingers around it.

Slipping her arm back into the bag, she rubbed it frantically to warm it up. She hazarded a quick glance in Trevor's direction. His dark silhouette lay completely motionless aside from the steady rise and fall of his chest. Deep breathing told her he was fast asleep. How could he sleep in such primitive conditions? A shiver snaked down her spine leaving her teeth clinking together more violently than before.

Maybe he was laying over a warm part of the floor..or ground...what did terminology matter when a person was coming down with hypothermia? If she rolled closer to him, maybe it would warm her enough so she could fall asleep. Once her eyes grew heavy, she would move back to her spot on the opposite side of the tent, and he would never be the wiser. With a mind clouded by her own frosty breath, her plan seemed like the only viable solution for survival.

As quietly as possible, she rolled in the sleeping bag until she was on her stomach. One more decent spiral and she might be close enough to steal some of his body heat. After making the last silent movement, she felt her back rest against his chest. The contact brought an instant wave of heat rippling over her skin.

She knew the sudden comfort had little to do with whatever body heat he generated and more to do with the way she turned to mush whenever he was close to her. Finally warm, she knew she needed to get back to her side of the tent quickly and quietly, so she shifted her weight in preparation to roll back. As soon as she moved, Trevor took in a sharp breath and stiffened beside her. Not wanting to wake him and be forced to explain why she was snuggling with him after adamantly declaring she never would, she held perfectly still.

Soon he relaxed, and his breathing returned to normal. Annie was close enough to his chest to feel the faint, rhythmic beat of his heart against her back. The steady pounding soothed her, and soon her eyelids began to droop. Before she could muster the strength to return to her spot, the warmth and comfort of being so close to the man who held all her hopes lulled her into a deep and peaceful sleep.

As the pink light of dawn bathed the wilderness in a hazy glow, Annie cracked her eyes open. She was toasty warm under the sleeping bag and sighed contentedly as she stretched her stiff muscles. Her movement was abruptly halted when she sensed an arm draped over her waist. Her heart pounded frantically as she struggled to remember the events bringing her to this point. Why was she sleeping so close to him? She remembered how close she came to freezing and rolling over to snuggle with him for just a minute to warm up. Hadn't she gone back to her half of the tent? The arm holding her close made it perfectly clear she fell asleep before taking the opportunity to move away.

It seemed to her that her only option was to roll back as slowly as possible to where she belonged. Even though for a few minutes she really did feel like she belonged in his arms.

When she attempted to roll away from him, the arm around her waist drew her close. Again she found herself in the same position as before. Her whole body tingled as he buried his face in the hair near her ear. "I love you, Annie," he whispered with a voice still thick from sleep. When he kissed her neck, she thought she might die in his arms, but what a wonderful way to go. Her neck was on fire, and his declaration of love burned in her mind.