For a long second, neither of us moved. His arms clung tighter than I thought he had the strength for, his head heavy against my shoulder. My breath came shallow, trapped between the urge to push him away and the strange calm that came with his warmth.
Then, as if realizing what he’d done, he pulled back. Slowly. Almost reluctantly. His eyes flicked away before they met mine, and for once, he looked more embarrassed than I felt.
The space between us felt louder than the fire. I sat back down, brushing sand off my palms, trying to act casual when my pulse was anything but that. He lowered himself beside me.
Neither of us spoke. The fire crackled, throwing shadows across his face, and I kept catching myself staring at the lines of exhaustion carved into his features. He was still weak, bu
