Feeding Frenzy

Chapter 34

 Josie cried for Chester for hours. Evey carried her while she wept into her shoulder. She had cried herself to sleep by the time they stopped for the night. Ford cleaned the house, and Evey woke Josie up so they could eat a cold can of soup.

She did not cry again, but her bottom lip was stuck in a pout. Evey's heart ached when she looked at the little girl. She had lost her only sense of normalcy. When Evey put the twins to bed, she tried giving Josie an array of stuffed animals. She did not want any of the bears, bunnies, cats, or dogs. Evey sighed and ran her fingers through her curls before sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Evey," Josie said. The blankets were tucked under her chin. Joey was already asleep. "Can we go get Chester?"

"It's too dangerous," Evey said. "I'm sorry."

"He's all alone."

Evey bit down on her lip, unsure what to say.

"Try to get some sleep," she said.

She kissed Josie's forehead before leaving the room. She dragged her fingers along the wall as she navigated through the strange dark house. Ford was sitting on the couch in the living room. A candle flickered on the table in front of him. The smell of apple cinnamon pie tried to defeat the smell of decaying flesh.

Evey sat next to Ford. He put his hand on her knee. Her chest tightened as her heart fluttered. Why did she feel this way around him? She had never had such a strong pull to a man before.

"Kids okay?" he asked.

"Josie is really upset," she said. "She loved that bear."

"It was a toy."

"Toys mean a lot to a kid. Didn't you have something that you always carried around?"
"I had to share all my toys in the foster homes."

Evey sucked in her bottom lip and nodded. She had forgotten about Ford's difficult childhood. It seemed selfish to ask him such a question.

"I'm sorry," she said.

"Don't," he said. "I don't want your pity."

Ford lifted his hand from her knee and stretched his arm across the back of the couch. His fingers grazed her shoulder, and goosebumps broke across her skin. He shifted his weight on the couch, so his thigh was against her leg. She was staring down at their laps. The knife was still strapped to her thigh. She never thought she would be in this situation with a man.

"I still feel bad about that bear," Evey said. "She probably won't sleep tonight."

"We would have died," he said.

"Not if I noticed sooner."

"Evey." She loved the way her name sounded in his voice. "It's not your fault. She'll get over it."

"She shouldn't have to. They shouldn't have to go through any of this."

Ford put his hand under Evey's chin and forced her to look at him. Shadows were cast across his face by the candle. She could not admire his blue eyes as she loved to. He slid his hand from her chin to cup the side of her face. She leaned into the rough skin of his palm.

"You're too good," he said. "You're like an angel in this nightmare."

Evey's lips spread into a smile. Ford was so grumpy, yet he said something so sweet. Her heart fluttered as her eyes fell to Ford's lips. He leaned down to kiss her, but she pushed him back and swung her leg over his lap. She crawled over him and pressed her hands against his hard chest. He chuckled, and the sound was so foreign to Evey. Was Ford capable of laughing?