“This isn’t about who’s better.” And that was really what both she and Charlie hated, wasn’t it? In many ways, this situation had completely upended our roles. Case in point: I wasn’t the one crying because I was wet. “It’s about who’s most equipped to lead us through this. But if you don’t agree, you’re welcome to go your own way.”

“Quit throwing your help in my face. If you don’t want to be here with us, then go! Leave me here in this car on the highway with corpse shoes! You think I haven’t survived you leaving me behind before? I’ll be just fine.”

I glanced back to see Charlie peeling her socks off, and got an eyeful of her blistered, bloody feet. “Damn, babe,” he said. “These are bad.”

I swiveled my head before cringing. Fuck. I closed my eyes. I’d figured her feet were hurting, hence the corpse shoes, but I hadn’t realized how injured she was. Regret twisted. I dug in my duffel bag and pulled out the first aid kit I’d used on the sore on her hip. That had been far less severe than her feet, and she hadn’t had to put pressure on that for miles. I suddenly felt like a total dick. She had been in pain but sucking it up, and I hadn’t realized it. She’d finally broken down, but not because she was a baby like I’d called her. I handed the kit to Charlie, including an extra pair of my socks. “Put some antibiotic ointment on those blisters and then bandage them up before putting on the dry socks.”

He took the items and then I heard the sounds of him attending to her. “You know, Emily,” he said quietly, “that comet thing?”

“Yeah,” she murmured.

“I know I said we’re not in a movie, but maybe we pretend we are. It might sound sorta silly, but if this is all just an acting job, it’ll make it easier to handle, you know?”

“I don’t know if I can do that,” she said.

“You can. You have me here to play your hero, okay?”

She sighed. “Okay.”

Charlie nudged my shoulder and I turned to see him handing the kit back. I took it and put it away and then glanced back at them to see him holding Emily in his arms and stroking her hair. I turned quickly, facing the rain-streaked windshield, a feeling settling in my stomach that I refused to name. I was exhausted. I just needed a night of sleep in a dry car where we were relatively safe, and I’d be ready to problem-solve again in the morning. I closed my eyes, finally lulled by the rainfall into a fitful slumber.

chapter nineteen

Emily

Day Four