He watches her, his face lit by the lamp. “Do you promise?”

“Yes.”

Outside the motel door, a car engine turned off and a door opened. Jack stood.

Ava. Matty.

A wave of relief spread through him, so acute he had to bend and hold the edge of the bed.

“We got you a cheeseburger,” Matty said when Ava opened the door.

Jack looked at Ava. Her battered coat buttoned up to her chin, her black-walnut hair. She met his gaze.

He sat on the bed.

Matty dropped a white paper sack in his lap. “And fries with fry sauce. And a milkshake with huckleberries.” He put the milkshake on the dresser and slung off his coat and hat. “Did you get my note?”

“Yes,” he said. “It was good.”

Ava turned on the lamp. She looked at where Jack was holding the washcloth beneath his shirt.

“I took a bath,” Jack said.

He could not believe the stupid things that came from his mouth.

“Isn’t it great?” Matty said. “The water comes out hot forever.”

Even from across the room, Jack could feel the heat of Ava’s attention. He pretended not to. He opened the sack and pulled out the burger and took a bite.

“Thank you,” he said to her. “For the food.”

Matty turned on the television and sat on the floor with his toys. Ava locked the door. Then she got the grocery bag from the table and sat by him on the bed. “Are you okay?” she asked.

“I don’t even know anymore.”

But his stomach was waking up: The cheese and the beef. Ketchup. The burger, still hot. He finished it in seconds.

“Did you see anyone?” he asked her.

“No.”

“No one followed you?”

“No.”

“No? How do you know?”

“I know.”

It was something in her stare that convinced him. He nodded and looked down. His hand, holding the now-red washcloth. What a mess he looked.

“We should patch you up,” she said.

He stood, suddenly shy. “I feel pretty good. I’ll go do it.”

Her eyes were on his, that striking hazel. Full of uncertainty, of depths to fall into from a height. She handed him the bag. “Okay.”

In the bathroom, he removed the cloth. The wound had almost stopped bleeding. He washed it again and bandaged it and swallowed the antibiotics. Then he looked in the mirror. The eye bruise had darkened, and his hair was a curling tangle. He turned on the faucet and ran his hand through the water and wet his hair down. He combed it with his fingers.

Well, this is the best you’re gonna look.