Chapter 9

Jack managed to fall asleep within moments. How he managed to do that, Katy had no idea. His breathing had settled into the rhythmic tempo of someone completely at peace. When met with the rain pelting the tent, it totaled up to one thing: Katy's suffering.

She has made it a total of five minutes before she couldn't stand it anymore. There was only so much detail on the old ranch saddles for her to examine.

Without even a glance at Jack, she crawled over to the door and pulled on the zipper. It opened to heavy raindrops blurring out the scenery. Jack had been right, she wouldn't be able to get home in that. Not without being shivering and cold by the time she got back. She knew from experience that rain could be almost deadly.

At the invading memories, she yanked the zipper closed. She shut her eyes tight, trying to block out the memories of Flicka laying on the ground, covered in blood from the cougar and mud from her struggling.

"How did I know you would try even though I told you not to?"

She ground her teeth together. Jack. She should have been quieter. Now she had to deal with his voice.

She glanced back. He had propped himself up on his elbows. He had a lazy smile on his face.

She sighed and moved herself away from the door. She huffed at the sound of the rain, "I guess my father made yet another mistake."

Jack raised an eyebrow, "You really think he didn't know about the rain?"

She stared at him, "You think he sent us out here on purpose?"

"He had to find a way to punish us."

"Why would he want to punish you?"

He blinked and looked down, "For letting go of the rope."

Katy opened her mouth then closed it when she found she had nothing to say. He deserved to be punished but not for that. For trying to stop her in the first place.

"Katy."

She shook her head. She didn't want to hear his voice.

"Katy." He repeated.

"No, don't say anything. I don't want to hear any excuses-"

"I'm sorry."

That made her look up. She faced him and he held her gaze. For once, no trickle of humor was in his face.

With effort, she tore her eyes away.

"I'm not going to say that it's okay because what you did-"

"I know." He cleared his throat, "I just thought you should know."

Despite how much she tried not to, she looked over at him. At her gaze, his face changed into one that only sparked a deep annoyance within her soul. His lips slipped into a cheeky grin.

"Feel free to admire."

Her gaze turned into a glare. His smile grew.

"See, you still aren't looking away."

The annoyance turned into anger. The kind of anger that didn't want to give him what he wanted. So she kept his gaze, hoping to shut down his confidence.

Much to her disappointment, he only laughed and sat up.

"You look cold."

"Is that a line because-"

He chuckled again. "No, it was an observation. You look cold."

"And you don't." She pointedly nodded to his bare chest.

"No one can be cold while being this hot." He gave a wink.

Realizing his sleaziness was never going away, she decided to roll with the punches and give herself some entertainment while they waited for the rain to stop.

She leaned back on one of the saddles, "You know, it's such a shame you're such a sleazeball."

"Oh? And why's that?"

"Because you aren't half bad to look at." She said boredly.

He tried to say something but his voice failed him. Just that action brought a satisfied smile to her face. Finally, a break from his voice for even just a moment. She never thought that she would see the day.

"So you admit it?" He finally managed to say.

"Admit what exactly?"

He seemed to recover from the initial shock of her sentence way too fast, "Oh, just that I am a fine piece of-"

"Not so fast. I didn't say that." She held up a hand to stop him.

"You meant it."

"I meant that you would be half decent if you didn't act like you do."

He fully turned to face her and suddenly, she remembered that the tent they were currently stuck in was, in fact, as small as it was.

"And what exactly do I act like?"

She was aware that her breath fell short so she just shrugged and pretended to drop the subject.

"That's not an answer."

"What makes you think you're going to get one?"

He pushed the rest of his sleeping bag off of him and fully faced her.

"You were so willing to enlighten me earlier. What happened to that girl?"

"You really want to know?"

She drew herself up taller and pulled herself onto her knees.

"I really do." He mirrored her.

"Where do you want me to start?"

"Wherever you want."

"How about what you're doing right now?"

He smiled and leaned forward to whisper, "Oh? What am I doing?"

"That. Exactly that. Your smirk, your attitude."

"I don't have a smirk."

"Then what's on your face."

"Handsomeness according to you."

His smirk returned at her expression as she said, "I never said that."

"You-"

"I didn't mean it either."

"Oh yeah?"

She leaned forward, "Yeah."

At that moment, both of them paused. It seemed that the tent had grown smaller. Or rather, they were closer. Very close. Too close. And maybe not close-

A brilliant flash of light lit up the sides of the tent, interrupting the sky full of dark clouds. Thunder shook the ground underneath them and seemed to rattle through their bones.

It broke them out of their pause long enough for rationality to return to them. He softly cleared his throat and they both drew away from each other without a word.

She never would have thought she would be thanking a storm in her life.