Page 47 of Infamous

‘Butyou’rein the tub.’

‘Yes, shrewdly observed. I shall move up. There’s room for two if we sort of .?.?. fold ourselves in half.’

‘Just a second ago you were telling me to avert my eyes from your maidenly form.’

‘Yes, well, I’d like you to stay an enthusiastic inhabitant ofyourmaidenly form. You’re the one convinced we’re living under a cursed roof – wouldn’t it be just the sort of thing to happen? For you to heroically bring me to safety and help me get warm, and then crawl off into a corner, unnoticed, to die of pneumonia?’

‘There wasn’t much heroic about it. The others did the heavy lifting, I mostly just panicked attractively,’ Eddie said, but she was already standing to take off her shift. ‘All right, fold yourself – I’m coming in.’

The water was deliciously hot, almost to the point of pain, exactly how Eddie liked it. She had to crouch awkwardly to get herself situated, and inevitably kept accidentally knocking her legs against Rose’s as they worked out the logistics.

‘You are far too tall,’ Rose grumbled, eyes closed, as Eddie finally settled herself, knees once again pulled up around her chin.

‘You should not have invited me into your tub if you were just going to gripe about it. I was perfectly happy to die a martyr.’ It wasn’t as strange as Eddie had thought it might be, sharing the bath; they were too bunched up to be revealing, only their feet touching under the water. ‘Look, your colour’s coming back. I think you may live.’

Rose just smiled, her eyes still shut. They sat in companionable silence for a long while, the only sounds the crackling of the fire and the soft ticking of the clock on the mantel, the warmth seeping into Eddie’s bones.

‘I like it best when it’s just you and me,’ Rose said, with a tiny, happy sigh that jostled something loose somewhere in the depths of Eddie’s chest, making her feel light and easy.

‘Me too,’ said Eddie. ‘That’s what I’ve been telling you forever.’

‘Hmmm,’ Rose hummed sleepily. ‘I feel very strange. Bone-tired, suddenly. Bone soup.’

‘Nearly dying probably does that to a person.’

‘You know, it was very odd, I felt completely sure I would be all right at first – it didn’t even cross my mind that I might be in real trouble. I didn’t call for help then because it seemed silly, but by the time I realised I was slipping, I hardly had the air left to do it. I should have said something before it was too late, but I was embarrassed.’

‘That would be just like you,’ Eddie said, poking her with a toe. ‘To die of embarrassment, I mean.’

Rose opened her eyes. ‘Do not poke the patient.’

‘Oh, so you’re thepatientnow, are you? I thought you were a happy little soup.’

Rose leaned her head against the edge of the tub, eyes fixed on the ceiling.

‘I could see you on shore at first. I could see you and I kept thinking – if I can just reach Eddie, I’ll be all right. I don’t knowwhy, it wasn’t like you were being particularly useful, it took you long enough to notice. But .?.?. I don’t think I was even scared of drowning, really. The most frightening part of all was knowing I couldn’t get back to you.’

Eddie should have laughed, but it didn’t seem funny, somehow. Rose was still gazing up at the ceiling, her cheeks flushed from the heat of the bath, the planes of her face cast in dramatic shadow and golden, flickering firelight. Eddie was suddenly so overcome with the knowledge of how badly things could have gone, and so glad that Rose was stewing with her here, rather than drifting at the bottom of the lake like a dropped shoe, that she leaned forwards with a rush of hot water and kissed her softly on the cheekbone, right where the light was making her glow.

‘What was that for?’ said Rose.

‘Don’t know,’ Eddie said stupidly. Her legs were pressed against Rose’s, crowding her back into her half of the tub. ‘I suppose I’m just very fond of you.’

Rose considered her for a moment and then leaned forwards, a hand on Eddie’s knee for balance, and kissed her very gently on the lips. She was so warm, and Eddie was so warm, it was almost as if she hadn’t done it at all.

‘What wasthatfor?’

‘I suppose I’m very fond of you, too. Even if you are a bit of an idiot.’

‘Am I squashing you?’

‘Yes. But I don’t mind.’

Eddie laughed. Their faces were still so close together that her breath ruffled a damp lock of Rose’s hair. It brushed feather-light against Eddie’s throat.

‘This is odd, isn’t it?’

Rose shrugged, droplets of water cascading down her shoulders. Her eyes were intent on Eddie’s. ‘I don’t know. It doesn’t feel odd to me.’