The house was in sight—a plain cottage with a slanted roof that leaked every time it rained. I knocked on the door and didn’t get an answer. Was she asleep? Old people did that a lot. I jiggled the handle, and the door swung open effortlessly. She was expecting me, so it would be easier for her to not get out of bed to let me in.

“Grandmother, it’s Red,” I called, setting the basket on the table. A few tea-filled cups were left out and looked like they weren’t touched for several hours. I announced my presence again. No answer. I peeked down the hall, and Grandmother’s door was ajar. My curiosity bested me as I pushed the door open and, to my relief, found Grandmother lying in bed under the covers.

“Don’t come in,” Grandmother warned. “I’m sick.”

Her voice was rough and husky, so I took her word for it. The last thing I wanted to do was come all this way and catch a cold. “Do you need me to bring you anything? You left some tea on the table.”

Grandmother wheezed, and I took a large step out of the room. “I’ll make some fresh tea,” I shouted from the hall. I marched down to the kitchen and made her a fresh cup, along with bringing her the basket. I padded across the room and set the tea on her bedside table and the basket on the bed. She was propped on her pillows, but her eyes were closed, chest barely rising.

“I’ll leave this here for you,” I whispered. “And, my, I should have brought you some fruit.” Grandmother’s gotten wider since I was last here. I tiptoed across the room and slipped back through the door.

“And what you do you mean by that, darling?” Grandmother’s voice was still rough, but she sounded less on the verge of death.

“O-oh, nothing. It looks like you’ve been taking care of yourself well. Broader shoulders, bright-eyed, and a little taller. And are those new teeth?” For a sick woman, she still had an attitude.

“Hm, aren’t you sweet?” Grandmother adjusted her bonnet and grinned, baring her teeth. “I could just eat you up.”

Odd choice of words, but I smiled and left her to rest.

“Will you stay and watch over me?”

Her unexpectedly meek voice startled me. “Of course, I’ll stay in the spare room. Do you need anything else?”

“I’ll call for you if I need anything. Oh,” Grandmother added. “If you go outside, be careful. You never know what could be watching you.”

I heeded the random and familiar warning, pulled the door closed, and made myself at home.

***

After foraging in Grandmother’s garden and the nearby fruit bushes for food, I plopped down on the bed and took my boots off. Luckily, I had a spare change of clothes here so I could get out of this hood. Staring at the ceiling, I remembered why I didn’t visit Grandmother often; I was bored. I rolled over on my side and forced myself to go to sleep.

Knock, knock.

Who could it be at this hour? She shouldn’t expect anyone, and if she was, it had nothing to do with me. I tossed and turned until I got comfortable again and resumed finding sleep.

Knock, knock.

I wasn’t getting up.

Knock.

If I ignore them, they’ll go away.

Silence.

Finally. I threw my pillow over my head and squeezed my eyes shut.

Tap, tap.

What now? The sound was closer, louder. I withdrew the pillow slightly, and my heart almost leaped out of my chest.

Blue eyes.

It was the man from earlier. Did he follow me here? I didn’t hear anyone behind me, but he could have gone undetected if he knew this area well. What if he knew Grandmother? There was more than one cup on the table. Something about the way he was watching me unnerved me, but I couldn’t look away. Dare I open the window? Grandmother said to be careful if I went outside, but what about outside coming in?

All the rationalizing gave me a headache. Our eyes never left each other, and the longer I stared, the more I wanted to unlatch the window. Today was full of bad decisions anyway. I lifted the window, and he stepped in, head still covered except for the alluring glow of his eyes.

“You didn’t answer the door.”

“I was trying to sleep.”

“So you thought it wise to let a stranger in through your window?”

He got me there. But was he a stranger? This was my second time meeting him, and he knew my name. “Do you know my Grandmother?”

“You can say that we’re close. She’s lived in this house a long time. I drop in occasionally.” He strode across the room and sat on my bed. “Had I known this was your destination, I would have escorted you. Frightful things live in this forest.”

“Like you?” The question left my lips before I realized it and before I was next to him on the bed.

“Am I frightening?”

The wayward visitor I met this afternoon that I let inside my grandmother’s house against my better judgement was invading my space. Too close, but I didn’t move when he threaded his fingers through my hair. I’d answer his question, but I didn’t remember how to do that.

“Red!” Grandmother’s voice grated against my ears and broke me from the spell of those eyes.

I was inches from his face and scanning his vague features in the darkness of the room. Grandmother was in bed, so she couldn’t want anything that urgently. “Can I see your face?”

My request was granted when I saw more than the bottom half of his face. Without thinking, I touched his sharp cheeks and jaw. No one this beautiful could be a murderer. Was it the symmetry of his face or the ferocity in his eyes that had me biting at his bottom lip and my hands in his thick hair? Was it my lack of inhibition or eagerness that had his legs entangled with mine and his razor-like nails in my skin?

“Red!”

I begrudgingly came to my senses, panting and adjusting my clothes. “I should see what she wants.”

The bite he left on my neck left me shuddering; it might have drawn blood. “Don’t be long.”

I dragged my feet to the door and down the hall. She had better be dying with how much she’s called my name.

“Well, it took you long enough,” Grandmother said. “My, my, darling. You’re bleeding. What have you been doing instead of tending to me?”

“I was...well…” I rubbed my neck and dried, darkened red flakes stuck to my fingers.

“No matter,” Grandmother replied. “Now, why don’t you come and keep your dear grandmother company?”

Not that I didn’t want to spend time with her, but I kind of had my own company waiting for me. “It’s getting late, don’t you want to rest some more? You still sound terrible.”

“Come. Sit. I insist.”

I blew out an annoyed breath and sat on the edge of the bed. I could entertain her for a moment, and hopefully, she’d tire herself out. “So, do you need anything from the kitchen? More tea? A snack?”

“A snack sounds lovely.” Grandmother leaned forward and placed her hand on mine, nails sinking in and as piercing as...his.

I swallowed, but my throat felt drier. “I really think that I should let you rest, Grandmother. I’d hate to disturb you any further.”

“I think you should stay right here.” She wiped her face with the back of her sleeve and took off her bonnet. Curly hair sprang from under it, and through smudged makeup, someone younger, prettier, and definitely not my grandmother glanced past me at the door. “Don’t you agree?”