“No, he doesn’t really have a phone.” I sighed. “He probably doesn’t want to hear from me anyway since I got him arrested.”
“Damn, he was hot.” She raised her eyebrows a couple of times. “I’d love to get trapped in a cabin with him for a few days.”
“He was a gentleman.” I said, although technically it was a lie.
“I wouldn’t want him to be a gentleman.” She licked her lips. “You missed out.”
“Yeah, I guess...” I shrugged.
I didn’t miss out on anything—I had every inch of him inside of me.
She had no idea what it was really like at that cabin—nobody did except for the two of us that spent time there. The chill of winter was in the air and the cold made me think of him. I had thought time would separate me from those feelings, but it hadn’t done anything to pause the longing I felt when he crossed my mind. When he entered my thoughts, my heart shuttered. When the thoughts got a little hotter, I got so wet and excited I had to satisfy myself just to maintain my sanity.
I drove in silence as I approached my apartment. I could have gone to the mountains with Amelia and the rest of my friends, but Wolf Creek almost felt like it occurred in another lifetime. I wasn’t sure I could see a mountain cabin and not go rushing off in the middle of the night to find him. He might not be there to save me if I got lost again.
I parked in the back of the apartment building and walked around the corner to the front door. It would be a lonely night, a lonely winter break—a continuation of what had become a lonely life. When I got to the top floor, I heard a noise behind me. I turned around to see my neighbor, Paul, opening his door. He stopped when he saw me and gave me a slight nod.
“I know you keep telling me no, but the invitation is always open.” He folded his arms and leaned against the wall. “One night out wouldn’t kill you, you might even enjoy yourself.”
“You’re sweet.” I smiled. “I’m just not looking for that right now.”
“You can’t blame me for asking.” He turned and walked towards the elevator.
Paul wasn’t the first guy to ask me out, but he was the most persistent. The problem with all of them was they barely even compared to Shane. I couldn’t take them seriously when I was certain they didn’t know how to build a fire, much less protect me. They were nice enough, but there was just something missing in every one of them.
I didn’t feel like I could just settle for a lesser man. The fact it would be settling was the worst part. I had tasted something that couldn’t be replicated, which meant I was always going to compare them to the man who showed me what it meant to be a woman. I sat down on my couch and turned on the television, trying to find something decent to watch.
I poured a glass of wine and sipped it while I skimmed through the television. A yawn confirmed it would be a short evening, and I didn’t care. Sleep sounded better than the meaningless rattle of the television and it came quickly once I turned the television off.
I WOKE UP THE NEXT day and showered, putting on my makeup just for the sake of going out to get food. I checked my mail and headed towards the exit, when I saw the man at the front desk waving towards me.
“Ms. Westbrook.” He smiled when I approached.
“Yeah?” I asked.
“This came for you. I was supposed to give it to you last night, but I was on break when you arrived. I hope it wasn’t time sensitive.” He grimaced as he handed me a folded piece of paper.
“Thanks.” I took it from him and held it up to the light.
I had no idea who could have left something for me at the front desk. Everyone I knew would call or text before they would bother with the trouble of pen and paper. The front was scrawled with ‘Heather’ in dark black ink. I turned it over in my hands and then started to open it, trying to figure out exactly what it was.
Across the top of the paper were the words Wolf Creek, faded but clearly visible. It was a map. I continued unfolding it and I saw a red line drawn from my apartment to a spot in the mountains. My heart started to beat hard in my chest when I realized exactly where it was pointing.
Holy shit...Is this?
It felt like a dream suddenly manifested in real life. I walked over to the light and unfolded it completely on a table. It was the size of two regular sheets of paper with my apartment on one side and Wolf Creek on the other. I traced the line, one that led straight to Shane’s cabin.
I looked over at the man at the desk to ask him who left it for me, but he was already gone. I stared at the paper and then I noticed there was writing along the bottom. I traced it with my fingers as my eyes opened wide.
You know where you belong.
Chapter 12: Shane
Someone once said that if you love something, let it go. If it comes back to you, then it was meant to be. That person was a fucking idiot. There was no glory in letting love slip away over a proverb.
There was certainly no excitement in spending the long months alone in my cabin once Heather was gone. I missed her every day. I craved her. Each day we were apart drove me mad and I simply couldn’t allow the madness to consume me. I considered getting a cell phone, but I didn’t even know her number.
I knew I could probably find out if I tried, but embracing technology wasn’t me, even if it meant I got to hear her voice again. It was strange to try and comprehend how a few days together turned me into a monster hellbent on possessing my blonde goddess once again, but I couldn’t get her off my mind.