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“I’m Cade. I live across the way, saw you pull in.” Then I nod, standing up and brushing off my jeans. “I’m happy to start your fire. But next time, don’t wait until you’re half-frozen to ask for help.”
She opens her mouth to argue, but the look in my eyes stops her. There’s something there, something that I can’t quite name, and it’s not just about the fire. It’s about her. And me.
“Goodnight, Lena,” I say, my voice low as I head for the door. I need to get out of here before I do something stupid, like pull her into my arms and kiss the breath out of her.
“Goodnight,” she replies, her voice trailing off as she watches me leave.
I step out into the cold night, the wind biting at my skin, but I hardly feel it. The warmth of the fire lingers on my skin, along with the memory of her standing there, looking at me like she’s waiting for something.
As I walk away, I can’t help but think that maybe, just maybe, she’s not as alone as she thinks.
two
LENA
I wakeup to the cold, a chill that’s settled into my bones despite the fire Cade helped me with last night. The cabin is quiet, too quiet, and I’m reminded once again how far I am from the city, from everything I know. I rub my arms, trying to chase away the cold, but it’s not just the temperature that has me feeling off. It’s the emptiness, the loneliness of this place. I came here to escape, to find some kind of peace, but now I’m starting to wonder if I made a mistake.
I step outside, the cold air biting at my skin. The woodpile is still there, the axe leaning against it, and I know I need to start the day, to prove to myself that I can do this. But before I can even pick up the axe, I hear footsteps crunching in the leaves. I turn around, and there’s Cade, striding toward me like he owns the place.
“Morning,” he says, his voice gruff as usual.
“Morning,” I reply, trying to keep my tone neutral. But it’s hard when he’s looking at me like that, like he can see right through me. Like he knows exactly how lost I feel out here.
“So, what brings you out here anyways?” he asks, surprising me. He doesn’t seem the type to make small talk, and the question catches me off guard.
“I—” I hesitate, not sure how much to share. But something about his gaze makes me want to open up, to tell him the truth. “I needed to get away,” I finally say. “From the city, from my job, from everything. My uncle left me this cabin in his will, and I thought... I thought maybe I could find some peace out here.”
Cade nods, like he understands more than he’s letting on. “City life too much for you?”
I shrug, trying to downplay it. “Something like that. It just feel like there should be more to life than working on a laptop in an apartment I can hardly afford ... I thought maybe a change of scenery would help me figure out what I really want.”
“And has it?” he asks, his eyes locking onto mine.
I swallow, feeling the weight of his gaze. “I don’t know yet. It’s... only been one day. It is for sure a lot quieter. But I’m not sure if that’s a good thing.”
He studies me for a moment, his gaze intense. “You’ll get used to it. Or you won’t. Either way, you’ll figure it out.”
There’s something in his tone, something that makes me think he’s talking about more than just being alone in a cabin. “What about you?” I ask, needing to shift the focus off myself. “Why do you live out here?”
Cade’s expression hardens, and for a moment, I think he’s not going to answer. But then he sighs, running a hand through his hair. “I came out here to get away too,” he admits. “I used to live in the city, had a life there, but it wasn’t for me. Too much noise, too many people. I needed space, quiet. My family wasn’t too happy about it, but I needed to be somewhere I could think. That was six months ago.”
“And you found that here?” I ask, genuinely curious.
He nods. “Yeah. Out here, it’s just me and the land. No distractions, no complications. It’s... peaceful.”
Peaceful. That’s the word I’ve been searching for, the feeling I’ve been hoping to find. But looking at Cade, I realize there’s more to his story, more to why he’s out here, alone. “Do you ever miss it?” I ask softly. “The city, I mean?”
He hesitates, then shakes his head. “Not really. There are things I miss, sure, but not enough to go back. This is where I belong.”
There’s a finality in his words, a certainty that I envy. He knows who he is, what he wants. And I’m still trying to figure that out. “Must be nice,” I murmur, half to myself.
Cade’s eyes soften, just a fraction, and he steps even closer. “It’s not about where you are, Lena. It’s about finding your place, wherever that is.”
His words hit me deep, and I nod, feeling a lump rise in my throat. I don’t know if this is my place, but something about the way Cade is looking at me, the way he’s standing so close, makes me think maybe I could find it here. Maybe I could find it with him.
But before I can say anything else, Cade’s gaze shifts, and his expression hardens again. “Storm’s coming,” he says, his tone all business now. “You’re not gonna make it through the night if you don’t let me help you.”
I blink, the sudden change in tone throwing me off. “I can handle it,” I say, but even as the words leave my mouth, I know they’re not true. I’m not ready for a storm, not out here, not alone.
