Always You(33)

“I guess it depends on what I get offered next. Whether I still want to teach. What you’re up to . . . ” Why was my heart racing? Talking about the future scared the shit out of me, but talking about a future with Wrenn was almost unbearable. “If we’re together, and you’re in Boston, then that’s where I’ll be, too.”

She smiled at me and wrapped her hand over mine, and the feel of our skin touching was incredible. She stared at me for a minute, as though a thought was forming in her head.

“Do you think we can do this? I mean, actually make it work?” she asked quietly.

“Why not? People form relationships all the time. Why not us?” I shrugged.

I sounded so sure of myself, so sure of us. What I didn’t admit was that I’d asked myself that same question. What if, after all this, we just didn’t work? I squeezed her hand again.

“I can’t tell you how this is going to turn out, Wrenn. All I can do is promise that I will do my best to make this work, if that’s what we decide we want.”

She nodded, her eyes meeting mine. “I think I’m already past making that decision,” she said, her voice soft.

***

I pulled into the cobblestoned driveway of the cabin, the movement waking Wrenn up. She gazed out of the window in confusion, as if she’d completely forgotten where she was. She glanced at me, blinking a few times, then back at the log cabin that was our home for the night.

I’d gone all out, wanting to make this special. I couldn’t wait to see her face when she saw how beautiful it was inside.

We got out of the car, the fresh country smell almost overwhelming.

“This is beautiful.” She turned slowly, taking in the breathtaking views of Forest Lake and its surroundings.

“Wait until you see inside.” I grabbed her hand and walked up the path to the front balcony. Using the key that had been left for us, I opened the lock, swinging open the door. Wrenn went in first, and I followed her.

“Holy shit. This place is amazing,” she squeaked.

I grinned. For the amount I was paying, it had f*cking better be. One night had almost cost me the equivalent of one week’s pay.

I walked into the living area where Wrenn was standing. Okay. This was pretty nice. The open space made it feel much bigger than it actually was. The bedroom was off to the left, with the bathroom. A huge balcony wrapped around the right side of the cottage. Floor-to-ceiling windows separated the living area from the balcony.

“Holy shit, a hot tub! A freaking hot tub!” I jumped as Wrenn started squealing. She threw her arms around my neck, and I couldn’t help but chuckle. I saw glimpses of her youth in moments like this. She pressed her lips against mine, her hands working their way under my jacket and shirt, and onto the bare skin of my back.

“Fuck, your hands are freezing!” I gasped, trying to pull away from her.

She laughed and held onto me, refusing to let me get away until I could no longer feel the cold in her.

I kissed her again; just having her so close was making me hard. I grabbed her hand and lifted her into my arms. She laughed as I carried her into the living room and threw her onto the big three-seater suede sofa.

“I’m going to make you a hot cocoa, then I’m going to cook you dinner.”

“You cook?” she asked, impressed.

I nodded proudly. I wasn’t the world’s greatest cook, but I could throw a decent meal together.

“How about we both cook?” she asked.

“If you insist,” I replied. “I will be back.”

I grabbed our bags and put them in the bedroom, throwing my wallet and phone on the nightstand. Back in the kitchen, I heated up a pot of milk, and then added the cocoa and sugar, stirring it until it dissolved. I poured it into the two mugs I’d gotten out and added a few marshmallows. I carried the steaming hot drinks back to the living room along with a bag of cookies.

“Thanks,” she smiled, taking the mug with both hands. She brought it to her lips and took a sip, her lips parting into a grin. “Perfect.”

“So, what did you tell your aunt about where you are?” I asked.

“With Kass. She and Trina have gone away. Layna thinks I’m with them.” She smiled gleefully as she took another sip of cocoa.

“Are you hungry?” I asked her.

She nodded. “Starving.”

“Come on then.”

We went into the kitchen. She walked around the counter and sat down on one of the bar stools, her hands flat out in front of her. “What are we having?”

“Spaghetti à la Reid,” I said proudly.

“Can you elaborate on that?” she grinned, raising her eyebrows.

“Sure. It’s spaghetti, onion, garlic, tomato, basil, and my secret ingredient—anchovies.”

“Ugh. No way!” she screwed her nose up in disgust. “Sorry, but I draw the line at those fishy little monsters.”

“You can’t even taste it once it’s dissolved into the sauce,” I protested.

She shook her head adamantly.

“Fine. I’ll omit the anchovies in yours.” I begrudgingly agreed.

I placed a cutting board, an onion, and a clove of garlic in front of her and handed her a knife.

“Finely diced?” she asked. I nodded. While she did that, I put a pot of water on the stove to boil. Heating the frying pan, I splashed in some olive oil and added the very nicely diced onion and garlic, my mouth salivating at the smell filling the air.