“Oh, I understand,” I said. “You’re working hard to keep your ass covered. Keeping his room in place while your wife figures out how to handle it. Knowing the one thing that kept her with you is gone. Knowing that me here is nothing but a breathing reminder of what you did.”

  Alexander stepped forward.

  Annie put her hands out. “No. No. No. Not this way.” She began to whisper.

  A prayer?

  Elijah grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the door.

  He threw his shoulder into his own father and knocked him out of the way.

  “Where are you going?” Alexander bellowed down the hallway.

  “Ignore him,” Elijah whispered to me.

  “Elijah, stop,” I said. “That’s your father. Your only father. Your real father.”

  Elijah curled his lip. “I don’t give a shit who he is. He’s the same as yours. Just a different target and a different kind of hurt.”

  My heart shattered into a million pieces right in front of Elijah.

  My chin quivered and I burst into tears right there at the top of the steps.

  Oh god, not now… please not right now…

  But Elijah being who he was, he simply touched my face and looked into my eyes.

  “Nova, that hurt… you will never feel that hurt ever in your life with me.”

  * * *

  The drive was full of roads I had never been on before. Roads that twisted and turned, climbed and fell, were surrounded by trees and sometimes by nothing. Some of the trees were so big and reached so far over the road toward one another it gave the illusion that we were driving through a tunnel.

  Elijah held up a piece of paper with Cherry’s scribbled handwriting on it.

  “I think we make this left,” he said.

  “You think?” I asked.

  Elijah turned left.

  I put my feet up on the seat and hugged my legs.

  It was one thing to go to a cabin in the woods.

  Yeah, it was maybe a little creepy, but okay.

  It was a whole other thing to be taking random turns into the woods. That was how scary movies were made. And I had seen enough of those stupid movies to know you didn’t take random turns on random roads into random patches of woods.

  My heart raced and after a minute or so of driving, I turned my head, ready to unleash on Elijah.

  He needed to back the fucking car up and get back to the main road.

  I opened my mouth and Elijah threw the paper over his shoulder.

  “We’re here!” he yelled.

  I looked forward and there was the cabin.

  The roof was a rich dark brown color while the cabin itself looked like a reddish type wood. There were a couple windows on the front with a small porch that had two rocking chairs sitting on it. It was the most cliché cabin in the woods I had ever seen.

  And it made me smile.

  I never thought Elijah and I would ever have a chance to be alone like this. To finally be together and spend a night together. To just get away. To do something fun, a little crazy, but most importantly, to get rid of all the bullshit that would be waiting back in HCH.

  Elijah parked the car and threw open the door.

  He stood up with a smile on his face like I had never seen before.

  He looked into the car and waved his hand. “Come on. Let’s check it out. We’ll get the bags later, babe.”

  Elijah darted toward the cabin and I had to chase him down.

  At the front door, he stuck a key into the lock and turned it.

  Then he made a quick move and scooped me up into his arms.

  He carried me into the cabin and kicked the door shut behind him.

  The place smelled of wood and dust.

  My eyes wanted to look around but I was locked on his eyes.

  “Shit,” he whispered to me.

  “Shit,” I whispered back.

  “I guess we can do the tour later…”

  I licked my bottom lip. “Or maybe we can just start with the bedroom.”

  Chapter 17

  Elijah

  I kissed Nova’s bare shoulder and sucked in a deep breath.

  Each moment with her was like nothing I could have ever dreamed of. The intense feeling that rippled through me was impossible to describe and just as impossible to contain. She had fallen asleep after the tour of the bedroom. Which consisted of making sure the bed was there and what it felt like to be on it.

  And under the covers.

  Without our clothes on.

  I kissed her shoulder again and put my head back to the pillow.

  The cabin was definitely something I had never seen before. Everything was made from wood. And left that way. Just different shades of wood. It wasn’t some small and smelly cabin either. This thing was like a home. The main fireplace was the same fireplace that was in the bedroom where I had taken Nova.

  I smiled and pictured a place like this for us.

  Not for forever though.

  But a second house or whatever.

  I shut my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose.

  The future never held much for me in life. I always just basically existed and nothing more. The only planning I ever did was waiting for summer to come. Going through whatever motions were needed to get me to summer. Shit, the only reason I showed up to any of my classes and gave a damn was because if I didn’t pass, I would have to stay back over the summer to make up classes. That would mean missing a summer with Nova.

  And nothing could stop that.

  I looked over at Nova and shook my head.

  She made me fall in love with her. And she saved my ass from failing out of more classes than I cared to count.

  I rolled to my side and threw my arm around her and pulled her close.

  She let out a groan.

  Her warm body felt perfect against mine.

  My instant reaction to her skin was predictable and there was no hiding it.

  But I wasn’t exactly looking for round two… unless…

  I brushed my lips to her neck and kissed.

  One kiss.

  Two kisses.

  The flicker of my tongue, hoping to bring her back to life.

  Nova took a deep breath and stretched her neck, giving me more access. That’s when I slid my right hand down her arm, switching to her hip, then cutting forward and down. As my fingertips nestled between her legs, making small circles, she let out a sighing breath and rolled to her back.

  Her eyes slowly opened as her cheeks became flush.

  I pressed my lips to hers for a second. “It’s okay, babe. It’s just me.”

  “Oh, Elijah,” she purred into my mouth as I started to kiss her again.

  My fingers pressed harder against her welcoming body, searching what I had already had but could never have enough of.

  Her hips jolted up off the bed as she whimpered.

  She was letting loose. Not afraid of anything.

  Her right hand touched my stomach and moved down with speed.

  When she touched me, I froze.

  I gritted my teeth and broke the kiss, putting my forehead to hers so our eyes could lock paths as we touched each other.

  She tugged at me and I slowly eased my body on top of hers. My mind raced and reminded me I needed to stop what I was thinking of doing. I needed to get my bag out of the car and get what was inside there. I had only slipped one condom into the front pocket of my jeans and we had already used that one.

  Fuck.

  I was on top of Nova, our bodies separated by nothing but a few inches and miles of desire.

  I stole a kiss as I told myself to go get what I needed to protect ourselves.

  Nova lifted her hips again and the temptation swarmed me like a giant wave.

  “Oh, fuck, babe,” I whispered.

  “It’s okay,” she whispered back at me.

  My right hand gripped the sheets as tight as I could. We were playing a dangerous game. I knew better than to finish inside her sweet body but that didn’t mean we wouldn’t end up in trouble.

  Then again… what kind of trouble would that be?

  We were together. We loved each other. We knew right from wrong. All we had were each other and whatever time life planned on throwing our way.

  She bit my bottom lip and nodded.

  I lowered myself down.

  “I love you, Elijah,” Nova whispered.

  “Oh, fuck, babe, I love yo-”

  The front door to the cabin opened with a heavy, heart stopping thud.

  * * *

  Nova wrapped herself up in the sheets and jumped out of the bed.

  “Who is that?” she asked. “What if it’s a burglar? What if it’s a bear?”

  “A bear?” I asked as I scrambled to get my legs into my jeans. “I don’t think a bear would use the front door.”

  “You’d be surprised. I’ve seen stories…”

  “Nova,” I said. “Relax.”

  I put my shirt back on and looked around the room for a weapon.

  I grabbed the fireplace poker and rushed out of the bedroom.

  The front door was wide open.

  I thought maybe I hadn’t closed it the right way. And the wind blew it open.

  Then I heard a noise from the kitchen.

  “Shit,” I whispered.

  I rushed through the main room of the cabin and turned to get into the kitchen.

  I brought the fireplace poker back like a baseball bat.

  There was someone standing in the kitchen.

  “Hey!” I growled.

  The man standing with his back to me let out a bellowing yell and turned.

  He fell back into the fridge and put his hand out.

  He was a round dude with a round head and a white, bushy beard. He had a fat, red nose and was wearing a red and white checkered pattern flannel and jeans that looked to be two hundred years old.

  “Elijah?” he asked.

  “Yeah,” I said. “Who are you?”

  “I’m Larry,” he said. “Cherry’s friend. I watch the cabin for her.”

  “Larry,” I said. I lowered the fireplace poker and sighed. “What the hell, man?”

  “I told her I would meet you here,” he said. “Give you the tour. I was running late.”

  “So you just walk in?” I asked. “You scared us, man. I was ready to… whatever. Are you going to show up like this while we’re here?”

  “No,” Larry said in a deep voice. “Cherry wanted me to make sure you got here safe.”

  “Elijah?” a voice asked from behind me.

  I turned and Nova was in a towel.

  “Nova,” I said. “It’s fine. It was Larry.”

  “Of course it was Larry,” she said.

  “I’m sorry,” Larry said. “I’m used to just coming and going. Cherry was worried about you two. I hit a little traffic after getting the pizza so I-”

  “Pizza?” I asked.

  “Yeah,” Larry said. He opened the oven door. “Threw them in the oven to keep them warm. I’ll be out of your hair in a second here. I’m really sorry for the scare.”

  “Don’t worry about it,” I said. “She was just jumping in the shower. I was going to unpack.”

  “I’ll show you how to build a fire before I leave,” Larry said.

  “I know how to do that,” I said.

  “You do?” Larry asked.

  “You do?” Nova asked.

  “Yeah,” I said. “Thanks for the pizza.”

  “Sure thing,” Larry said. “Cherry wasn’t sure if you knew how to cook or not.”

  I let out a sigh and rubbed my jaw. “We’re fine here. I promise. We’re fine, Larry.”

  “Then I’m leaving,” he said. “I won’t be back unless you need me. Just keep in touch with Cherry. Enjoy your stay.”

  Larry hobbled to the side door off the kitchen and was gone.

  I looked at Nova.

  She started to laugh and fell against me.

  “What the hell was that about?” I asked.

  “Fucking Larry,” she said.

  “Yeah, right. Fucking Larry.”

  She wiped the corners of her eyes from laughing so hard. “Do you really know how to build a fire?”

  I turned and grabbed her by the hips and pulled her close. “Trust me, babe, if there’s one thing I know I’m good at in this world, it’s setting fires.”

  * * *

  I tossed a few of the fresh pieces of cut wood into the fire and fell back to my ass and let out a sigh. Lucky for me, Nova had been in the shower so she didn’t see the actual process of me starting the fire. Which required way too much paper, a lot of cursing, and a few prayers so I could make the night perfect for her.

  “You did it,” Nova said as she emerged from the bathroom.

  Her blonde hair was darker than normal from being wet. Her eyes still the same color blue. Making goddamn feelings of love radiate through me so fast.

  “Told you,” I said.

  She was in one of my hoodies and managed to swipe my pajama bottoms from my bag. Which was cool. I was fine with sleeping in jeans. Or nothing but the feel of Nova’s body against mine.

  “How?” she asked.

  “How what?” I asked.

  “How did you know?”

  “Learned.”

  “Elijah. How?”

  I patted the floor next to me.

  Nova sat down and put her head to my shoulder. “I used to run away a lot. Big surprise. I couldn’t stand being home. In some fucked up way, babe, I think my mother chose Alexander to sleep with knowing he was rich and that he was married. Knowing that all it took was one fuck to get pregnant.”

  “That’s kind of sick.”

  “Welcome to the birth of Elijah,” I said.

  “Well, whatever then. I’m glad she got that one fuck then.”

  I laughed. “My entire life has been her trying to milk money out of Alexander. And plenty of other things. So I would bolt. Darius and Simon would come with me. We’d hide in the woods and that’s where I learned to do this shit.”

  “Wow. That’s so… sad yet cool.”

  “Yeah?” I asked.

  “Totally,” Nova said. “I bet Wes can’t even light a candle.”

  I laughed. “Now you’re getting like me. Hating for no reason.”

  “Oh well,” she said.

  “How about a drink and something to eat?”

  “Please,” she said.

  I stood up and pulled Nova to her feet.

  I walked to the liquor cabinet and crouched in front of it.

  When I opened the door, it was empty.

  I rubbed my jaw and laughed.

  “What?” Nova called out.

  “Cherry,” I said. “She’s smart.”

  I walked to my bag as I had already packed something for us.

  Nova was on the couch and staring above the fireplace.

  “Here,” I said. “I always come prepared.”

  Nova pointed. “What the hell is that?”

  I turned and saw a deer mounted above the fireplace.

  “It’s a deer, Nova.”

  “I know what it is,” she said. “But… why?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe Larry shot it. It gives the cabin that rustic feel.”

  “It’s creepy as fuck, Elijah.”

  I looked at Nova. “Want me to take it down?”

  “Yeah,” she said.

  “I have a better idea,” I said. “Watch…”

  I grabbed a perfectly folded blanket off the back of one of the chairs and I climbed up on the coffee table.

  “What are you doing?” Nova asked.

  “Covering it up,” I said. “Don’t need this thing staring at us.”

  “Look at how sweet and smart you are,” she said. “A guy that could survive outside of HCH. I knew I loved you for a reason.”

  I tossed the blanket and hit the deer on the nose.

  I caught the blanket and curled my lip.

  “Sorry, man,” I said. “She’s hotter than you. You gotta get covered up.”

  I threw the blanket again.

  It hooked over the antlers but didn’t cover the deer up all the way. The antler stuck through one of the knitted holes, leaving the blanket bunched up, exposing the deer’s right eye.

  “Now it’s creepier,” Nova said.

  She laughed at me.

  “I’ll get it,” I said. “Relax.”

  I pulled at the blanket. I shook it left to right, trying to somehow get it loose.

  “Fuck,” I whispered.

  I pulled the blanket again and this time the entire deer mount fell off the wall.

  Nova let out a scream as I jumped back off the table to the couch.

  I crashed next to her as the deer mount hit the brick of the fireplace.

  It hit with a thud and two of the antlers broke off.

  “Oh, shit,” Nova said, laughing.

  She held her stomach and kicked her feet.

  “This is your fault,” I said.

  “My fault?”

  “Yeah. It creeped you out.”

  “You pulled it down,” she said. “You needed better aim with the blanket.”

  “My aim is fine, babe,” I said.

  “What do we do now?” Nova asked.

  Her eyes were wide. Full of life. Full of excitement.

  “Glue the fucker back together and find a ladder to hang it back up.”

  “Awesome,” she said.

  “But first… something to eat and drink.”

  “Deal,” she said. I leaned toward her and she pointed. “That thing is still looking at me.”

  I laughed.

  I jumped off the couch and grabbed the deer mount by what was left of the antlers and carried it into the kitchen.

  I put it on the small kitchen table and threw it the middle finger.

  Never thought in my life I’d get cock blocked by a deer.

  * * *

  We ate, drank, found glue in the kitchen drawer, fixed the damn deer, and then I went out into a small shed and got a ladder to hang the thing back up. Nova told me this time she would just not look up at it so it wouldn’t creep her out. Which would have been a good idea in the first place.

 

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