Chapter 17

Sarah

When I wake on Sunday morning, I don’t feel so lost and out of place anymore. I’m starting to like the cabin. It’s cozy, and ever since Graham put up the decorations, it feels more cheerful.

When I open the curtains, it’s still snowing. I thought it would have been over by now, but I guess not. I watch the flakes swirl down to a white wonderland that looks nothing like the landscape we saw when we drove up to the cabin for the first time.

I doubt we’ll be able to leave the cabin with this weather. Graham said it was impossible yesterday. I don’t think the extra snowfall made things better.

I get dressed in jeans, a long-sleeved shirt and a jersey, complete with slippers because I’m freezing. I’ll let Graham start another fire. I know how to do it, but it’s been a while, and with a man in the house, I should take advantage of it while I can.

Graham is still sleeping in the second bedroom, so I creep to the kitchen. The fridge is fully stocked now, I’m glad he bought so many groceries if we’re going to be stuck here for some time, and I find eggs and bacon. I take bread from the pantry and start cooking. I’m relieved there is still electricity, despite the constant snowfall. I switched off my phone last night to save the battery, just in case, but so far, it looks all right. Still, I don’t want to risk it.

The smell of food fills the little cabin very quickly, and the hot plate heats the place up as well.

“You’re up early,” Graham says behind me.

I look over my shoulder at him. He’s dressed as well, his hair still mussed from sleep.

“Body clock,” I say. When it’s the school term, I set an alarm for early in the morning, so when I have time off, I wake up early, even when I don’t set an alarm to wake me.

“And you’re cooking,” he adds. “You don’t have to do that.”

I smile and shake my head. “I know, but I want to. Seeing that I’m staying here — even though it’s your place — you’re technically my guest. I’m making sure you eat.”

Graham chuckles. He builds a fire for me as I hoped he would before he sits at the little table that’s pushed against the wall.

“It’s the smell of bacon that woke me,” Graham says.

“There’s nothing like bacon,” I answer.

When the food is done, I plate it and sit down at the table with Graham.

“This looks fantastic,” he says.

“Not bad for being snowed in. It’s thanks to you and your idea to buy so many groceries. I don’t know why you did it, but it might save us. God knows how long we’ll be stuck here.”

Graham shakes his head. “I was trying to impress you.”

“Well, impression made,” I smile at him.

When breakfast is over, Graham and I wash up together, making sure everything is as clean as before I started. The cabin is small. Letting it get messy will be a mistake. Besides, I don’t feel comfortable dirtying up his place when I’m staying here for free. I realize that I’m not as comfortable in this space as I thought.

“Do you want to watch another movie?” Graham asks.

I nod. Another movie sounds great. Graham and I decide on the animated Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas. I love that we have the same taste, and this one is an absolute classic. I grew up with this one.

Graham and I sit closer together than last night, and he puts his arm around me. I like that he pulls me against him, into the warmth of his body. Everything about the setting is romantic. The fire crackling in the hearth, a movie that brings back childhood memories, snow outside the window, and the Christmas decorations on the walls.

I lean against Graham, pushing my body up against his. He’s stroking my arm with his thumb, and the movement is soothing and a turn on, all at the same time. When he comments on the show and I look up at him, his face is closer than I expected, and my breath hitches in my throat. He tips his head down to look at me, and everything falls away except me and Graham and the bubble we’re suddenly caught in.

He lowers his face, and his lips brush against mine so softly it seems like a question. I shiver. He hasn’t kissed me since I heard that I was going to be evicted. Since then, he’s been nothing more than a great friend, someone who’s there for me in my time of need. Now, alone together, it feels like the passion we started out with has returned.

I kiss him back, and it goes from soft and gentle to urgent quickly. His tongue is in my mouth, his arms around my body, pulling me closer and my hands are in his hair. Desire fuels me, and I feel like I’m burning from the inside out. God, I want this. I want him. I want him to peel my clothes off me, layer by layer, until I’m completely naked. I want to spread a blanket on the floor in front of the fireplace and have his naked body on top of mine as he fucks me.

I’m breathing hard, and it matches his.

Graham stops and pulls back from me, panting. I frown.

“What’s wrong?” I ask. For a moment, I worry that I did something wrong or that his phone is on vibrate and it just went off again.

Graham swallows hard, his lips parted. “We shouldn’t do this,” he says.

“Why?”

Why does this keep happening to me? Every time I think there will be more, there is some reason why we end up stopping. Before, it was out of our control. This time, Graham is making a move.

“You’ve been through a lot, Sarah. Having to leave your home, moving into a new place, being snowed in. It’s a lot to deal with. Not to mention me and my sister. We both have a lot on our plate, and I think that we should slow down.”

I nod. A part of me is screaming at him, irritated that he is doing this. Another part, the rational part, tells me he’s right. It will only add to the complications in both our lives.

“I think you’re right,” I say. Thankfully, Graham doesn’t move away from me.

“I just want to spend time with you,” he says. “Is that okay?”

I nod. Of course, it’s okay. I want to spend time with him, too. Being with him is comfortable, safe. We settle back against the couch and carry on watching the movie. We didn’t miss much, although part of me wishes we did.

I’m lucky to have someone like Graham in my life. He so rational, taking everything into account, and he never pressures me to do anything. When everything in my life was tipped upside down, he offered me a place to stay. He even went above and beyond by buying me groceries and creating the atmosphere of Christmas in the cabin, even though it’s not home. Everything he’s done was with me in mind, and it feels amazing to be treated like something special.

Yes, us being stranded together in the cabin was not part of the plan, but I can’t say I hate it.