Chapter 15
Mykayla
I make myself take another drink of water as I peer out the kitchen window. There’s not a thing to see, of course. The snow’s blocking most of the glass and it’s pitch black out there anyway. But I can’t keep from trying. Jase’s out there. If there’s anyone I need to see right now, it’s him. He’ll say something, the perfect thing, and fix everything.
Or at least, make me feel better. It’s all so unbelievable. Here I am, upset that Linc doesn’t want a relationship with me or Jase.
Now that’s something I never thought I’d be upset about. Being with Linc. But ever since we all got together, he’s been like a changed man. Nothing at all like he was whenever we’d communicate over chat. Or when he and I were alone here at first. It’s as if he’s letting me see who he really is now. That his work persona is just that. An image.
I still can’t believe I’m falling for him right along with Jase. But like I told him, it feels right. I can’t come up with a better way to say it. That barely even covers how I feel about both of these men. But it’s all I’ve got.
My stomach growls and I sip at my glass of water. We’re cutting back even more on how much we eat at a time so we won’t run out of food. None of us thought we’d be stuck here this long. So we weren’t careful at first.
Now we have to be.
Maybe that’s why Linc said what he did. He’s just hungry. But as much as I want to believe that, I can’t. He looked me in the eye and said he doesn’t want to be with Jase and I after we get out of here.
I didn’t see that coming. I so thought we were all on the same page. Jase couldn’t be happier. Neither could I. Until now.
Setting the glass down, I rub at my eyes. It’s getting darker in here. I glance at the candle I carried in with me just in time to see it go out. Oh, no. That’s one of the last ones we have. I toy around with it, trying to coax some of the wick out from the small pool of white wax it’s drowning in. But it’s hopeless.
I cast around for a solution. There’s no way I want to call out to Linc to come in with the candle I left with him back in the living room. Even if he’s still in there, I don’t need his help.
Over in the corner of the counter, there’s a single oil lamp left from the ones we collected and scattered around into the rooms we’d need them in. We haven’t used it yet, since we’re always walking in here with the candles that we carry around to light our way.
Yes. It’s full of oil. All of its glass sides are missing, but that doesn’t matter. It’ll light my way just fine. It blazes up as soon as I light it. Swallowing down the last of my water, I ignore the temptation to grab something to eat and head out to my room.
The hallway’s freezing. But I’m not going back to the fireplace, not now. I can’t be around Linc, or I might say something I’ll regret. Not that he wouldn’t deserve it. But getting into an argument with him is not something I want. Not right now. Once Jase gets back, we’ll all eat some dinner together. Maybe he can talk some sense into Linc. He’s the one who came up with the idea of a threesome in the first place. If he believes that kind of a relationship can work out, so do I. So surely he can convince Linc of that too.
But do I want to be with someone who has to be convinced? No. No, it’s not about being convinced about having a relationship with me or Jase. It’s only about believing that a threesome can work when we’re not trapped in a cabin. Not about being convinced to be with us. Because there’s no point to that.
Still, I can’t help but wonder. Is it only the threesome thing that’s making Linc say no to it? Or is it that he just doesn’t want to be with me? Maybe he was just being nice. Making up a polite reason to get out of it. As much as I have feelings for him, I don’t know what he’s truly thinking about everything that’s gone on here.
I reach my bedroom and go right to the dresser. I want to try and see if I can fit another pair of socks over the ones I’ve got on.
I manage to force one on, but I’m struggling with the second.
“Mykayla.” It’s Linc, standing in the doorway. His voice sounding unexpectedly in the silence startles me. I lose my balance slightly and grab at the edge of the dresser to steady myself. My hand bumps against the oil lamp and it tips over onto the floor. Oil spills out everywhere. Before I can even curse in frustration, it’s burning.
Holy fuck. It’s going everywhere. Flames lick up around me and I freeze in place. Linc’s expression turns to one of horror. He comes closer, holding his hand out to me, as close to the flames as he can get.
“Mykayla. Jump over it. It’s not that high. Jump over it and come over here to me.”
I want to do what he’s telling me. But my limbs are frozen. I can’t make myself move.