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Cole is the fucked up one, but I refrain from bringing him up right now. Besides, I think Callum knows exactly what I mean.
We walk a bit further into the woods and then Callum points to a tree and says, “How’s this one?”
“What do you mean?” I ask, confused, looking at the sparse and honestly sad looking tree.
“For our Christmas tree.”
He’s really getting us a Christmas tree. I assumed I would be missing all the holidays while trapped here.
“Oh. Absolutely not. That is no Christmas tree.” I laugh and put my hands on my hips, looking around. “There! That one.” I point to a tree that looks lush and sturdy. I notice It’s about as tall as Callum as he walks over to it.
“You got it,” he says. Then he takes out a small hand saw from his jacket and begins to cut the tree down.
The thought of running does cross my mind as he’s down on the ground distracted. I look around and it's just snow-covered trees as far as my eyes can see. My thoughts of running are interrupted as the evergreen tree falls with a soft cushioned sound as it hits the snowy ground. Callum puts the saw back into his jacket then grabs the tree up over his head and we walk back to the cabin.
Before we make it to the front steps I lean down and touch the snow. I had the urge to feel it between my fingers. My fingertips burn with the coldness, but I delight in it.
I grab a handful quickly forming it into a ball and throw it at Callum hitting him right in the back of the head. Snow bursts apart in a cloud and sprinkles over him. He stops dead in his tracks, drops the tree and slowly turns to me.
“Did you really just throw a snowball at me? What are you five?” He says with a serious face, but with a glint in his eyes.
I smirk and shrug. He swiftly crouches down gathering snow into compact balls and begins launching them at me. I squeal and run trying to dodge them while retaliating with my own flurry of snowballs. I'm tripping and nearly falling with every step from his oversized boots on my feet.
We move in circles in the front yard going back and forth throwing and dodging until he makes his way closer and closer.
He sweeps me off my feet, spinning me in the air before he sends us falling to the snow covered ground. I lay on top of him with his arms still around me, both of us erupting with laughter. It feels good to laugh, but then it feels too good and a wave of emotion washes over me, causing my eyes to well up. I stop laughing and Callum follows suit. Our faces are so close and I can see his eyes clearer than ever out here. I've never seen eyes like his. Callum’s eyes lack the depth of Cole’s oceanic blue eyes, but they're even more electric and the icy hue in them sends a shiver through me. They’re truly breathtaking.
Our chests are still rising and falling heavily from running around and our breaths mingle between us in the cold winter air. He lifts a hand up and brings it to my face as he pushes a strand of hair away behind my ear. The gesture is so pure, my cheeks flush and my heart feels like it’s fluttering. I suddenly panic and rise to my feet, brushing the snow off me.
“We should get back inside,” I say. Callum has an unreadable expression as he slowly stands, brushing the snow off himself while avoiding eye contact.
“You're right. Let’s get this tree up before Cole gets home,” he says, then walks us back to the cabin, back to my prison.
Callum
We set the tree up in the living room and then I start a fire while I watch Lana decorate the tree with soft white lights and some simple red and gold ornaments I picked up. I help her when even on her tiptoes she can’t reach the higher up spots. She seems happy and I'm glad I could give this to her. Witnessing this sends a deep emotion stirring in me since this is actually my first Christmas tree experience.
“I have a confession,” I say to Lana. She looks at me curiously.
“This is my first time doing the whole Christmas tree thing.”
“What? No way!” she says with surprise.
“Yea, at least as far back as I can remember. I think when my mom was still alive she did this stuff for us, but I was three when she died so I don't have any memories of that and after—well like I said, our dad was a real piece of shit and never did anything like this for us. Holidays and birthdays just didn't exist.”
“That’s so sad. I'm so sorry.” Lana says with genuine empathy.
“It's all good. I was used to it and grew up that way so I didn't really know what I was missing out on until middle school when I would hear other kids talking about Christmas and their birthday parties. I actually became a little obsessed with watching Christmas movies just so I could experience it a little bit,” I chuckle.
“Oh, Callum.” She places her hand on mine.
“I'm not sharing this for sympathy or anything. I just wanted you to know that I'm glad I'm getting to truly experience this for the first time, with you.” I break eye contact and run a hand through my hair nervously and look back to the tree.
I feel her squeeze my hand once more and then she pulls her legs up and settles further back onto the couch.
After another hour of just hanging out on the couch talking and listening to the fire crackle, I stand.
“I hate this next part but Cole will be coming down that road any minute now. I have to put this back on,” I say as I bring out the shackle and chain.
