Exactly. “I know.” I put an arm around her shoulder.
Ethan sighs, and we all feel it. It’s all just … wrong.
Like melting snow, everything is disappearing under our noses: the echoing laughter bouncing off the cabin walls; the smell of sex as we staggered up the hallway to our bedroom; all those long candlelit conversations, sharing secrets, and desires, and more …
“I guess it’s time to go then,” Ethan says finally, his expression mirroring the heaviness I’m sure we’re all feeling in our hearts.
“Yeah,” I say quietly, and Juniper dips her head, clinging to my side.
We don our coats and boots for the final time then step out onto the deck to join the pattern of footsteps already laid by us, the messy dance of three sets of boot prints—and so much more.
Ethan takes our bags down to our dinky little car, which is of course even more laughably tiny now it’s dwarfed by Juniper’s “eye sore” of a campervan beside it.
“So um …” Juniper looks us over then side-eyes our hire car. “Lemme know if you need a tow, yeah?” She smirks, and we chuckle. This is the way we are around here, around each other. Always smiling, giggling, having fun.
“If we ever get trapped in a snowstorm again—” I say, but I’m too sad to even finish the joke.
“Take care.” Ethan pulls us both close. He kisses Juniper on one cheek, and I kiss her on the other. Then we climb into that stupid little car and drive away from one of the best holidays I’ve ever had.
“That was one hell of a honeymoon,” I tell Ethan as we turn at the top of the road, not looking back.
He puts a hand on my thigh. “Well worth the wait,” he says, and I return his smile.
“Definitely,” I say, a little teary. “I mean, the host really went above and beyond.” I giggle, and then we both laugh loudly.
“Oh yeah,” he says. “I’m thinking five stars onTrip Advisorfor sure.”
I nod, my gaze on the road ahead. “Beautiful accommodation. Great food … And the sex far surpassed my wildest dreams.”
We wind our way through the snowy mountains, passing endless firs bathed in snow and soft sunlight. My GPS is still mega glitchy, and really no help at all, but we have Juniper’s handwritten directions to guide us back to where we need to be.
We blast hot air through the car vents, but it still takes time for us to thaw.
When we eventually grow warm again, and my phone works out where the heck we are, and where we’re supposed to go, I smile at Ethan. “So what’s next on the agenda?”
“I dunno.” He smiles right back. “Maybe a foursome?”
Epilogue
Ican’tstopstaringatmy phone. Well, except for when I’m staring at the door. My little countdown widget reads, “0 days.” Zero days! I grin down at the number, or lack thereof.
She’ll be here any minute.
I pocket my phone then rub my hand over my jeans. Fuck me. I bite my lip. I’m nervous as hell.
I drag myself away from the window to sit beside Ethan on the sofa.
“When did she say she’d be here?” he asks again, the second I sit down.
I take my phone back out, but it’s only been two minutes since he last asked me. “She said she was about fifteen minutes out … but that was about half an hour ago …”
Ethan pouts, and I tilt my head to one side.
I know. I miss her too.
He unties his hair then smooths it again, teasing his dark locks back into a tight bun. It’s grown loads since Christmas, and though I wasn’t super keen on the whole man bun thing at thetime, now … Well, I’m starting to think this guy could pull off any look he tries. Bastard. Oh, and why is it called a man bun anyway? It’s a bun. A sexy bun. An Ethan bun!
Not that I can say anything about hair. I smooth my hand over the side of my head. The shaved part. The “Look at me, I’m totally bisexual! Just check out my fresh undercut!” part. I have the little “binosaur” pin badge of the tri-coloured t-rex, the carabiner with my house key on it, and now, at last, I have a queer haircut!
