Dex
I rented a small one-bedroom cabin with promises I would take the couch. It seemed even colder here, if that were possible, probably because there were no tall city buildings to buffer the frigid, whipping wind. When I rented the cabin, the man at the desk went on and on about the hot springs, the northern lights, and the many activities available to us here. I just looked at all this as my opportunity to finish my job.
True, I’d thought about maybe just going into the void for all eternity (the unprogrammed side of me), but that idea really wasn’t that appealing so it was back to plan A.
I let us into the small wooden cabin and shut the door against the cold, looking for a light switch. The small room flooded with light when I found it, and Piper went around pulling open the heavy drapes to reveal wide views of bare landscape and snow. Off in the distance was some water that looked icy even from here.
There was a very large couch in some kind of Navaho print in red and blue with two large leather chairs off to the side. A wood-burning stove sat directly adjacent from the couch and across the room was a pine table with seating for four. There was also a small kitchen in the main room with a fridge, stove, and a row of cabinets above the sink. Basically, the cabin was all one room, with the exception of the bedroom over to the right and the bathroom beside it.
“I heard, of course, how nice it was here, but I never really gave it much thought. It really is nice,” Piper said, standing in the center of the room.
I set down our bags and went over to the woodstove to build a fire.
“You probably need more pain medication. Is your head bothering you?” she said, coming to stand next to me.
“It’s fine,” I said, glad there was already a fire set up. I lit a match and got the kindling burning. I sat there and watched it burn for a while, long after I was sure the fire would stay lit. The truth was, I wasn’t really sure what to do now. I managed to get her alone. I managed to get her away from her friend and coworkers. Now all I had to do was kill her. Something I hadn’t been very good at up to this point.
I was also realizing I didn’t really know how to be alone with her.
Yes, we’d been alone before, but not completely alone, like it seemed now. Before, we were a door away from other people, just passengers in a car on a road full of other drivers, people in the diner who talked with others in earshot…
But now, now we were shut up in a small cabin at a resort with vacationing couples and families. No one would come walking through the cabin door.
“Let’s get out of here,” I said, feeling claustrophobic.
She laughed. “We just got here.”
“Yeah, but this is just a boring cabin. Let’s go do something.” I brushed my hands together and stood.
“Sure, why not? That’s why we’re here.”
As soon as the cabin door was behind us, I felt lighter; some of the tension inside me eased.
“Are you okay?” Piper asked, eyeing me.
“Of course. We’re on vacation.” I shot her a grin and she giggled.
“Let’s go to the Ice Museum,” she said, looking down at one of the pamphlets in her hand.
It advertised a museum completely made of ice. People could go there for tours and a martini at the ice bar.
“Okay, but you do realize we’re underage. That means no sitting at the bar for us. I can’t have you getting me drunk and then trying to take advantage of me,”
She hit me in the ribs with her pamphlet. “Oh, please. Like that would happen.”
“Right,” I muttered. “I forgot you’re still hung up on the dead guy.”
She gasped and narrowed her eyes. “Don’t talk about him that way! If it weren’t for him I’d be dead.”
Great. Now I’d gone and made her mad.Good going, Dex.With my luck she’d leave and never want to speak to me again. That would only make things harder.
I shook my head, not even knowing where that comment came from. It seemed that suddenly I had a shot of jealousy. I felt the need to compete. Against myself.
What an idiot.
“Look, I’m sorry. That was really crappy of me to say.” I apologized, trying to inject all the meaning I could behind my words.
She didn’t look at me. She looked everywhere but at me.
