Page 58 of Finding His Fox

Cal’s face softened. He quickly turned off the stove. Taking a seat beside me, he pulled his chair closer and reached for my right hand.

He slid the bangle further up my forearm, securing it tightly.

“As long as you have this, you’ll be safe,” Cal said.

“But what about you?” My voice cracked a little as the image of Cal’s lifeless body flashed through my mind.

“It’s not like in the past. I’m not a kid anymore. I’m bigger and stronger now. I’ll be fine. Trust me,” Cal said, looking me straight in the eye.

I nodded and took a bite out of Cal’s grilled cheese. He was right. He could handle himself and the bracelet will keep me safe.

Cal stood up and pressed a reassuring kiss to my temple before returning to the stove to finish cooking his own sandwich.

“So, let’s grab a proper meal after this. My friend’s bar serves the best ribs,” Cal suggested.

“I don’t mind,” I replied, trying to conceal the worry in my voice.

I didn’t want Cal to think I was still scared, especially considering the wendigo attacks he had mentioned often happened at night.

Once he had finished cooking, Cal settled back down beside me, and we ate our snack together.

I loved Cal, and the thought of losing him was unbearable. But he was right, and I trusted him.

These past few days, my thoughts had been consumed by the wendigo. I had been worrying non-stop, imagining its presence lurking around every corner, ready to strike either one of us, or both.

I hated feeling this way. That wasn’t who I was.

I knew that nothing good would come out of my excessive worrying. It was ok to be scared, but so many things were beyond my control.

Instinctively, I rubbed at the bangle.

“Cal can handle himself. The bracelet will keep me safe.” I repeated the mantra silently in my head, hoping to convince myself it was enough.

Chapter 17

Cal

Nate reclined on the sofa, resting his head against a cushion while I curled up next to him, holding a bowl of freshly microwaved popcorn.

We had initially planned to go out for dinner, but Nate confessed he wasn’t in the mood for socializing. I felt the same way. We both wanted to unwind and relax, which led us to my living room.

Empty pizza boxes were scattered on the coffee table, evidence of our recent dinner.

Now, we were preparing to watch another movie, with Nate’s favorite ice cream waiting in the fridge in case he suddenly craved for something sweet.

“Do you have any preferences?” Nate asked.

“You pick,” I replied. “Anything except horror, though.”

Nate grinned and scrolled through the list of movies on my streaming service and picked one.

I inwardly groaned, but truthfully, I didn’t mind what we watched.

As a woman screamed on the screen, Nate absentmindedly reached out for my hand instead of the bowl of popcorn.

Our fingers intertwined for a moment, and then Nate burst into laughter as the lead character in the movie cracked a joke.

Even though Nate and I had gone on a few dates and gotten to know each other better, hearing his laughter still warmed my heart.