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Her lips lifted into a half smile. “I agree.”
“He’s an idiot, by the way.”
One eye flew open and stared at me. “Who?”
“Your ex.” I ran my hand down the length of her back and back up to her shoulders, giving them a firm squeeze. “You shouldn’t waste any time feeling bad about him. It’s his loss.”
Her other flew open, and she stared at me. “Thanks.”
“We should sleep. We’re going to need our energy in the morning.” I kept my arm over her shoulders and squeezed my eyes shut. “Good night.”
Martha released a deep, uneven breath. “Good night.”
Throughout the night, I kept reaching for her, trying to commit her scent to memory. She stirred a few times but relaxed when I pulled her against me so my front was pressed against her back. Nestled in our own world, I eventually drifted off to sleep, but I kept seeing her face and her smile.
In the morning, when the first patches of light came in through the window, I sat up and rubbed a hand over my face. With a yawn, I stretched my arms over my head and waited for my vision to clear. As soon as it did, my hand darted over the mattress to reach for her. I frowned when I realized the bed sheet was rustled and cold.
Martha was gone.
For a while, I stared at the space where she slept, the smell of her still lingering in the air. Then I stood up, grabbed my jeans off the floor, and pulled them on. Bare-foot, I raced out of the room and called out for her, only to be met with silence in return. I checked every inch of the hut twice before I pressed my face to the glass and peered at the blanket of snow outside.
Other than the distinct smell of her, there was no other sign Martha had ever been there.
Like she’d never existed.
I sank into the nearest chair and stared at the ashes in the fire, wondering what I was supposed to do next. Given that the only thing I knew about Martha was her first name and the fact that she’d just gotten out of a relationship, the chances of finding her were slim to none.
It was going to be almost impossible to find her, and the thought left me with a bad taste in my mouth. Last night, I had prayed for morning to come so that I could make my way out of the mountains and back to civilization. Now, I found myself wishing I hadn’t.
Because I’d gotten exactly what I wanted, only to realize it was all wrong.
Martha was supposed to be here.
The two of us should’ve been in bed, eating what remained of the snacks and smiling at each other. I wanted to be holding her in my arms while we spoke in hushed tones, discussing anything and everything we could think of. Instead, I sat on the cold, stiff chair, overlooking the gray ashes of the fire and unable to shake off the dread that had settled over me.
I had screwed up.
Not taking the time to talk to Martha and get to know more was stupid.
And I wasn’t going to get a do-over.
Despite my better judgment, I forced myself back up to my feet and limped back into the bedroom, scanning the area intently. Other than the rumpled sheet, Martha had been careful not to leave anything behind. I inhaled, wanting to bottle up the scent of her before I went back into the living room. There, I overturned my bag and rifled through the snacks, realizing a few of them were missing.
Little pinpricks of pain shot up my leg as I wrenched the front door open and peered outside. A strong gust of wind blew past, making my eyes water. I pressed my lips together and stepped foot over the threshold. The front porch was covered in a thick layer of snow. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a flash of movement, but when I looked, it was a rabbit darting over the snow.
Another rabbit joined it, and they disappeared.
The hut had nothing but thick foliage for miles on end and the sprawling mountains behind it. I squinted into the distance, my breath crystalizing in front of me. With a slight shake of my head, I went back into the hut and did a final sweep, praying that Martha had left behind some kind of clue. When I couldn’t find anything, I gathered my snacks and stuffed them into my backpack.
Stiffly, I adjusted the straps and lowered my head.
I waded through ankle deep snow to my car, ignoring my muscles as they ached and screamed. A tremor raced through me as I placed a hand on the knob and yanked on the car door. It gave way with a creak, allowing me to toss my bag in. Then I glanced back at the hut, spotting the shovel glistening underneath the early morning sun. Dark clouds formed and gathered on the horizon while I pushed the snow away. Once I cleared a path for my car, I placed the shovel back and brushed the snow off of my clothes.
My nose was red, and my arms were stiff when I got in and slammed the door shut behind me. I placed both hands on the wheel and blew out a breath. Then I turned the key in the ignition and held my breath. The car engine revved and sputtered before it died out. With a frown, I slammed my hands against the steering wheel and tried again.
On the third try, the engine wheezed and came to life.
Relief flooded through me as I crawled forward and onto the main road.
