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I hope he doesn’t have to leave tomorrow.
Oh, what am I saying? That’s so selfish of me. I’m sure he wants to get back to hiking. Being stuck in a cabin with three people he only just met probably isn’t his idea of fun.
Maybe he can take me with him when he leaves.
The thought makes me smile to myself. It’s such a ridiculous thought, yet it makes something sparkle in my chest. I would love to see the small town that he lives in. But, mostly, I would love to just spend lots of more time with him and only him. Because as much as I’ve learned about him today, I feel like you can only really get to know someone when the two of you are alone.
Soon my mom and I are done preparing dinner, and we call the men over to the table. Throughout the meal, our group conversation naturally flows from topic to topic. My dad tells Sean stories about previous storms we’ve been through, my mom continually offers more food to everyone, and I take whatever opportunity I can to learn more about Sean without making it seem obvious that I’m captivated by him.
After dinner, time feels torturously slow as we all sit in front of the fire and let the evening elapse.
Finally, my mom stands up and announces that it’s getting late and that we should let Sean have the living room to himself. Saying goodnight, I slip off to my room and throw myself onto my bed with a long sigh. I’m wide awake as I hear my parents pass my bedroom door and close their own behind them as they retire for the night.
I lie for a long time like that, wide awake and staring at my bedroom ceiling. I don’t know how I’m ever going to fall asleep tonight. It feels like the only way I could fall asleep is if…
…no. Why am I even entertaining a thought like that? There’s no chance of falling asleep in Sean’s arms tonight. It’s not going to happen. I shouldn’t even daydream about it.
I look over at my closed bedroom door. Outside, the wind is still howling, but inside the cabin, everything is quiet. Mom and Dad are asleep. I bet Sean is asleep, too.
But maybe he isn’t. Maybe he’s having an impossible time falling asleep, just like I am.
I sit up and set one foot onto the carpet, then the other. I walk over to my bedroom door and close my hand around the knob. A cracking sound halts me, but then I realize it’s only the sound of a nearby tree. I turn the knob and step out of my bedroom.
As I pad quietly into the living room, I see Sean’s silhouette against the glow of the low fire. He’s sitting on the couch, leaning back as he watches the flames.
The floor beneath me creaks and Sean looks over his shoulder. I’m not sure how well he can see me, but I smile and whisper, “Hi.”
“Tessa?” he whispers back.
“Yeah.” I continue toward him. “I can’t sleep.”
“Same.”
I walk around the side of the couch, coming into the glow and warmth of the firelight. But Sean holds up a hand to stop me.
“Don’t,” he says. “You should go back to your room.”
I freeze. “I just thought we could talk a little.”
“I want to, but I can’t.”
“What do you mean?”
“I promised your dad I’d keep my distance from you.”
I laugh a little. “What?”
“I’m sorry, Tessa. But I can’t be alone with you like this.”
I can’t believe what I’m hearing. He’s pushing me away because of mydad?
Well, I guess I can believe it. I know how my dad is.
“If it wasn’t for my dad, would you want me here?” I ask.
Sean gives me a meaningful look. “Are you kidding me? Yes. God, yes.”
So I sit. I sit down right next to him on the couch, curl my legs up underneath me, and smile at him. “Guess what, Sean. I love and respect my dad, but when it comes to something like this, he doesn’t get a say.”
