Dakota
Aaaaand the power is out.
“Fuck!” I cursed aloud.
“Dak!”
Lena.
“Comin’!” I climbed out of bed and tried to feel my way to the door. My equilibrium was off from the rendezvous with Jack Daniels and then the rendezvous with Lena.
I’m sure the absolute pitch-black room isn’t helping.
“What the fuck happened?” She demanded from a few doors down.
I banged my knee against the stair railing as I baby stepped down the hallway.
I told your drunk ass we were under a winter storm warning!
Finally feeling what I thought was her door frame, I spoke gently.
“Remember the winter storm I mentioned? Yeah, that causes power outages.”
I rolled my eyes, knowing she couldn’t see me.
“I know you’re rolling your eyes,” she called out from somewhere inside the dark master bedroom.
Chuckling, I crab walked into her room, only to have my shin connecting with some fuck ass old piece of furniture. “You sum’ BITCH!”
She howled with laughter. “Your eyes haven’t adjusted?”
Obviously fuckin’ not.
“Yeah, Lena Loo, they did. I just decided that I was gonna pick tonight to identify as a fuckin’ bumper car.” More laughter.
Well, I guess that’s better than cryin’.
I rubbed my eyes. They were finally adjusting to the darkness, just in time for me to notice she was sitting on the floor.
“Why are you on the floor?”
“When the lights went out, I tried to grab my phone to turn it on and use the flashlight to come find you, but I knocked it off. I was looking for it.”
Always so damn clumsy.
“Well, I’m here now, but there’s just one problem.”
I could feel her judgmental stare even in the dark.
“Just one problem… that’s some interesting math skills you have, Lieutenant Clayton.”
Smartass.
“Ok, there’s just one new problem.”
“Better.”
“The only two parts of the house with a fireplace are in here and downstairs,” I pointed out. Silence hung between us.
“Okay?” She sounded confused.
“Yeah, the one downstairs will warm up the living room after a while but with half of the back wall being glass windows, I’m not sure how much it will help, and I don’t want to waste firewood tonight. I can cut more tomorrow but tonight, we need to use what we have in the most efficient way,” I explained.
“Okay…”
Why is she answering me like I’m stupid?
“What?” I snapped.
“I’m just not sure what the problem is…,” she trailed off. “I mean, ideally, we would have more wood ready to go but I’m not understanding what you mean is the problem if that’s not the problem.”
“We are both gonna have to sleep in here to make sure we stay warm. This house is going to get cold quick, Lena.”
What part of what I’m saying isn’t making sense?
“,” she spoke up, her voice brimming with amusement.
“What?”
“We’ve slept in the same bed a million times. I think we even fell asleep in the bathtub together on my 21st birthday because Cassie threw up in the bed and Jace passed out on the back porch.
She’s right. Why did I feel weird pointing out that we would have to do it tonight?
I knew why, but I wasn’t going to say it out loud.
Because the most delicious part of her is still on your lips.
“Yeah, that’s true. I just didn’t know if you wanted to be alone but you’re gonna just have to deal with me for tonight.” I tried to sound lighthearted, but my heart was thunder stomping in my chest.
“I think I’ll survive,” she promised. “However, we need to find my phone, unless you have yours, so we can see how to get downstairs to get wood and matches and all that good shit.”
Fuck, I left mine on the dresser.
“I’ll help you find yours.”
After we found her phone, she switched it on, the bright light offering a temporary solution to the fact that we were basically in a cave. No sooner than it made it to her home screen, it started going off, ding after ding forcing us to remember all the shit we were trying to forget.
A mutual glance determined we weren’t opening a single damn message on that phone, so I pulled her to her feet for her to guide us to the staircase.