13. Carmen
13
Carmen
The moment Donny says, “We’re snowed in,” the lights flicker once and die, plunging us into complete darkness. My heart jumps to my throat, hammering in the silence.
The sudden darkness is oppressive, almost tangible. The air feels thick, and I can hear the wind howling outside, rattling the windows. The scent of pine from the cabin's walls seems stronger now, mixing with the lingering aroma of coffee from earlier.
“Carmen?” His voice is low, steady. “Stay where you are. I’m coming to you.”
I hear him moving, his footsteps sure despite the darkness. When his hand finds my arm, I feel an immediate sense of relief. His touch anchors me, and I hate how much I need that right now.
Since when am I afraid of the dark?
But it's not just the darkness, is it? It's the isolation, the uncertainty. I'm used to the constant hum of city life, the comforting knowledge that help is just a phone call away. But here? The silence is deafening, broken only by the howling wind that seems to mock my unease. What if the storm gets worse?
I’m sure Walker is pacing his room and muttering about how right he was that we should’ve rescheduled the trip. I hate to side with him, but in this instance he would be correct. My dad was so focused on having the entire family together, same as every year, that he didn’t bother worrying about the storm.
Knowing him, he likely assumed it would pass us by and we’d only get a bit of hard snow before it went to the next town over.
Layla.
Did she ever make it here? Is she okay if not?
"Relax, Sunshine," Donny's deep voice cuts through my thoughts, steady and reassuring. His arm tightens around me, his hand at my waist pulling me closer.
I’ve got this.
It seems like years, but eventually, the lights flicker back on. I find myself clutching onto the front of Donny’s shirt, and when I look up at him, his eyes are intense, focused.
He places a hand on my lower back, steadying me. “You okay?”
We stare at each other for a moment, his eyes searching mine. I nod slightly, offering a small smile of gratitude. "Thanks," I murmur, my voice barely audible.
Reluctantly, I step away from him, immediately missing his warmth. I make my way to the window he peered out of a short while ago, needing to assess our situation for myself. I glance at all the cars lining the driveway, each one belonging to my family, and I blow out a breath of relief when I see Layla's SUV sitting there with a blanket of snow covering it.
I’m about to let the curtain fall when I see Walker step out of his cabin with a lantern, slowly maneuvering his way toward ours. I watch him for a moment as he stomps onto the porch, and he curses loudly under his breath when he tries to open our door, but it won’t budge.
“Over here!” I holler, gaining his attention.
He squints against the snow that fell into his eyes and eases his way to the window with a frown. “Is everyone okay?”
I nod and point at the door. “Why the hell isn’t it opening?”
Walker looks toward the door, his frown deepening, then a white cloud of air comes out of his mouth as he sighs. “It looks frozen shut.” He glances back toward his house, likely checking to make sure Jessa or one of the kids haven’t come outside, then looks back at me and Donny. “Got in touch with the manager. He said it would be a few days before someone can get here to help us out.”
Great.
After Walker made a comment about the weather when we arrived, I looked into it myself and I already know that the temperature is supposed to get below freezing throughout the night. The odds of me and Donny getting out of here aren’t that great, which means I’m going to have to be closer to him than I had planned.
I send the thoughts away and nod to Walker. “Go check on mom and dad, we’ll be fine here!”
Walker glances at me and Donny, that frown still on his face, but he nods and starts the trek toward our parents’ cabin. While I watch him walk away, I take a deep breath in and let it out as slowly as I can in hopes that it will help the anxiety building in my chest.
Donny sits quietly, his gaze locked on the snow-covered window. I settle onto the cushion beside him, acutely aware of the small space between us. The silence is thick with unspoken thoughts and tensions that have been building since we arrived. His presence is both comforting and unsettling, a constant reminder of our complicated history and the pretense we're maintaining.
'What now?' I ask softly, my voice barely above a whisper.
He turns to me, a slow, knowing smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Just thinking about how we can make the most of this... situation, Sunshine.” His voice is low, laced with something I can’t quite place. “And... I’m glad you didn’t end up in the other cabin tonight.”
His gaze stays steady on mine, intense and unwavering, and suddenly, it feels like breathing takes twice the effort. I try to hold my composure, but the weight of his eyes makes it nearly impossible.
I nudge him, which has him flinching and arching an eyebrow. “Jessa is a piece of work, right?”
He scoffs and rolls his eyes. “She was looking at me like I was going to be her next meal.”
I straighten my spine and eye him curiously. “Wait, she did what?”
Donny frowns and shakes his head. “I’m sure I was imagining it.”
“Uh uh, explain.”
He shrugs and runs a hand through his golden curls. “I don’t know. She just kept looking at me in a certain way. It was a little uncomfortable.”
“That’s different, but wouldn’t necessarily surprise me. She probably thinks that you’re making more money than her darling husband, and money has always been her weakness.”
“Wow, you really don’t like her.”
I scoff. “Not at all. I only tolerate her because Walker seems happy.” At the mention of him, I glance toward the window with a frown. “Although, something was definitely up tonight and it makes me wonder if there’s trouble.”
Donny reaches over, placing his hand on my thigh to give it a gentle squeeze, and I jump from the touch. Even though I’ve got a pair of sweatpants on, it doesn’t stop my skin from heating beneath it and I have to pull my leg away from him before it gets worse.
This is why I didn’t want to stay in the same space as him.It’s dangerous.
“So,” he says, leaning forward to look into my eyes, and smirks. “Want to tell me why you were going to leave me alone here, Sunshine?”
His confidence is back in full force, and it’s both alluring and intimidating.
Now I wish he weren’t, so I wouldn’t have to answer the question.
“We’re colleagues, there’s nothing more to it,” I snap, not meaning for it to come out as harshly. “Sorry, I just take my work seriously and you know that.”
There’s something in his gaze that tells me he understands, but that he doesn’t believe the words I’m saying.
“Your parents seem nice,” he says, changing the conversation. “Although your dad enjoyed laying into me about proposing before properly meeting him.”
I chuckle and shake my head. “He likes to seem tough, but he’s a big teddy bear.”
“He’s protective, I admire that. Only wants what’s best for his kids.”
My heart swells with pride at hearing someone else notice it, and I nod with a smile. “He is, which is why he’s been so insistent on me bringing a plus one to these things. Doesn’t like the idea of me being alone in the city while he’s out traveling.”
“And your mom? She seemed more distant than I would’ve imagined tonight.”
“That’s my fault. She’s upset that I never opened up to her about our relationship, and it’s going to take a little more to get her to understand why.”
Not that she can ever know why, since this is all a ruse, but I tried explaining that Donny didn’t want our relationship being out in the open, and I wanted to respect that. In the end, it just ended with my mom being worried that Donny was being unfaithful, and that’s why he didn’t want anyone to know about me.
Even though I explained to her that it was my choice as well.
“I’m sure she’ll understand soon enough, but I’m sorry that I dragged your family into this whole thing. That’s the last thing I wanted to do,”he sighs.
I shrug. “Wasn’t really you who dragged them into it? I made the choice to bring you because I knew it would be another trip of everyone looking at me with sad eyes and wondering when I’m going to settle down.”
“You said Walker is usually hard on you.”
“I’m surprised he didn’t say anything tonight, but normally he waits until the excitement of everyone being here is gone before he gets into my career choice.”
“I’ll punch him for you, Sunshine. Just say the word.”
“As nice as that is, I’m pretty sure my brother needs his pretty face to save lives.”
Donny shakes his head, giving me a tired smile. “Maybe we’ll save that story for another time. I’m exhausted.”
His words hit, and suddenly my own eyelids grow heavy. I push off the couch just as he does, and our eyes both drift toward the only bed in the cabin. I clear my throat. “I’ll, uh… take the couch.”
Donny turns, mischief dancing in his gaze. “Don’t be ridiculous, Sunshine. The bed’s big enough for both of us. Besides,” he adds with a smirk, “what kind of fiancé would let his girl sleep on the couch?”
I groan, rolling my eyes. “Not happening, Drummer Boy. Maybe focus more on sticking to the set list than finding ways to annoy me.”
He grins, undeterred. “I can multitask. Ask Brent. He’ll vouch.”
“Just stop,” I snap, exasperated. “This is about helping each other, nothing more. Can we please just sleep?”
My sharp tone halts him in his tracks, but guilt stings as I rush toward the bed before I have a chance to soften. Maybe if I stay harsh, he’ll stop trying to break down the walls I’ve built—and things can go back to how they were.
I slip beneath the blankets, pulling them tight around me as I listen to Donny shuffle in behind me. The bed shifts slightly under his weight, and for a moment, the world feels small—just us, the stillness of the room, and the blizzard raging beyond the walls.
It’s completely dark, save for the occasional flicker of snow pressed against the window, and the cabin is so quiet I can hear every breath he takes.
And yet, the thought that lingers most isn’t frustration or regret. It’s a relief. Relief that, in this lonely place, with the world shut out by a storm, he’s here.
I lie still, acutely aware of every inch separating us—the warmth radiating from his side of the bed. It’s too easy to imagine what it would feel like if he wrapped an arm around me, his body close, steady and solid in the dark.
And the truth is... I don’t think I’d mind.