Chapter 16
HARPER
“The wind is sure picking up out there,” Dorian said as he looked out the darkened window.
We hadn’t bothered to pull down the blinds, since the moonlight was the only thing that really showcased how glaring the snow was.
He reached out at that moment and flipped on a switch, so the outdoor light illuminated everything we could have missed, and now we could see the snow coming down hard.
I wrapped my arms around him, pressing my cheek between his shoulder blades.
“I should take Lucky out before the storm gets any worse.”
Dorian patted my hands and leaned back.
“I can do it. It’s too cold out there for you.”
I rolled my eyes. “I’ve lived in the mountains for longer than you. I can handle it.”
He turned then, but I still kept my arms wrapped around his waist. Then he pushed my hair back from my face and smiled. Ever since he had told his family what had been burdening him for so long, he looked lighter. As if the world wasn’t pressing down on his shoulders.
“Yes, you can do it. And I trust you to know your own lungs, but I don’t mind. I could use some fresh air.”
“Is everything okay?”
He leaned down and kissed the tip of my nose. “It is. I’m just wondering why I’m here.”
I froze, everything in me shaking. But I tried to act as if I wasn’t falling apart inside.
This was it. This is when he said he was having fun, but it was time.
He was no longer needing to hide from his family anymore.
He was finally figuring out what he needed in life.
And living in Cage Lake with a bakery owner, and who only rented a tiny apartment with her giant dog, wouldn’t be part of that.
I should have known it would be coming. Yes, he liked me. Yes, we were having a good time. But this wasn’t forever. He would realize exactly what he wanted, and I would have to deal.
“I wish I knew what was going on in that mind of yours. Because your eyes are so expressive right now. Like Lucky’s.”
I narrowed my gaze. “My eyebrows are nowhere near as expressive at Lucky’s, thank you very much.”
Lucky took that time to bark, and I nodded, as if my dog had just stood at my side.
“Fine, Lucky wins. But I’d love to know what you’re thinking.”
I put on a bright smile and shook my head. “Nothing. Why don’t you take him out, I’ll make some hot cocoa.”
“Are you going to add the Bailey’s this time?”
“Of course. We have that caramel Bailey’s now.”
“Why is that stuff so good?” he asked as he went to slide on his shoes.
“Because it’s full of sugar?” I asked, laughing.
“That is true. But I’d love a hot cocoa. And I’ll take care of Lucky. Don’t worry.”
“I won’t,” I whispered.
The house rattled, the wind coming harder. I frowned, hoping that the power would stay on. My apartment did well during storms, as the place was older and well insulated. And I knew Dorian’s house on the lake would be the same.
The large broken-down Ackerson place that was slightly larger than a grand cabin probably wasn’t the best place to ride out the storm.
Not to mention the emotional toll that it had over him.
But we’d wanted the space away from the rest of town for the night, but I had a feeling it was the wrong decision.
“I swear the temperature dropped like twenty degrees in the past hour,” Dorian said as he shook off the snow and shivered. I had moved forward with my towel and rubbed down Lucky.
“I put another log on the fire, so we should be okay there. Are you okay, buddy?” I asked as I rubbed off any snow that Lucky had brought in. Even between his toes. I hated when the snow got clumpy, because it just stayed there and lowered his body temperature.
Lucky licked my face, and I grinned.
“Go curl in front of the fire. We’ve got you.” I kissed his cheek, and Lucky padded off.
The lights flickered, and I froze. “Crap. We should have stayed in town. Even dealing with everybody stopping by.”
I shook my head. “I was just thinking that. This place really gets weird during storms.”
He reached out and pulled me to him. I let myself sink into his warmth, trying not to stress about anything I had felt before this. We would figure it out. We had to. I wasn’t just going to let him go, but I would wallow a bit. A girl had rights.
“Whenever the storms hit Denver, my place shakes a bit, just because of the wind slicing, but not like this. I swear I can hear every creak and groan.”
Why did him talking about his place in Denver surprise me? I’d literally just been thinking of it. He didn’t live here. I knew that, he knew that, and it was just a matter of time before we all had to form a plan.
Because I loved Dorian Cage, and I wasn’t going to let him go easily.
But putting myself out there seemed like the hardest thing in the world to do. And I wasn’t sure if I knew how to even take that step.
“I have hot cocoa in the kitchen. At least we can warm up that way.”
He frowned at me but took my hand as we moved forward. In that moment, the lights blinked out.
“Fuck. The generator should go on, at least for a few lights, and things in the kitchen.”
But nothing came back on.
“Shit. Hudson and I fixed it, but there must be something else wrong. I’ll go down in the basement and work on it.”
Though we were on a mountain incline, the basement was still a walkout. But with as much snow that was coming down, he’d have to go down the rickety stairs in order to make that happen.
“This sounds like a horror movie. Maybe we should just pile up under blankets?”
“As much as I’d love to get naked and pile under blankets with you, we should at least check the generator.”
“I didn’t mention being naked.”
His brows rose. “Well, we’ll have to be naked to conserve body heat.”
I rolled my eyes. “If that’s what you think. I’ll get naked with you. Don’t worry.”
“You’re such a giver.” He pulled out his phone to use as a flashlight, and I did the same.
“How do we have no service? We always have the best service up here.”
“Storms must be shittier than usual. Usually we only have service problems on the north side of the lake.”
“I’m going with you,” I said as Lucky pressed his entire body to my thigh.
Underneath the glow of a flashlight, Dorian glared.
“I can handle it. You and Lucky need to stay up here and stay safe.”
“So you’re saying the basement isn’t safe?”
“I’ve got it. Don’t worry.”
Huffing out of breath, I went into the kitchen and pulled out the heavy duty flashlight. I didn’t want to drain our phones.
“Take this please.”
“Deal.” He pressed a hard kiss to my lips, and we headed towards the basement door. I got another flashlight out of the hall closet and saved my phone battery. Not that it would be helpful without any service.
The house shook once again, this time harder.
“Is there a way for us to get to one of the houses on the lake right now?” I asked, my voice slightly fearful.
“I’m not driving in this weather. And honestly, I don’t think my right leg could handle that kind of pressure.”
“Dorian.”
“It’s fine. It’s just been a long day.”
And with that, he headed down the stairs.
“Please talk to me, so I know where you are.”
“You can still see me, baby. But of course I will. What are you planning on making for dinner tomorrow?” he asked as he turned down the corner.
“Oh, so I’m making dinner now?” I asked, my teeth worrying my lip.
“You offered, remember?”
I blinked. “Oh fine you win. Maybe my chicken Alfredo lasagna?”
“I have no idea what that is but it sounds amazing.”
“I’ll bake fresh bread of course.”
“I would expect nothing less from my favorite baker.” He paused, then said, “I still don’t know why the hell this generator isn’t working. Everything looks to be connected. Fuck.”
“Maybe it just takes a minute?” I asked, the anxiety in my system increasing. The house shook once again, and a window in the corner of the living room shattered.
Wind and snow barreled in, and I couldn’t help but scream.
“Oh my God.”
“Stay away from the window, I’m coming up.”
“Dorian. What the hell’s going on?”
“This house is going to come down around us. Fuck this house.”
He stood at the bottom of the stairs, ready to come up, when everything happened at once.
The edge of the house facing the east side of the mountain shook before parts of the siding just sheared off.
Lucky barked, and I reached out for him, until a wind gust shoved its way into a large board.
The board broke off, and I tried to move out of the way to protect Lucky, but it nudged at my side, slamming into me.
The scream ripped from my throat as Dorian tried to run up the stairs, but the house shook impossibly harder.
I fell back toward the stairs, snow and debris coming at me as Lucky continued to bark, and then I hit the third stair down.
The breath knocked out of me, but I didn’t stop moving.
Instead I kept going, falling through the staircase.
“Harper! Wellesley!”
I covered my head with my arms as I slammed into the ground, everything feeling as if I’d been shattered at once.
I let out a shaky breath, my palms damp, as I realized I’d fallen into the spare blankets and pillows that had been stored down here.
“I’m okay,” I rasped, my body ice cold. “I fell on blankets. I’m okay.” I looked up at Dorian, who stared at me through the hole in the floor. How had he gotten up the stairs so quickly?
But then I realized I was deeper into the basement than he had been. And somehow he’d moved up the broken stairwell to look down to where I’d fallen.
“Don’t move. Whatever you do, baby, don’t move.”
Lucky kept barking as Dorian pushed him back, and I frowned.
I was fine, I could feel my toes and fingers move. It wasn’t that bad of a fall.
And then, everything came back.
Sharp pain radiated through me as if jagged claws ripped through my stomach.
And then I looked down at the steel rod protruding from my side right above my hip.
I’d been skewered.
And until that moment, I couldn’t feel it.
And then there was nothing.
* * *