Coraline
I’m so bad at flirting. After I left Liam, I took a gamble on my dating life before I came to Sleepy Coldwater.
I met a guy who worked at a law firm on an online app, and we matched.
The date was going well, mostly because I let him do all the talking.
Then, when I was about to break the ice with a joke, I got the appetizer potato soup in my hair when I leaned closer.
I urgently grabbed the napkin from my lap, fully embarrassed, but when I took it off my lap and jetted it toward my hair frantically, I hit the ends of the table with so much force, the table lifted, causing his soup to fall all over his lap. Aaand, it was all downhill from there.
So when Gavin looks at me like this, full of desire and a hint of need—I don’t know how to handle it.
His dark brows furrowed, his eyes sweeping over my lips and face.
I’ve never met any man with beautiful blue eyes like his.
His addictive, minty-cedar scent envelops me.
All of it is a perfect, enchanting potion I don’t mind drinking even if it’s poisonous.
I need to get away from him because I’m not good at this anymore. I’ve been constantly put down so much by Liam and my ex-friends that my insecurities seem to always leak through the cracks of my built-up confidence. I don’t know how to accept when something feels good.
The snow will stop falling, and it’ll melt away. My time here has an end date. We both know that.
Standing up, I gather all the antlers around us, brush the snow off each one, and tuck them into the crook of my arm.
“I’ll keep looking for more antlers this way!” I squeak nervously, letting my thick curls hide my heated red cheeks.
“Sweetheart?”
Sweetheart.
That one word makes time come to a stop for me, only because it’s coming from Gavin.
“Coraline, wait.” His distant voice bristles and echoes through the trees.
He rises slowly, almost tripping over his left leg.
He regains his stance quickly, pasting his elbow on the tree for balance.
I peer over my shoulder as I head towards the stables in the distance.
He doesn’t chase after me, but only looks at me like he’s disappointed.
I hate that I’m a coward. I can tell cutting that moment off is bothering him, and I’m only proving his own point of feeling like he’s not worth getting to know when he truly is. I’m just too scared to let myself get too close.
“It’s okay! I’ll keep looking. It’s getting dark already. We’ll be able to collect more of these if we split up anyway. I’ll meet you at the cabin in a few minutes!” I turn around, biting my lip nervously, and scrunch my nose, wanting so badly to facepalm.
I feel bad.
It’s a terrible excuse, but not exactly a lie. He takes it anyway and gives me space. He doesn’t force the moment. He lets me go, still holding a clenched jaw and a defeated look on his handsome face.
I keep walking, veering farther away from him and closer to the horses.
The sound of running water catches my attention.
It’s wide and shallow, running over all shapes of rocks and fallen tree branches.
I’m surprised it isn’t frozen. The current is fast and strong, and the water is the darkest blue I’ve ever seen.
The grey sky darkens. It feels like an hour has gone by, and I haven’t found another antler. I guess my good luck charm is Gavin. I keep walking, scouring the snow, looking for a brown tip. I’m about to head back to the cabin when I spot one. I almost mistook it for a branch.
I grab the four-pointed antler and do a happy dance. Gavin will love this!
The sound of snow crunching interrupts my solo celebration. I smile, hoping to rub it in grumpy Gavin’s face playfully.
“Look what I got, Gavin.” I straighten my spine and watch clouds come out of my nose and mouth. “I told you splitting up was a good idea. I’m going to take this with me to Texas.”
I whip my head in its direction, lifting the antler as if it’s a diamond or gold bar.
“Do you think it’ll fit in my suit—” My grin immediately drops into a scared frown when I realize it isn’t Gavin.
It’s not the pack of wolves or a moose.
It’s the masked man from the night of the car crash. He’s covered head to toe in white, seamlessly blending in with the snow. He’s standing feet away, walking slowly toward me. Then, he’s sprinting fast like he’s on a mission and nothing will stop him.
I drop the antlers and make a beeline in the direction I last saw Gavin.
He’s here, and he’s going to kill me!
“Gavin!” I yelp. I hope he can hear me, and he’s not that far away. “Gavin! Help! Please!” I keep screaming until my throat feels like it’s going to bleed. With my body running cold, the footsteps grow louder and faster behind me. He’s right on my heels.
He is still here. I knew it, but no one believed me!
I sneak a quick glance, fisting my hands, ready to strike, but when I look behind me, the masked man is no longer there.
“What?!” I breathe, veering left and right, inspecting every corner of the woods. Then, I’m crashing into something hard. It completely takes me out, and I lose my footing and fall into the snow. My back collides first, so I’m facing the dark silver sky and trees.
“Coraline!” Gavin emerges from a few feet away. I dart my gaze toward him, blinking away the tears. My heart instantly slows down at the sight of him.
“Gavin! He was here! He was right there!” I point toward the river. He hoists me up by tucking his arms under my armpits. He brings me close to his chest, protectively.
“Did he hurt you?” he barks furiously, scanning me up and down. His hands hook onto my arms as I try to gather my emotions and find my words.
I shake my head, my tongue drying up. “No, I ran into a tree, but I saw him, Gavin! He was wearing all-white hunting clothes and a white mask.” My fingers tremble against his biceps. I glance over to the running river, expecting him to be there again, but no one is.
He pulls out a gun from his waistband and clicks off the safety. “Go back to the cabin, now! I’ll be back. If I’m not back in thirty minutes, go find Georgia and Merelyn.” He points it to the ground as he saunters away from me.
“Gavin. No! Don’t go.” Fear vibrates through me. I reach out for him, capturing air because he’s already walking away from me with a murderous expression and a tight grip on his weapon. I do as I’m told and sprint back to the cabin.
It’s pitch black outside. My fingers are stabbed in between the window blinds, searching for Gavin or the one after me. My stomach growls loudly as I push myself closer to the freezing window.
He has to be okay. I’m one minute from going to Georgia’s when the front door springs open. I whirl around, grabbing a log of wood, ready to launch it.
I thought I locked it?!
Gavin appears relaxed, kicking the snow and dirt off his boots. He shuts the door. I slowly lower the wood beside the couch until it’s on the floor. Taking off his cowboy hat, he sets it on the kitchen counter and stares at me.
“There’s no one out there.” He shrugs nonchalantly.
I scoff.
“I know what I saw, Gavin.”
He places his hands on his hips and gazes at me. A look so serious it sends shivers down my spine.
“Which brings me to what happened earlier today. I felt someone pull my hair! Right after you stormed out of the kitchen to go shed hunt. I thought it was you. T-that,” I start to stammer, but I regain my composure.
“That you came back into the house, even though I didn’t hear you return, and for whatever reason, you yanked my hair, but when I turned around, I was alone in the cabin!
” Tears prick my eyes. My chest rises and falls faster, my breaths strained.
I’m so tired of the ghosts thing. I want to get the hell out of this place, but I’m stuck here until the road clears.
“I believe you.” He murmurs. “I believe you, Coraline.”
“Good.” I squeak. “That makes me feel better.”
“There’s no one else here right now but you and me. I won’t let anything or anyone hurt you, okay?”
Heat flares from my chest to my cheeks.
As I look into his eyes, I nod.
“Come here, I want to show you something,” he calls me over with a swipe of his fingers. “Put your coat back on,” he fishes my coat off the rack and holds it up, waiting for me at the front door.
“We’re going outside?” I stroll over to him, eagerly. “What if he’s out there?”
“Yes, we’re going outside, and if he’s out there, I have my gun on me,” he replies. My heart begins to race as I give him my back. Just being close to him makes me flustered. Shrugging my way into the coat, he gathers my hair in one fist, so my coat doesn’t yank it. “Let’s go.”
“Why?” I ask nervously.
“Follow me, Coraline.” He grabs my hand, threading his fingers into mine. I let him pull me outside.
As soon as my boots hit the snow, I see exactly what he wants to show me.
The northern lights.
Beams of green and purple light up the sky. The beautiful colors and twinkling stars take my breath away. My mouth drops open, and the corners of my lips lift. Gavin lets my hand go but stays close to my side.
“I’ve never seen the northern lights with my own eyes before. Only in pictures and videos.” I say, tilting my head back, stunned by its beauty.
“So beautiful and so incredible.” My vision blurs. I can’t believe I’m seeing this. I feel like I’m falling in love with life again, slowly. My cheeks burn from grinning so hard.
“Yes,” he replies softly.
I peer over to him. Isn’t he seeing this too?
He’s standing right next to me, his gaze locked onto my face and not the sky. How long has he been staring at me like this?
He’s smiling.
“You are,” he finishes. The green rays, tinged with lavender, beam across his handsome face. I match his smile with my own. I’m afraid to open my heart again, but if love feels like this moment, right now, it might be worth a chance.