Chapter Five
Penny
I wake up to sunlight streaming into the room and birds singing right outside the window. I’m well-rested, and before this moment, I didn’t realize how poorly I was sleeping at home. I wonder if it’s being away from Evergreen Hills, or if this calm comes from being so close to Otto.
I give myself time to lie back and relax.
That’s when I remember what else happened last night.
I sit up, replaying every little detail from when I caught Otto until coming back to my room and falling fast asleep.
I rub a finger across my lips, a smile stretching across my face.
I’m embarrassed by my boldness but also invigorated.
Unsure of how Otto will greet me this morning, I wait until my stomach starts growling to roll out of bed.
It’s hard to leave the warmth, though. This room isn’t necessarily cold, but I can feel the slight chill of morning.
As I head into the hallway, I note how quiet the house is. Maybe Otto’s sleeping in. I keep myself quiet as I continue to head toward the kitchen. However, when I get there, I realize that Otto’s already awake.
On the counter, there’s a plate covered with aluminum foil waiting for me.
When I open it up, I smile when I see that there’s bacon, scrambled eggs, and fried potatoes there.
The food isn’t quite warm, so it’s been a while since it’s been cooked, but I don’t care.
The fact that I woke up to breakfast waiting for me warms me from the inside out.
Before I settle in to eat, I look around the kitchen for the kettle.
It’s filled with water, so I put it on the stove.
It takes me a few minutes to figure out how to get it going, and when I do, I smile to myself.
I pride myself on being a fast learner, so I’m glad that I’ve managed to work a stove like this that I’ve never seen before.
It doesn’t take me long to find instant coffee and sugar.
The mugs are in a cabinet near the sink.
While the water heats up, I prepare my cup, accepting that I’ll have to forego my oatmilk.
I can’t imagine that Otto keeps that out here.
I get the impression that he’s the kind of person that lives off the land.
I’ve never considered that as a possibility for myself before.
I always buy everything from the grocery store.
Sometimes I’ll go to the farmers market, but I don’t grow anything myself.
Before yesterday, I’d never had deer meat despite the fact that deer literally come into my backyard.
I’m not a hunter, and my parents weren’t either.
The kettle whistles, bringing me out of my thoughts. I quickly prepare my coffee before grabbing my plate and settling in to have breakfast. When I’m finished eating, I use the water that Otto did last night to wash the dishes.
With that out of the way, I stand in the kitchen wondering what I should do. Now that the sun’s out, I could make it back to Evergreen Hills without any issue. I don’t want to go back, though. There’s no way that I can go back to living comfortably in that town. Not after what they did to me.
I don’t know if Otto wants me to stay here, but I know that I want nothing more than to stay near him.
I’m happy to figure out how to live off the grid.
I’ll do anything I can to learn and adapt to his way of life.
When he gets back from wherever he went, I’ll talk to him about it.
Until then, I need to find something to keep myself busy while I figure out how I’m going to broach the subject with him.
A quick survey of the kitchen reveals the ingredients to throw together muffins. There’s a bowl of fresh cherries sitting on the counter, and I decide that I’ll use them. After popping one into my mouth, I get to work mixing the ingredients together.
It doesn’t take me long to find all of the utensils I need.
I get the oven going after some trial and error.
Then, I get to work mixing everything together.
After I’m confident that the oven is a consistent temperature, I use butter to grease the pan.
Once each of the cups are filled with batter, I put the tray into the oven.
While I wait, I consider looking around the house – I can’t deny that I’m curious to see what Otto keeps here.
I pull out a kitchen drawer then quickly shut it.
Opening it again, I shut it once more and turn away.
I don’t want to invade his privacy; I want him to tell me about himself when the time comes.
Instead, I babysit the oven as it cooks.
My mind drifts back to Otto. Even if I hadn’t been thrown into the woods at night unsure of where to go, he lifted a weight off of my shoulders that I didn’t know was there.
I never thought that anyone could care about me the way that he does. His concern for me isn’t out of parental obligation. It’s from his heart. He saw me in need of help and was there for me. He didn’t ask for anything in return.
Sighing as I open the oven to check the muffins, I’m hit with the realization that I’m falling for him. I know that I don’t have very much experience, but the feelings that I’m experiencing are so intense that they can’t be anything else. It’s just like what I’ve read in books.
The muffins look finished, so I pull them out and set them on the counter to cool. I’m in the process of cleaning everything up when the front door opens. Knowing that it’s Otto relaxes me in a way that I didn’t know it could.
“Something smells good in here,” he says, walking into the kitchen. “You were baking?”
“Yeah,” I say, turning around to face him.
There’s a sheen of sweat over his forehead, and his flannel is rolled halfway up his forearms. My mouth goes dry, and I have to swallow several times to get ahold of myself.
Is having reactions like this normal? If last night is any indication, it is.
“I think they turned out well. It took me a second to figure out your oven, though.”
“I’m honestly surprised you did,” he says, walking over to me and glancing over my muffins. “I think most people would have given up when they saw it.”
“I’m nothing if not persistent,” I say, lightheaded at his proximity. “Plus, I wanted to do something to thank you for what you did for me yesterday.”
“I think you thanked me enough last night,” he murmurs next to my ear. My face is on fire, and I resist the urge to feel it. Instead I answer in a breathless voice, “I didn’t do anything.”
“You did everything,” he assures me and then plants a soft kiss on my neck. A moan escapes me; I hear a deep breath and then Otto steps back. I want to pull him back but instead ball my hand into a fist to keep from reaching for him.
“I already told you that you don’t have to thank me,” he says softly. “I wanted to help you.”
I shrug, overwhelmed by the sincerity in his voice.
He seems to have no reservations in telling me exactly how he feels.
It must be because of his lack of experience with other people.
He never learned the art of subtlety, and I’m certainly not complaining.
I like how upfront he is, even if I don’t know how to respond to it.
Just like I learned to use his oven, I’ll learn to accept how forward he is. I want to learn.
“You know,” he says, seeming unbothered by my silence. His eyes are lingering on my cheeks. “I’m actually surprised that you’re still here. I figured you’d go home now that the sun’s out.”
“I didn’t want to,” I admit, deciding to meet his transparency with my own.
“After what my neighbors did to me, I don’t know how I’ll go back.
” Then I stop, worried that I’m revealing too much or being too pushy.
“I guess I just need more time away from them to figure out how I’m going to handle the situation. ”
“Well, you don’t have to go back if you don’t want to. I like having you here,” he says, cutting through my insecurities with two sentences. “I don’t want you going back somewhere that you aren’t safe.”
“I don’t know that I’m not safe there,” I say, the words not carrying the conviction that I hoped they would. I don’t even know why I’m fighting this. He’s offering me exactly what I want, but there’s something that feels like fear thrumming through my veins. “I could just keep to myself.”
“You already told me that you keep to yourself there,” he points out easily, maintaining eye contact that burns me from the inside out, breaking down my walls like a wrecking ball.
“It’s not like I can force you to stay here with me, but I’d prefer it if you didn’t go back there.
I have connections in Cherry Peaks. We can help you move and get settled into your own place away from everyone who tried to hurt you.
I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if something happened to you. ”
“You really don’t care if I stay?” I ask, feeling breathless all over again.
“Of course not,” Otto says, reaching out to grab my hands. “In fact, I’d prefer if you did. It might take some time to get the house back on the grid, but I’ll start working on it right away.”
“You don’t have to,” I say. “I’d be glad to learn how to live like this. It’s actually kind of nice.”
He smiles, tilting his head, his hair falling across his forehead. “I should probably get plumbing hooked up, though. I’ve been meaning to do it for a while anyway. It’s just that I don’t really like interacting with people.”
“It’s okay. I don’t either.”
“So,” he says after a few moments of silence. “You’ll stay?”
“Yeah,” I say, all of my resolve crumbling. “I’ll stay.”