Chapter 24
Istir awake to the soft glow of morning light filtering through the window of the cabin, casting a gentle warmth over the room.
The blanket Ethan and I found last night is draped over me, offering comfort against the cool air of the early day. Stretching my limbs slowly, I hear the faint sound of Ethan’s voice nearby.
Turning my head slightly, I see him on the phone, his expression focused as he speaks in hushed tones. I take it that the signal is back, and he must be updating the rest of the team, letting them know that we’re safe and sound.
I take a moment to admire him, the way his features are illuminated by the morning light, the slight furrow of his brow as he concentrates on the call. There’s a certain strength in his demeanor, a confidence that seems to radiate from within him.
But then, I quickly remind myself of the events of last night, the boundaries we crossed that shouldn’t have been breached.
As much as I’m drawn to him, I know that what happened between us was just a game, and now that it’s dawn, the game is over. We agreed to be just friends, and I intend to stick to that agreement.
Pushing aside any lingering thoughts of attraction, I sit up and run a hand through my tousled hair, steeling myself for the day ahead. We need to find a way back to the hotel, back to reality.
A part of me feels sad because even though I was scared at first of getting trapped here in the middle of nowhere, I later got to like the idea of just the two of us being here, away from the world.
In here, he was just Ethan and not my boss, and there was no fear of things getting complicated. Well, it was just a bubble, and it’s been deflated. Time to head back to the real world.
“Ethan, are we okay?” I ask tentatively, breaking the silence as he finishes his call.
He turns to me with a reassuring smile. “Hey, good morning, sleeping beauty.”
“Good morning,” I respond, trying my best not to blush. “I take it that the reception is back?”
“Yeah, reception’s back. I called the hotel, and they’re sending someone to come get us. We’ll be back before you know it.”
Relief floods through me at his words, grateful that we’ll soon be back at the hotel safe and sound. I nod, offering him a small smile in return.
“So, I take it that we are back to being just friends again?” Ethan says, breaking the silence that seemed to be stretching for too long.
I give a nonchalant shrug, hoping it will mask the pain and regret I feel on the inside. “Yeah, that was the deal, right? The moment we step out of this cabin, we are back to being just friends.”
“You know I could call the hotel and ask them not to bother coming,” he says, pointing at his face, a childish smile curling up his lips.
“It doesn’t work that way. We have to go back to the real world.”
“What if I don’t want to?” He comes and sits beside me on the couch, looking down at me, his eyes filled with yearning.
“If remaining here in this cabin is what it takes for us to be together, then I’m willing to do it.”
I let out a sigh, allowing myself to indulge a little as I brought up my hand to his face, gently caressing the stubble on his face.
“It’s time to head back to the real world. And there, you and I are worlds apart.”
“What can I do to bridge the two worlds?”
I give a slow shake of my head. “I don’t think it can be bridged.”
His response is a groan.
Before long, we hear the distant sound of engines approaching, and soon enough, a rescue team arrives at the cabin. And they got us back to the hotel in the car they had brought with them.
As we step back into the hotel lobby, I’m greeted with a wave of relief from the rest of the team. Vivian rushes forward, throwing her arms around me in a tight hug.
“I’m so glad you’re safe, Jessy!” she exclaims, her voice filled with genuine concern.
I return her hug, “I’m sorry I made you worry,” I say, but as I glance around, I catch Lysa’s eyes, and the deadly glares she sends my way don’t go unnoticed. There’s a certain intensity to her gaze that sends a shiver down my spine.
“I should go clean up,” I say.
“The rest of the team was about to have breakfast. You will come down and join us when you are done?” Vivian asks.
I offer her a weak smile. “Yeah, I’m famished.”
I take the key card to our room, but before I can walk much further, Lysa strides over to me, her expression a mix of anger and suspicion.
“How convenient is it that it was you and Ethan who got stranded in a cabin together?” she asks, her tone laced with accusation.
I’m caught off guard by her question, and for a moment, I struggle to find the right response. But then I sense Ethan’s presence as he steps forward.
“It was just an unfortunate coincidence,” he says firmly, his voice unwavering. “Jessica and I were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
Lysa looks between the two of us, skepticism was written in her eyes. I can sense her lingering suspicion, and I instinctively reach up, brushing my hair with my fingers, wondering if there’s anything about my looks that gives away that Ethan and I had sex last night.
“Jessica, why don’t you freshen up and join the rest of the team for breakfast?” Her tone is polite, but there’s a subtle undertone of skepticism that doesn’t escape me.
I nod in response, doing my best to mask any hint of discomfort. “Sure, I’ll be down in a bit,” I reply, mustering a smile that feels forced.
“Good, because we wouldn’t want you getting stuck in your room again, would we?”
I swallow the retort that rises to my lips, reminding myself to stay composed. With a tight smile, I make my way towards the elevators.
The followingweek at work is tense, to say the least. It’s like stepping back into a battlefield, with Lysa resuming her role as the office bully.
I can’t shake off the feeling that her going back to being a bully has something to do with the fact that Ethan and I got stuck in that cabin.
Every interaction with her is laced with thinly veiled insults and snide remarks. It’s exhausting, to say the least, but I refuse to let her get to me. I hold my head high and focus on my tasks, determined not to let her toxic behavior affect me.
However, it’s not just Lysa who’s making things difficult. The sexual tension between Ethan and me is also palpable as we try to maintain a professional demeanor, but there’s an undeniable spark whenever we’re in the same room.
As the week drags on, I find myself counting down the days until the weekend, longing for a break from the suffocating atmosphere at work.
Excited at the prospect of spending some quality time with my mom, I make the necessary arrangements for my trip to Bennington.
With the weekend off from work, it’s the perfect opportunity to reconnect with her and escape the hustle and bustle of city life for a while.
The journey to Bennington is uneventful, but filled with anticipation. As I pull up to my childhood home, a rush of nostalgia floods over me. It’s been too long since I’ve been back, and I can’t wait to see my mom.
As I step through the front door, I’m greeted by the familiar warmth of home. The comforting scent of my mom’s cooking wafts through the air, instantly making me feel at ease.
“Jessy, is that you?” My mom’s voice echoes from the kitchen, and I can’t help but smile at the sound.
“Yeah, Mom, it’s me!” I call back, kicking off my shoes and making my way towards her voice.
When I enter the kitchen, she is standing at the stove, stirring a pot of soup. She turns to face me, her eyes lighting up with joy at the sight of me.
“Oh, sweetheart, it’s so good to see you!” she exclaims, pulling me into a tight embrace.
“It’s good to see you too, Mom,” I reply, returning her hug.
“Where is Ben?” I ask, referring to my stepdad.
“He is away for the weekend on work. Something came up, and he had to go to Cape Crystal. He hates that he won’t be around for the period of your visit, but he said he will try to get back before you leave on Sunday. But for now, it’s just us girls!”
Grateful that it’s going to be just Mom and me, I hug her again. Don’t get me wrong, I like Ben, but I just want to have my mom to myself right now.
Later that evening, while seated with my mother watching a movie, she brought up the topic of the retreat.
“So, how was the retreat, dear?” she asks, her eyes fixed on the screen but her attention clearly on me.
I take a moment to gather my thoughts before responding. “It was...eventful, to say the least,” I reply, trying to keep my tone neutral.
“Eventful?” she echoes, turning to look at me with a knowing smile. “From the way you’re talking about it, it sounds like you had quite an adventure.”
I shift uncomfortably in my seat, suddenly feeling like I’m under interrogation. “Well, there were some unexpected twists and turns,” I admit reluctantly.
Her smile widens as she leans in closer. “And did anything...interesting happen during this retreat?”
I hesitate, unsure of how much to divulge. “Well, there was this one incident where I got stuck with my boss in a cabin during a storm,” I confess, hoping to downplay the significance of the situation.
My mother’s eyebrows shoot up in surprise. “You got stuck in a cabin with your boss? How... intriguing.”
I go on to tell her about everything that happened and how Ethan and I got trapped in a cabin, leaving out the sex part, of course.
“Hmm, sounds like a very interesting story.”
“I know what you are thinking, Mom, but it was purely coincidental. There’s nothing between Ethan and me.”
She raises a skeptical eyebrow, clearly not convinced by my protestations. “Are you sure about that, dear? From the way you talk about him, it sounds like there’s more to your relationship than you’re letting on.”
I let out a frustrated sigh, feeling like I’m being interrogated by the FBI. “Mom, I assure you, there’s nothing romantic going on between Ethan and me.”
My mother’s gaze drifts back to me, her expression soft but discerning. “You know, Jessy, it’s okay if you like him,” she says gently.
I feel a surge of protest rising within me, and I quickly shake my head. “Mom, I don’t like him like that. He’s just my boss, nothing more.”
She tilts her head slightly, studying me with a thoughtful look. “Are you sure about that, honey? Because from where I’m sitting, it seems like there might be something more between you two.”
I can feel my resolve crumbling under her gentle scrutiny, but I refuse to give in to her insinuations. “Mom, please. Trust me when I say there’s nothing romantic happening between us.”
She reaches out to squeeze my hand reassuringly. “Okay, sweetheart, I just want you to be happy.”
I offer her a weak smile, grateful for her understanding but still feeling conflicted about the situation.
Deep down, I know there’s a part of me that’s drawn to Ethan in a way I can’t fully explain, but I’m not ready to confront those feelings just yet.