Chapter 6
ELODIE
Istood in the guest room with my duffel open at my feet and my small suitcase perched on the bed, staring down at the neatly folded clothes inside. Garner had brought them in for me this morning, and I was already second-guessing the decision.
I wasn’t used to getting comfortable in any one place because I was always aware that my invitation could be revoked at any time.
But Garner and his friends had made me feel so welcome over the past twenty-four hours that I hadn’t thought twice when he asked if there was anything he could get from the car for me.
As I kept busy unpacking, my thoughts refused to cooperate. They kept circling back to the moment yesterday when he’d called me, “Sweetheart.”
It had seemed as though he hadn’t even realized he’d said it until the term of endearment was already hanging between us. And made me wonder if he felt the magnetic pull between us like I did.
I paused, my fingers tightening around the hem of a T-shirt.
Everything with Garner was new to me. I’d watched girls in high school giggle over crushes and listened to coworkers complain about dating disasters, but I’d never felt any of it myself.
Somewhere along the way, I’d assumed I was wired differently. Or broken in a way that didn’t come with a clear explanation.
But now I wondered if I was just late to the party.
My attraction to Garner felt like standing on the edge of something vast and unknown. It was terrifying and strangely beautiful all at once.
Butterflies swirled in my belly as I remembered how Garner had looked at me afterward. He hadn’t been embarrassed, just aware. As if something had shifted for him too, even if neither of us had named it.
I sank onto the edge of the bed, pressing my palms flat against the quilt to ground myself and wondering if the way I already longed for Garner wasn’t normal. And if it was something I could only feel for him.
The thought sent another wave of warmth through me, followed immediately by a spike of fear. Because if whatever had awakened inside me was tied to a man I barely knew…I had no idea what I was supposed to do with that.
Or how to walk away from it.
Laina knocked lightly on the open doorframe just as I was sliding my bags under the bed. “Mind if we come in?”
Before I could answer, she stepped inside with a pregnant woman at her side. “This is Marielle. She and Artemis live a few cabins over.”
“Nice to meet you.” Marielle smiled at me, pressing her hand against her rounded belly.
“Hi.” I gestured toward the bed. “Please, sit down.”
“Thanks.” Marielle carefully made her way over and perched on the edge of the mattress. “I’m at the stage where my feet always feel like they need to be up.”
“At least you’re not carrying twins like Evette did with Ellie and Eva,” Laina pointed out with a grin, glancing around the room. “How are you settling in?”
“Better than I expected, honestly.” I paused, then added, “I was only planning to stay one day. But after what happened at the construction site, Garner asked me to stay longer. In case whoever sabotaged it saw me. It's for my safety.”
Laina snorted.
Marielle didn’t even try to hide her smile.
“Yeah,” Laina drawled. “For your safety. That’s a good one.”
I blinked. “What?”
“He looked at you the same way Keane did with me when we first met,” Laina explained with a swoony look in her eyes.
Marielle scooted farther back on the mattress, folding her arms over her belly. “Like the rest of the world faded out and there was only one thing left to focus on.”
Heat crept up my neck. “He’s just being kind. And protective.”
Another look passed between them. Quick and loaded with a meaning I didn’t understand.
“Those things can be true,” Marielle agreed with a soft smile. “And still not explain everything.”
I twisted my hands together. “Is it normal to feel too much for a guy this quickly? Like you don’t recognize yourself anymore?”
“Absolutely,” Laina confirmed without hesitation.
“Sometimes, it just takes the right person to wake parts of you that have been quiet for a long time,” Marielle added.
I nodded, even though my chest still felt tight. Their reassurance helped, but it didn’t explain why my thoughts kept circling back to Garner. Or why the idea of leaving made my stomach sink.
As they stood to leave, Laina gave me a knowing smile. “You’re exactly where you’re supposed to be.”
I watched them go, comforted and unsettled all at once. And more aware than ever that whatever was happening with Garner wasn’t something I could simply walk away from.
I sat alone on the edge of the bed after they left, the cabin settling into a gentle hush around me. The fire popped softly in the living room, but it wasn’t the source of the warmth I felt deep inside.
I exhaled slowly and forced myself not to overthink.
Trauma did strange things to people. I’d spent most of my life braced for impact, waiting for the moment kindness turned into obligation.
Maybe my body was confusing safety with attraction.
No one had ever protected me without asking for something in return, so my gratitude might just feel overwhelming.
Garner was ridiculously hot and protective of me. Anyone would feel affected by that after a year of surviving alone.
I reminded myself I didn’t need him. I’d learned how to take care of myself the hard way. Once the danger passed, I could leave.
The thought should have settled me. Instead, something in my chest tightened.
Even now, with a wall between us, I was painfully aware of his presence in the cabin. And worse, how empty it felt when he wasn’t right next to me.
I didn’t even know him, so it made no sense to feel like I’d lost something. It made no sense at all, yet somehow felt inevitable.
The feeling only intensified with every hour I spent with Garner. By the time night settled over the cabins again, the world outside had gone still, but my thoughts refused to follow.
Every creak of wood made my pulse jump as I lay on my back in the guest room and stared at the ceiling. Even a slight rustle outside my window had me holding my breath.
I rolled onto my side, hugging the pillow to my chest, when soft footsteps sounded in the hall. They stopped just outside my door. A quiet knock followed.
“Elodie?” Garner’s voice drifted toward me. “You okay?”
I slid out of bed and crossed the room. When I opened the door, he stood just outside the threshold.
The sight of him stole my breath. Barefoot and shirtless, wearing loose sleep pants that rode low on his hips. His skin was warm gold in the dim light and his muscles relaxed but still powerful.
I offered him a shy smile. “I’m fine. Just having a hard time falling asleep.”
He searched my expression but didn’t step closer.
“I couldn’t sleep either,” he admitted. “Thought I heard you moving and wanted to make sure you were all right.”
“Thanks.”
The air between us hummed with something unspoken. My awareness expanded until I was acutely aware of the space separating us.
His voice was rough when he murmured, “I guess I should say good night then.”
“Good night.”
He lingered a second longer, then turned and walked away, his footsteps fading back into the quiet.
I closed the door and leaned against it, pressing a hand to my chest.
I still didn’t understand what was happening between Garner and me. But as I lay back down, staring into the dark, one truth settled deep in my bones.
It wasn’t just in my head, and it wasn’t going away.