Chapter 8
Geoff
Three days. We’d had three perfect days cocooned in my cabin, where the outside world didn’t exist and nothing mattered except each other.
But the plows had finally made it up the mountain yesterday, and Maya’s landlord had called this morning. Her apartment was ready, and there were papers to sign, keys to collect. Real life demanded attention.
“I don’t want to go,” Maya said, burrowing deeper into my side. We were having coffee in bed. It was now a routine we’d established, and she was wearing my shirt as a dress again. If I were being honest with myself, I was thinking I’d never get it back. It wouldn’t feel like mine anymore, anyway.
“I know. But we can’t hide up here forever.”
“Why not? We have food. Heat. Entertainment.” She pointed to the gaming consoles, and then at the bed.
“I need to run to the supermarket. We’re almost out of fresh food. And you need to sign your lease.”
“Minor details.” She winked. “I’ve seen the stuff you’ve got in the freezer. You’re a secret meal prepper.”
“Don’t go spoiling my image of being a rough-tough mountain Yeti,” I teased, kissing the top of her head.
I’d never grow tired of breathing in the scent of her.
My soap, my shampoo, but underneath it all, distinctly Maya.
My cabin would smell like her for weeks after she left.
The thought made something in my chest ache.
“How about a proposition? We go into town, handle the necessary business, grab groceries, and come right back here?”
“Can I stay another night?”
“Maya, you can stay as many nights as you want. I hope you know that.”
She looked up at me, something vulnerable in her expression. “I like it here. With you. The real world feels complicated.”
I understood that completely. Up here, it was just us. No expectations, no judgments, no questions about what a human and a Yeti were doing together. Just Maya and Geoff, the same people we’d been for three years, finally in the same physical space.
“It’ll be okay,” I said, trying to convince us both. “Calamity Creek is a wonderful town. Monster-human integration is literally what they’re known for.”
“I know. You’re right.” She drained her coffee and slid out of bed. “Okay. Let’s do this. Quick trip into town, then back to our bubble.”
Our bubble. I liked the sound of that.
An hour later, we were in my truck, heading down the mountain. The roads were clear but bordered by massive walls of plowed snow. Maya was quieter than usual, staring out the window with a small furrow between her brows.
“You okay?” I asked.
“Yeah, nervous, I guess. About meeting people. Being seen with you publicly.” She must have seen my expression because she quickly added, “Not because I’m ashamed!
God, no. I didn’t mean it that way. I said it because I know how people can be.
And I don’t want anyone giving you a hard time because of me.
I’m the newcomer here; you’re the longtime resident. ”
My hands tightened on the steering wheel. “Maya, if anyone gives either of us a hard time, they’ll answer to me.”
“Very protective.”
“You’re mine. Of course I’m protective.”
She smiled at that, reaching over to take my hand. “I’m yours, huh?”
“If you want to be.”
“I definitely want to be.”
We drove in comfortable silence for a few minutes before Maya pointed ahead. “Wait, is that my car?”
I slowed down. Her car was still there, half-buried in the snowbank where it had crashed four days ago. A tow truck was parked behind it, and I recognized Marco from the town’s garage examining the damage.
“Want to check on it?” I asked.
“Might as well. At least grab my stuff before they haul it away.”
I pulled over, and we climbed out. Marco looked up as we approached, his eyes widening as he registered Maya.
“Geoff! This is the car you called about?” He was a werewolf, tall and rangy with the permanent restless energy of his kind. “Man, whoever drove it is lucky to be alive. This could have been bad.”
“It’s my car,” Maya said, her voice low.
“Don’t I know it.” I moved to stand beside Maya, close enough that our shoulders touched. “Maya, this is Marco. He owns the garage in town. Marco, Maya. She’s new to Calamity Creek.”
“Welcome to town,” Marco said with a friendly grin. “Sorry it’s under these circumstances. Your car’s totaled, I’m afraid. Frame’s bent, engine damage, the works. Insurance should cover most of it, but she’s not drivable.”
Maya winced. “I figured. Can I grab my things from the trunk?”
“Sure thing. I already popped it open to check for hazardous materials. The last thing this area needs is a fire.”
While Marco explained the towing and insurance process to Maya, I moved to the trunk.
There were two large suitcases, both looking worse for wear from the crash.
I pulled out the first one. It was heavy, and I figured it probably had her clothes.
I lifted it with one hand and set it aside.
The second one had a tag that read Phoenix Con with little hand-drawn flames around it.
Phoenix Con. The convention. Damn.
Curious, I unzipped it slightly. Instead of clothes, I saw bright fabrics, wigs, and what looked like armor pieces. Cosplay supplies.
My mind immediately went places it probably shouldn’t have gone, standing on the side of a mountain road.
“That one too,” Maya called, walking over. “I’ll need both, please.” She stopped, seeing which suitcase I was holding. Her face went bright red. “Oh. Um. That one. Uh, that’s not important. We can leave that one.”
“Phoenix Con?” I read from the tag.
“It’s nothing. Just convention stuff.”
I lowered my voice and pretended I hadn’t already peeked at its contents. “Is it the cosplay you mentioned?”
“Maybe. Possibly. It’s not important.”
I grinned. “Maya, are you embarrassed about your cosplay?”
“No! I never have been before. And it’s nerdy and you’ve never seen me in costume and I probably look ridiculous.”
“I highly doubt that.” I loaded both suitcases into the truck bed while she protested. “I want to see them.”
“Geoff.”
“Please? I showed you my gaming setup. Fair’s fair.”
She covered her face with her hands. “It’s nothing like your gaming setup. This is mortifying.”
“No, this is adorable.” I wrapped my arms around her from behind, resting my chin on top of her head. Marco was tactfully focused on hooking the car up to the tow bed. “Come on. I bet you look amazing.”
“You’re just saying that.”
“I’m absolutely not. I’ve been wanting to see your cosplays since you mentioned making that armor set last year.”
She peeked up at me through her fingers. “Really?”
“Really. You put so much work into them. Of course I want to see you in full costume. You’ve only shown me pictures of the process.”
She groaned, but she was smiling. “Fine. But if you laugh,” she balled her hands into tiny fists, “I’ll have to join Tank’s team for a few rounds.”
“I won’t laugh.”
“Promise?”
“I promise.”
We said goodbye to Marco who gave me a knowing look that I steadfastly ignored, and continued into town.
Calamity Creek was picturesque in the winter, all snow-covered roofs and smoke rising from chimneys.
The main street was decorated with fairy lights that stayed up year-round, and through the windows I could see the mix of human and monster residents that made the town unique.
“It’s charming,” Maya said, pressing her face to the window. “Like something from a movie.”
“Wait until you see it in spring. Everything blooms at once thanks to the local coven of witches. It’s incredible.”
I parked outside the real estate office where Maya needed to sign her lease. “Want me to come in with you?”
“Would you? I mean, if you’re busy or have plans to see other people, I understand.”
“Maya, I’m never too busy for you.”
The real estate office was warm and cluttered, run by a selkie named Margaret who’d lived in Calamity Creek since she was a child. She looked up as we entered, her smile widening.
“Geoff! I heard you played hero during the storm.” Her eyes shifted to Maya, assessing. “And you must be Maya. Welcome to town, dear. Though I hear you’ve been settling in already?”
There was something in her tone, not quite disapproving, but knowing. Pointed.
“Marco has a big mouth,” I muttered.
“Marco’s girlfriend is my niece. Word travels fast in a small town.
Even though I’d usually blame Marco for running his mouth, it wasn’t him.
Credit where credit’s due and all.” Margaret pulled out a folder.
“Now, let’s get you signed in. The apartment’s all ready.
Power’s on, heat’s working, everything’s in order. ”
While Maya reviewed the paperwork, I noticed Margaret watching us. Specifically, watching how close I stood to Maya, how my hand rested on the small of her back, how we moved in sync even in the small space.
“So,” Margaret said conversationally, “you two know each other?” She pinned me with her stare. “I didn’t know you knew many people outside of town, Geoff.”
“We’re friends,” Maya said, not looking up from the contract. She had the pen in her hand, reading every word. “Gaming friends. Online.”
“Ah. And now not-online.” Margaret’s smile was pleasant but her eyes were sharp. “How nice.”
I felt Maya tense beside me. “Is there a problem?” I asked, letting some steel into my voice.
“No, no. Just making conversation.” Margaret shuffled some papers. “It’s just that Geoff here has been quite the hermit. And now he’s coming into town with a human girl he barely knows, looking very familiar with each other.”
“We’ve known each other for three years,” Maya said quietly, scribbling on the last page.
“Online,” Margaret emphasized. “Which isn’t quite the same, is it?”
“Margaret.” My voice came out harder than intended. “Maya’s personal life is none of your business. And for the record, neither is mine.”