Chapter 36
36
EMBER
We turn around a corner, and that’s when I see it for the first time.
“Ember, we’re here.”
It’s a cabin. In the middle of the woods. Right at the end of the dirt path in the middle of nowhere.
It takes a moment to see the whole thing clearly – the cabin is made out of wood and logs that help blend it into the surrounding forest. It looks just as you imagine a cabin in the woods would look like. There’s even a small porch accompanied with deck chairs and everything.
“Really?” I ask Connor as we come to a stop outside the building. “This is what you wanted to show me?”
The man turns to me in his seat.
“Yeah,” he whispers. “What do you think?”
He seems genuinely interested in my answer.
“I think it’s beautiful ,” I reply. “How did it all happen?”
“What do you mean?” he asks.
“Did you get construction crews out here or did you buy it from someone or...”
Connor looks at me with the most patronizing expression.
“Ember, I built it myself. No one else was involved.”
“Oh.”
“Sorry,” he says. “I didn’t mean to talk down to you. It’s just that no one else has ever come out to this place, so it’s incredibly sensitive for me. I’ve put a lot of work into it. I bought the land and just... built it. That’s why literally no one else knows about it here.”
“You did it for yourself?” I ask him.
Connor nods.
“I did it for me.”
I smile.
“I can see why it’s your place to relax,” I say. “It’s lovely.”
“Want to come and have a look?” he asks.
I nod enthusiastically.
We both get out of the pickup truck and wander over to the cabin. Connor unlocks the front door and gestures me eagerly inside. It’s so warm and cozy inside. Rustic in the best way possible. There’s a little stone chimney leading down to a stone fireplace. There are a few comfy armchairs scattered around. A single bed. The kitchen is tiny but good enough. It has a vintage stove and a small sink.
It’s everything you want from a cabin in the woods.
It’s like it has been ripped straight from the pages of a fairytale.
“This is so nice, Connor,” I remark, gazing around.
“Yeah?”
He’s so shy showing me around. He really cares what I think of the place. It’s cute.
“How often do you make it out here?” I ask him.
“Whenever I can,” the man replies. “I try most weeks on my days off.”
“And what do you do out here?” I ask. “What do you do on your days off?”
Connor shrugs.
“Sleep. Eat. Be alone. No modern technology at all. I like to go on long hikes and swim in the river. Just... be myself , away from the world and all its problems.”
“That sounds amazing,” I reply.
“It really is.”
“And you’ve brought me here?” I ask him.
Connor nods. He seems so vulnerable. So open. So pure.
This is a side of him I know he doesn’t reveal to anyone else.
“I’ve brought you here,” he says. “You wanted to get to know me... well, this is my soul.”
I take a step closer to him.
“I like it a lot.”
Connor takes a step toward me. We’re so close now.
“Really?” he whispers.
I bite my lip.
“I do. Thank you for bringing me here.”
“Thank you for coming,” he says.
“Can I take a photo?” I ask softly.
This time I pull out my phone, but Connor quickly shakes his head.
“No modern technology, Ember. Please. Let it just be you and me. Together. Alone. Face to face. I’d like to get to know you without any distractions.”
I smile.
“I’d like that,” I reply. “I’d like that a lot.”