by Bianca Vix
“We’ll find out soon enough. I’m surprised his battery’s not dead by now, even without any use.”
Linc’s brow is creased into a frown when he comes back to us. Immediately, my stomach does a nasty flip. He sits down without a word.
“Well?” Jase slides his arm around me, as if he can sense how tense I’ve gotten. Which I’m sure he can. “Anything we need to know about?”
Linc runs his hand back through his hair. “That was Sam. He says there’s no sign of this blizzard letting up. All the roads leading anywhere near here are a disaster. It’s a huge mess out there, and not just for us in the remote areas. All the nearby towns are pretty much closed down. This is a huge deal, and no-one could have been prepared for something of this magnitude.”
Jase strokes my arm. “So how long until someone can get to us?”
Linc’s jaw tightens. “I don’t know. Sam was trying to tell me, but the call kept cutting in and out. Reception’s terrible now. And my phone went dead before he was done talking. From the sounds of it, there’s no chance at all of anyone getting in or out of here for quite some time.”
A chill runs through me. “So what are we going to do for food? And heat?” I glance at the fire, already burning down to embers. The wood pile shrinks alarmingly every single day.
“We’ll manage.” Jase hugs me close to him. “Don’t worry.”
I want to ask him, but I don’t think I want to hear the answer. The three of us sit without looking at each other. Every time the fire pops, it sounds like it’s asking the question that I can’t bring myself to say out loud.
How?
Chapter 14
Linc
I can’t stop thinking about the phone call from Sam. It’s made everything more real. For the first time, I’m actually worried about what’s going to happen to us.
Until now, it was easy enough to see this as an extended vacation. One with more exceptional sex than I’m used to having, sure. But still just a short time away in the woods, one that will end soon. Now reality’s looming and I can’t ignore it any longer.
We’re getting short on food. Even more urgently, the firewood supply that Jase and I cut is getting dangerously low. The size of this cabin is working against us on that front, that’s for sure. At first, I liked how big it was. But its size makes the heat from the fire disperse fast. And since there’s no power, the fire is our only source of heat. Without it going constantly, we’re basically trapped in a huge ice box that’s going to slowly freeze us if we don’t come up with something to prevent that.
Jase knows it too. I don’t know why Mykayla’s acting like she’s in denial about all this. But we can’t do that any longer. It’s a serious situation we’re in. Sam didn’t have a single piece of good news to give me. It’s all uncertainty and danger. This is one of the biggest snowstorms of the century, if not the biggest. So it’s totally unpredictable. He said the chances of it ending soon are really slim.
It’s good that Sam was able to give us an update at least. I’m surprised he even managed to get through, what with the terrible reception we were getting. Now that my phone’s run out of juice, Sam was our last communication with the outside world.
It’s all down to us now. I’m trying to figure something out, some solution I haven’t thought of yet when Jase comes back in.
He’s fully dressed. It’s the first time I’ve seen clothes on him in days. It’s ridiculous to think of it now, but I can’t help but notice how good he looks. Not that it matters. Our sex fest is over. We have to figure out how to survive.
“What are you doing, Jase?” Mykayla sounds tense. At least she seems to know what’s up now.
“We’re going to run out of firewood very soon. So I’m going to see about getting out to cut some more.”
Her eyes widen. “How? The blizzard isn’t letting up. And it’s getting dark out there.”
“I don’t know how. Not yet. But there’s no choice. And waiting until daylight only means there’ll be even more snow piled up. The longer we wait, the harder it’ll be. I’ve got to see what can be done right now.”
“We can all go.” She stands up, her naked body unfolding. Looking gorgeous in the firelight.
I shake my thoughts off her body. I’m impressed at Mykayla’s offer. She’s a total city dweller. Doesn’t know much about what it’s going to take. But she’s willing to try anyway.
Jase gives his head a sharp shake. “Once I’ve found a way out of here, then everyone can help out. But first, I need to see if I can even work out a way out of the cabin, and then over to the forest. If I can figure something out, we’ll be good to go. Until then, it’d be better if you and Linc can search the cabin. See if you can find anything in here that we could possibly burn if it comes down to that.”
“You don’t need my help?”
“Not yet. Hopefully I will after I come up with a plan to get out of here.” Jase comes over to us. “Be careful,” Mykayla tells him.
“Don’t worry. I know what I’m doing. I won’t be long, I’m only going to check out our options. Which I’m afraid won’t be very many.”
Mykayla gives him a kiss. I don’t. I grip his arm briefly and give him an absent-minded nod. It’s like our bubble’s been broken. Sudden and fast. A clean break. That was before. This is now. We all need to focus on doing what needs to be done immediately.
Linc goes off to get his jacket and boots on.
“I’ll start at the end of the hallway that my bedroom’s at,” I say to Mykayla. “If you start at the opposite end, we’ll meet in the middle and see what we’ve got.”
“Okay.” But instead of heading off towards her room, she goes to Jase. To give him a kiss goodbye, or something. I don’t know how she can been thinking like that now. This is an urgent situation we’re in here.
I get dressed as fast as I can, piling on as many layers as possible. If Jase can’t figure out a way out of here, we’re fucked. Might as well prolong the time we have for as long as possible.
As much as I’ve felt like I’ve been surrounded by wood since I got here, I soon discover that it’s all because of the cabin. It’s everywhere, the walls, the ceilings and the beams. I have to wonder if we could hack into the walls if we had to. But I never examined them closely before. Not until now.
It’s fake. Veneer over concrete. Higher up, the wood looks real. The beams across the ceiling are almost certainly real. But they’re so high up, we’d never reach them. Even if there was a ladder we could get to, it wouldn’t do any good.
Damn it.
I check out every piece of furniture in the bedroom, but it’s useless too. I go from room to room, assessing everything quickly. But it’s all the same. Same walls, same furniture. All metal and modern. Nothing we can use.
I get to Mykayla’s room to find her there, all dressed now and pulling on her thick sweater. For a moment I flash back to the last time I saw her doing that. The first time we kissed.
It’s been a hell of a time here. Not at all what I expected. Not with Mykayla. Or Jase.
I shake my head. There’s no time for thoughts like that. That part’s over.
“Any luck?” Mykayla sounds so hopeful, I almost don’t want to tell her. I can see why Jase’s been trying to keep her from worrying. She takes things hard, I think.
“No.” I give her room a cursory glance. Nothing different in here. When I meet her eyes again, the look in them makes me set my oil lamp down on the table and gather her up in my arms.
“It’ll be fine. We’ll work something out. We just need to focus now on what we need to do. Get our three brains going on it, and there’s nothing we can’t figure out.”
“Yes. I know. And the sooner we can get back to living in front of the fire, the better.”
I frown. “I think we’re done with that, Mykayla. We’ve got to try and get out of here. Not just for firewood. Out of this cabin and back to civilization. Where we’ll be safe. With no-one able to come for us here, it’s not sa
fe here anymore.”
“Okay. I guess there’ll be time enough to get back to spending all of our spare time in front of a fire together once we’re out of here and safe.”
Once we’re out of here. Her words echo in my mind. I hadn’t given any thought to what becomes of us once we get back to the real world. Once we’re out of our own private cocoon of pure sex and nothing else to think about. All I’ve been doing is living in the moment. I never imagined just how freeing that would be.
But there’s no way it can last. This isn’t the real world. What we’ve had going on here between us can’t survive outside these walls. There’s no way.
Is there?
Looking into Mykayla’s light eyes, I falter for a moment. Could we keep this going?
I can’t see how. Three people together isn’t a thing. It’s not something that people do. Especially anyone who wants to be as successful as I intend to be. There are certain ways you need to behave and conduct your life. Having two partners definitely isn’t on the list.
“I don’t see that happening, Mykayla. What we’ve been getting up to here has been great. A lot of fun. But it’s just for now, while we’re stuck in the cabin. It can’t continue once we’re out.”
Her face falls. “We have a good thing going here, Linc. So why not? I can’t see any reason to stop.”
“For one thing, we all live pretty far away from each other. And work keeps me pretty busy. I don’t have a lot of time to be going back and forth. But mostly because there’s no point. It’s not like three people can be in a relationship together or anything. That’s crazy.”
Mykayla’s eyes flash. “I don’t think it’s crazy at all. This feels right, Linc. More so than anything I’ve ever been involved in before. It’s what I want, and not just for now. I want this to go on and on. We can make it happen if we all want it. I think you feel the same way. Tell me I’m wrong.”
The way she always challenges me is what used to bug me the most about her. Lately I’ve grown to like it. But not now. Now she’s making me think about things that I don’t want to.
Feels right. Yeah, she’s summed up exactly what I’ve been feeling lately that I couldn’t name about everything that’s happened.
But I also thought my ex was right for me. I totally believed she was the one. I can’t forget about that weekend. The one when we broke up. I had the ring and everything planned out. All my plans fell apart when she walked out on me instead of saying yes.
So I know I can’t trust my judgement about what feels right. Not as far as love goes.
There’s an annoying thought that keeps trying to get my attention. Trying to tell me that this is different. That this may well be everything I ever wanted. Mykayla, who’s turned out to be nothing like I expected. She’s someone I could see myself with for a very long time.
And Jase. That was something I never saw coming. He’s reawakened desires in me that I’ve kept shoving down for so long, I almost forgot they were even there. Given me back a part of myself that I didn’t know I was missing.
But my mind keeps going back to my ex. I was wrong about her. So, so wrong. Even if things with her were nothing like they are now with Mykayla and Jase, I was planning to spend the rest of my life with her. And I was wrong about everything. How do you misjudge something like that?
There’s no way I can take that chance again. Especially on something as unusual as what we’ve got going on here. How can it possibly be about something more than just sex? It’s just a bunch of crazy hot days that came out of being stuck together in a snowstorm.
That’s nothing to base a future on.
I swallow hard. “What we have is being trapped together. It doesn’t matter. It’s not possible. Once this storm’s over, so are we. It’s not something that people do. Three people together. It doesn’t make any sense.”
Even as I hear the words come out of my mouth, they don’t ring true. I want this. I don’t want it to end. Not now. Not ever. And that’s the problem. I want it too much. I can’t open myself up to being hurt again. Not like last time. I’m not going through that again. It broke something in me. And I don’t know how to fix it.
“It’s not something I expected to have happen either. I would never have even considered something like this before. But now, it’s everything I want. It doesn’t have to make sense, Linc. It just has to be what we all want. And then we can do whatever we want to do.”
Easy for her to say. I look her square in the eye. “I don’t want it, Mykayla. I want a regular life. This isn’t it.”
I tense up as her expression changes. I don’t want to hurt her. Hell, that’s the last thing I want to do. But it’s the truth.
Or so I keep reminding myself. It is true. You can’t love two people at the same time. You definitely can’t have a relationship with two people at the same time. Who does that?
Not me.
Before I can come up with something to try and make her feel better, she turns on her heel and walks out.
Damn it.
I can’t even go after her, because I don’t have anything to say.
Chapter 15
Mykayla
I make myself take another drink of water as I peer out the kitchen window. There’s not a thing to see, of course. The snow’s blocking most of the glass and it’s pitch black out there anyway. But I can’t keep from trying. Jase’s out there. If there’s anyone I need to see right now, it’s him. He’ll say something, the perfect thing, and fix everything.
Or at least, make me feel better. It’s all so unbelievable. Here I am, upset that Linc doesn’t want a relationship with me or Jase.
Now that’s something I never thought I’d be upset about. Being with Linc. But ever since we all got together, he’s been like a changed man. Nothing at all like he was whenever we’d communicate over chat. Or when he and I were alone here at first. It’s as if he’s letting me see who he really is now. That his work persona is just that. An image.
I still can’t believe I’m falling for him right along with Jase. But like I told him, it feels right. I can’t come up with a better way to say it. That barely even covers how I feel about both of these men. But it’s all I’ve got.
My stomach growls and I sip at my glass of water. We’re cutting back even more on how much we eat at a time so we won’t run out of food. None of us thought we’d be stuck here this long. So we weren’t careful at first.
Now we have to be.
Maybe that’s why Linc said what he did. He’s just hungry. But as much as I want to believe that, I can’t. He looked me in the eye and said he doesn’t want to be with Jase and I after we get out of here.
I didn’t see that coming. I so thought we were all on the same page. Jase couldn’t be happier. Neither could I. Until now.
Setting the glass down, I rub at my eyes. It’s getting darker in here. I glance at the candle I carried in with me just in time to see it go out. Oh, no. That’s one of the last ones we have. I toy around with it, trying to coax some of the wick out from the small pool of white wax it’s drowning in. But it’s hopeless.
I cast around for a solution. There’s no way I want to call out to Linc to come in with the candle I left with him back in the living room. Even if he’s still in there, I don’t need his help.
Over in the corner of the counter, there’s a single oil lamp left from the ones we collected and scattered around into the rooms we’d need them in. We haven’t used it yet, since we’re always walking in here with the candles that we carry around to light our way.
Yes. It’s full of oil. All of its glass sides are missing, but that doesn’t matter. It’ll light my way just fine. It blazes up as soon as I light it. Swallowing down the last of my water, I ignore the temptation to grab something to eat and head out to my room.
The hallway’s freezing. But I’m not going back to the fireplace, not now. I can’t be around Linc, or I might say something I’ll regret. Not that he wouldn’t deserve it. But getting into an argumen
t with him is not something I want. Not right now. Once Jase gets back, we’ll all eat some dinner together. Maybe he can talk some sense into Linc. He’s the one who came up with the idea of a threesome in the first place. If he believes that kind of a relationship can work out, so do I. So surely he can convince Linc of that too.
But do I want to be with someone who has to be convinced? No. No, it’s not about being convinced about having a relationship with me or Jase. It’s only about believing that a threesome can work when we’re not trapped in a cabin. Not about being convinced to be with us. Because there’s no point to that.
Still, I can’t help but wonder. Is it only the threesome thing that’s making Linc say no to it? Or is it that he just doesn’t want to be with me? Maybe he was just being nice. Making up a polite reason to get out of it. As much as I have feelings for him, I don’t know what he’s truly thinking about everything that’s gone on here.
I reach my bedroom and go right to the dresser. I want to try and see if I can fit another pair of socks over the ones I’ve got on.
I manage to force one on, but I’m struggling with the second.
“Mykayla.” It’s Linc, standing in the doorway. His voice sounding unexpectedly in the silence startles me. I lose my balance slightly and grab at the edge of the dresser to steady myself. My hand bumps against the oil lamp and it tips over onto the floor. Oil spills out everywhere. Before I can even curse in frustration, it’s burning.
Holy fuck. It’s going everywhere. Flames lick up around me and I freeze in place. Linc’s expression turns to one of horror. He comes closer, holding his hand out to me, as close to the flames as he can get.
“Mykayla. Jump over it. It’s not that high. Jump over it and come over here to me.”
I want to do what he’s telling me. But my limbs are frozen. I can’t make myself move.
Chapter 16
Linc
Mykayla’s not moving. This fire could get out of control really fast. I don’t know how much oil was in that lamp. From the look of things, it was full.