Page 16 of It Was Always You

I’m taking her to a safehouse that’s nearly a six-hour drive and at the other end of the country. It’s more of a cabin than a house, but it’s isolated with surveillance footage on every square inch of land around it. Hopefully, seeing the surrounding forest will help her feel less trapped.

“Are you able to tell me anything about where we’re going yet? Or how long it’ll take?” she asks, kicking off her trainers to get comfortable.

“I mean, I could tell you, but I want to see your reaction to it. I can tell you it’s gonna take us about six hours, though.” I put my arm around the back of her seat as I reverse the car.

“Six hours?! No wonder you told me to charge my Kindle.” She laughs, pulling it out from her tote bag.

“It’ll be worth it, you’ll see. And if you pass out, I’ll save your Kindle from falling.” I flip on the radio and let the soothing sounds of Noah Kahan singing about orange juice fill the car.

“My hero,” she quips, and we settle into a comfortable silence broken only by her occasional laughter at what she’s reading.

* * *

Cora is fast asleep, snoring softly and has shifted closer to me to use my thigh as her pillow. Literal heaven on earth. The comforting weight of her against me, the smell of her coconut shampoo and the absolute trust she places in me is everything I could ask for and more in this moment. While I would give anything for us to not be in this dire situation, I am selfishly happy about getting some uninterrupted time with her.

As the sun begins to rise, I pull up to our temporary safe house. Although I’d happily let Cora continue sleeping against me, I need to stretch my legs, and she must be uncomfortable by now. Gently, I shake her awake, calling her name softly. Her sleep-glazed blue eyes blink open before she seems to jerk herself awake and scrambles off me to sit up, cheeks flushed with a pretty blush.

“You should have pushed me off. That can’t have been comfortable for you.”

“If I hadn’t wanted you there, I would have moved you. But honestly, I didn’t mind at all. I only woke you because we’ve arrived,” I explain, nodding towards the cabin. Her reaction is priceless—a mixture of awe and delight—as she takes in the stunning log structure nestled amidst the trees, which promises a breathtaking mid-October display in the coming weeks.

“Owen…this place is beautiful,” she whispers, still scanning the surroundings.

“I’m glad you approve. Welcome to your new home,” I reply with a smile, hopping out to open her door before she can do it herself. As she steps out to explore, I quickly grab our bags from the car and follow her inside, where she’s already spinning around, taking in the cosy yet expansive interior.

It’s a mishmash of old school rustic and new modern open planned living. The kitchen blends seamlessly into the living room which has an eye-catching burning fire and a massive grey corner sofa that’s drowning in soft blankets and pillows. Down the hall is the bathroom and safe room which has steps leading down into the gym, and off to the side of the living room, there’s a ladder to the bedroom above that features a huge king-sized bed and the ensuite with the best rainforest shower head ever.

“This is literally like something out of a book or a Hallmark movie.” She spins to look at me with a giggle, and fuck if her reaction isn’t exactly what I hoped it would be.

“Do you see why I wanted to see your reaction rather than just tell you now?” I say with a smile, walking over to her.

“Definitely. Whoever designed this place is a genius. It’s the perfect blend of styles,” she comments as we work together to unpack the kitchen supplies.

“I’ll have to tell Mum you love it.” I laugh as her jaw drops, and she spins round to face me, abandoning her task of stocking the fridge.

“You’re shitting me.”

“Nope, home decor is a passion project of hers.”

Shortly after, as she heads upstairs, she calls down, “Owen? Did you know there’s only one bed?”

I glance up to see her peering over the railing. “Yeah, but don’t worry, I know the sofa makes a killer bed, and it puts me right between you and the door.”

“There’s no way I can force you to sleep on the sofa,” she protests, though I can tell she’s torn between gratitude and guilt.

“We’ll sort it out later, Cora. Don’t stress,” I reassure her with a smile, knowing damn well there’s no way I can share a bed with her without getting myself in trouble.

But that’s a problem for future me.

Chapter 14

When everyone started talking about a safe house, I pictured somewhere sterile.No windows. No personality. No pretty view.

But this place is the exact opposite of that.

Logically no matter what the safehouse looked like I would suck it up and stick it out. After all, the whole point of the place is to keep me safe, not to look pretty. But the thought of staying somewhere without windows or somewhere underground had me feeling claustrophobic before we even got here so to say I was relieved when we pulled up outside what looks like a romantic cabin is an understatement.

After getting our stuff unpacked, Owen took me on a walk through, showing me where the safe room that doubles as a surveillance room and the way down to the gym is. He then made a point of showing me the many hiding spots for the guns—under the coffee table, behind the TV, in the fridge drawer, the vanity cabinet in both bathrooms, etc.

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