Page 69 of Your Biggest Downfall
“We’re here,” I said, pulling into Aunt Emma’s driveway.
Her parents had passed away a few years ago and left her a cabin on the lake. She had an apartment in town, so we used this place for vacations and she’d let me borrow it.
“You must be exhausted,” Nova said from the passenger side.
Nova had spent the entire trip in silence, looking out the window. This was the first time she’d said anything to me.
“What?” My eyes shot to her as I pulled down the extended drive.
“Oh,” she said as she smiled. “I was thinking you came back, and it’s been nonstop for you, and then you drove two hours away. I didn’t realize we were going so far.”
I glanced back at the road and parked by the cabin. “I don’t mind. I’m glad you’re here and your mom’s okay.”
The only time Nova had said anything as we drove was when her Aunt Mae called to tell her they were heading home. Nova made sure they were okay and told them she was with me.Mae insisted everything was fine and told her they’d see her tomorrow.
Nova offered a tight-lipped smile when she glanced up at the cabin. It wasn’t fancy, but Emma had redone the entire inside, so everything was new. There was a hot tub out back, and it connected right down to the beach. Since we were in a more wooded area, it was a secluded beach, only frequented by people who owned lakefront houses.
“What is this place?”
I explained to her whose house it was and how we’d been traveling down here during the summer with my mom before Ledger was around when I was in high school.
“It’s okay that we’re here?”
“For sure. Emma gave me the keys.” I held them up.
She hesitated, not opening the door, so we sat in silence for a moment.
“There’s no booze inside,” I assured her. “She only keeps groceries.” I gestured to the back seat. “I brought food and soda.”
Nova’s lips twisted into a smirk as she finally opened the car door. The afternoon was warm, with plenty of daylight left. I grabbed a few things from the trunk while Nova wandered toward the front of the house.
“Whoa,” she said, gazing up at the wood-framed home.
I came up behind her as she took it all in. “I wanted to show you that I can still help you escape, Supernova. After everything with your mom in the hospital, I thought you could use a break.”
She kept facing forward, her arms wrapped around herself. When she finally turned to me, a tear slipped down her cheek. I dropped the bags and closed the distance between us, no longer hesitating. The warmth of her body, the scent of her perfume—it all felt so right, so necessary. I realized then that she was all I needed in this life.
I gently tilted her chin up so our eyes could meet. Her tears had stopped, but the vulnerability in her gaze made my heart ache. I brushed a thumb across her cheek, wiping away the last tear.
“Come inside,” I whispered, my voice thick with emotion.
She searched my eyes and, finding the reassurance she needed, gave a small, tender smile.
I grabbed the bags and followed her up the small wooden steps, pushing open the door. With antique furniture, the cabin exuded a timeless charm, a perfect blend of cozy warmth. Once inside, the large windows framed expansive views of the lake, and a stone fireplace anchored the room.
Nova wandered to the floor-to-ceiling windows where the view was nothing short of magical—the water stretched endlessly.
“Wow,” she murmured almost breathlessly. “This place is amazing. You’re so lucky your aunt has it.”
“Do you remember her? She was at Ledger’s retirement party.”
Nova turned around and gave me a warm smile. “Yes. I talked to her for a bit.”
I dropped the bags by the front door and walked to her, pulling a curl off her cheek. “Your hair is curly.”
She blushed. “I’ve been wearing it this way since you’ve been gone.”
Every string attached to my heart plucked like I was a broken violin. “Y—You have?” The words broke me.
