Page 47 of Frost
“Take a hot bath and relax. You want me to bring you some dinner? I cooked a big pot of chili.”
Memories of Jack helping me chop onion and bell peppers flashes through my head. Chili is one of his favorites. God. So many things will remind me of him.
“No, thank you,” I respond, hoping my broken heart doesn’t reflect in my tone. “I’m going to unpack, then probably crawl into bed.”
“Okay, my treasure. Get some rest.”
“I’ll come by to see you and Dad tomorrow.”
“Sounds lovely. We’ll see you then.”
After the call ends, I lug my suitcase up the stairs and to my bedroom. My house is a lot bigger than the cabin, but for some reason it feels suffocating as I unpack. I miss the crisp, fresh air that only comes from being in the wilderness, surrounded by snow and mountains.
A bath does sound nice, though, so after I toss my clothes in the hamper and put my toiletry items in their proper place, I run a bath and sink into the tub once it’s full. Hell, even baths remind me of Jack.
I close my eyes and imagine him slipping his arms around me.
“You will always be more beautiful than the sun, my little light.”
As his words replay in my mind, I lean my head back against the wall and breathe through the quiet tears gently shaking my body. I know I won’t always be so miserable. It only hurts so much now because the pain is fresh.
Then again… I think a part of me will always miss Jack. Each time it snows or when I feel the cold air nipping at my nose. Every time I look up at the moon.
A banging on the door snaps me awake.
Confused, I look at the window above the tub and notice it’s dark outside now. And fuck, the water’s cold. How long was I out for? Shivering, I stand up and pat myself dry with a towel before wrapping it around my hips. Another hard knock sounds at the front door, followed by the doorbell ringing.
I throw on a pair of sweats before taking the stairs two at a time.
“I’m coming!” I call out when the doorbell rings again. I fling open the door and see Colton standing on the other side. He’s bundled up in the coat I bought him for his birthday two months ago. “Oh. I should’ve known it was you. Only you’d be so impatient and rude.”
He steps into the house and closes the door behind him. “It’s about time you got home. Where the hell have you been?”
“I don’t remember saying you could come in,” I mutter as he walks past me. “If you really have to know, I rented a cabin in Vermont so I could hunker down and write.”
Colton tosses me a look over his shoulder. “Did it work?”
“Do you care?”
“I’m asking, aren’t I?” he shoots back, running a hand over the top of his shaggy brown hair. “For fuck’s sake, Luka, I still care about you even though we’re not together anymore.”
“It did work,” I respond, crossing my arms over my chest. A shiver ripples through me, and chills spread along my skin.
“Why are you wet?”
“Because I was in the bath when someone came banging on the door.”
“Well, go dry off, Luka, damn,” Colton snaps. “You’ll catch a cold.”
“Why are you here?” I ask him over my shoulder as I walk up the stairs.
“I forgot to grab my watch and a few other things when I left,” he says, following me up the steps and to my bedroom.
“Sorry it took me so long to get back home,” I tell him as I step into the connecting bathroom and run a towel over my messy brown hair. “I was on a roll with my book and wanted to be alone.”
“I’m glad you found your muse again.” Colton grabs his watch off the nightstand and puts it on his wrist before turning to me. “Really, I am.”
For a second, I’m worried he’s going to try and convince me to get back together with him. That’s what always happens in movies and books, right? The ex comes back around and makes trouble?
