Page 28 of Pine Creek Lodge
“I needed to see you,” Carla said, her voice softening as she moved closer. She glanced at Nat again, the hint of surprise clear on her face. “You weren’t answering my calls, and I thought… I thought maybe you’d come here to get away.”
Sofia swallowed, meeting Nat’s eyes briefly before refocusing on Carla. “I turned my phone off because you wouldn’t stop messaging me.”
Carla flinched, but then quickly recovered. “Please, Sofia. Just hear me out. I made a mistake—a horrible, unforgivable mistake—but that doesn’t mean we can’t work things out. We were together for six years. Don’t throw that away for one mistake.”
Nat stepped away from the doorway, still cradling Moxie in her arms as she gathered her coat and her purse. She felt sick and didn’t want to be here. This was the woman who had hurt Sofia, who had broken her trust and left her reeling. And now, she was here, pleading for forgiveness.
“Can I please come in?” she heard Carla ask. “There are no flights back tonight and the hotels in town are fully booked.Surely you’re not going to leave me out in the cold? I’ll freeze to death.”
Sofia’s eyes met Nat’s for a brief second, something unreadable flashing there. She turned back to Carla, and Nat could tell she was conflicted, struggling to make sense of Carla’s sudden presence. Finally, she exhaled, stepping back to open the door wider. “Fine. Come in.”
A lump formed in Nat’s throat. “I should probably go. I’ll leave you two to… talk,” she said, quietly cursing herself for letting it come to the point where she’d let herself get hurt.
Sofia had an almost panicked look in her eyes. “No, please, Nat. This won’t take long.”
“Actually, it might take a while,” Carla interjected. “So some privacy would be appreciated.” Then she narrowed her eyes at Nat. “Oh, wait… you must be the chalet girl. Would you mind making me a coffee before you go? I’m exhausted after the drive. I assume you’ve prepared dinner too?”
“No one is cooking tonight,” Sofia said sharply. She shot Nat another pleading look. “Please just give me ten minutes.”
But Nat was already stepping out the door, Moxie wrapped inside her coat. “It’s fine,” she said, her voice strained but calm. “Have a good night.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Natalie stepped into her parents' house, carefully holding Moxie cradled in her arms. She’d planned to slip inside quietly, take a moment to steady herself, but as soon as she closed the door, Zoe appeared, her eyes wide with delight.
“Is that her?” she gasped, hurrying over.
“Yes.” Nat handed the tiny, wide-eyed kitten over. “This is Moxie.”
The kitten, half-asleep from the drive over, opened her mouth in a silent mew and then nestled into Zoe’s arms. Zoe’s face lit up, already half in love. “Look at her… She’s so precious!”
Nat managed a smile. “Sorry, though—I forgot to bring her litterbox and her food. But I’ll make her something to eat in a sec.”
Their mom, just behind, reached for Nat’s coat. “Welcome home, honey. Let me take that for you.” As Nat shrugged off her coat, she noticed her mother’s searching gaze, lingering a moment too long on her face.
“Where’s Sofia?” She glanced at the door as if expecting someone else to walk through it.
Nat’s throat tightened. She hadn’t wanted to think about Sofia, let alone talk about her. “She had a change of plans,” she said. “She couldn’t make it.”
“Oh, well, that’s fine I suppose, but…” Her mom paused, her face softening. “Nat, have you been crying?”
“No, no, I just…” Nat felt a twinge of panic as she scrambled for an answer, forcing a lightness into her tone. “I was chopping onions earlier, that’s all.”
She could feel her mom’s doubt radiating from the silence, the way she scanned for cracks in Nat’s casual façade. But how could she tell them the truth—that she’d done something she couldn’t even fully explain to herself? That she’d been stupid enough to let her guard down, to sleep with a guest who had somehow taken up way too much space in her mind and heart? That she’d been foolish enough to believe, even for a second, that there might be a tiny chance of more?
And now, Sofia was likely going to spend the rest of the holiday with her ex. Nat could already picture it in her mind, twisted and all too real: Sofia, laughing, pulling Carla close, whispering words meant only for her. And meanwhile, here she was trying to keep a smile plastered to her face for the sake of Christmas Eve.
Zoe, who was still cuddling Moxie, glanced at her as they headed into the living room. “Chopping onions? Really?”
“Yes, Zoe,” she said, rolling her eyes in mock annoyance. “Chopping onions. Really.”
But the corners of her mother’s mouth remained drawn, her eyes still narrowed with worry as she studied Nat’s face. She clearly wasn’t buying it.
Neither was Zoe, who was still pressing gentle kisses to Moxie’s tiny head. “You don’t have to pretend with us,” she said. “We know something’s up. Did you two have a fight or something?”
Nat swallowed, forcing herself to look away. The warmth of her family’s concern was nearly unbearable. She wanted to curl up in it, let herself sink into their comfort, but she couldn’t bear to reveal the truth—that she’d been so reckless, so foolish.
Her dad came in, his voice booming cheerfully over the tension. “There’s my Nat!” he exclaimed, giving her shoulder a warm squeeze. “We’ve been waiting for you to dig in.” He frowned as he glanced around. “Where’s Miss Fancy Pants? I thought she was joining us?”
