Because if we’re both in the same place for an extended time, especially a secluded space like I suspect he’s going to, then I can pin him down to help him through this problem.
And if the problem is me, then it’s even better. I want to fix whatever is bothering him, however I can.
“I’m going to the mountains. There’s a cabin I’m renting…”
The rest of dinner goes on as if there’s no tension between us. I laugh and joke like normal, all while I plan my holiday takeover.
He might think he’s getting some space from me.
Instead, he’s going to have a space full of me, just the way it should always be.
CHAPTER 3
Bram
Gravel crunches beneath the tires as I pull down the long drive leading to the secluded cabin I’m staying in for the week. It’s not actually mine, though the friend who it belongs to told me he had everything I could ever want inside.
The only thing I need to take care of is food. With town being a twenty-minute drive away, it’ll be easy to load up on the essentials.
“Home sweet home,” I whisper when the path clears to give me a view of the beautiful home. There’s an elegance to the place that makes it stand out against the unmarred backdrop of the wilderness surrounding it.
I climb out of the rental, then take a deep breath. The air here is refreshing. It’s cleaner than the city, with a touch of pine to it that makes me smile. I’ve always enjoyed the scent. Mostly because it reminds me of Christmas.
What a perfect place to spend the holiday season. There’s even some snow in the forecast. I made sure to check while on the plane.
The key is right where my friend said it would be. I let myself inside, only to freeze when I realize just how perfect it truly is.
Comfortable-looking blankets cover a plush-looking couch. There’s an oversized chair next to a wall of bookshelves. It appears to hold everything from thick novels to colorful children’s books. A fireplace sits off to the side, and a full kitchen is even further onone end.
Its open floor plan gives me the ability to see the entirety of the home at once. Well, almost everything.
I move through the space to the closed door on one side that leads to the bedroom. Inside, I find a massive king-sized bed with gauzy sheets hanging from four gorgeously carved wooden posts. It looks like something out of a home and garden catalogue.
Grabbing my phone, I shoot off a text to Davies to thank him for the chance to use this place.
Bram: D-man! This place is amazing. Thank you for letting me use it this week. You sure you’re good without it for the holiday?
Davies: I’m positive, man. Got different plans this year. Enjoy it. Let’s get dinner when you’re back in town. Been too long.
I laugh at the offer. We’ve been trying to get together for a meal for months now. Each time we lock in a date and time, one of ushas to cancel. Between my work and his active hockey schedule, it’s damn near impossible.
Luckily, we’ve been friends so long that it doesn’t matter. If I don’t see him for a year, we’ll still act as if it’s only been a week the next time we’re in the same room. Plus, with us both being in the public eye, it’s not like I can’t get any gossip on the guy, and vice versa. All I have to do is turn to the gossip column for the details.
Bram: Sounds good. Happy holidays!
Davies: Same to you. Send up a smoke signal or something if you get trapped in that snowstorm. I’ll send out help.
Davies: *laughing emojis*
What a guy. He has no idea how tempting it is to hope for a snowstorm to lock me down here alone. I need all the time to reflect that I can.
While it’s hard to be around Edward, it’s just as hard to be away. Maybe even harder.
He and I are so connected at the hip. Maybe codependent is a better word. Either way, it’s not good for us. Especially not when I can’t have him the way I want.
I would never pressure him for more though. That’s not even remotely on my mind as an option. Neither is talking to him about my feelings. I’ve seen him when he’s flustered by someone he has a crush on. I’m not that person.
The specific moment I realized I didn’t stand a chance at making him mine was this past summer when we took that trip to Mexico and had our annual get together with others in the kink community. The entire theme of the party was to celebrate Edward’s Little side, hence why everyone there knew him. We’d done it as an annual thing for the last few years, and this time should have been no different.
