Laina knocked lightly on the open doorframe just as I was sliding my bags under the bed. “Mind if we come in?”
Before I could answer, she stepped inside with a pregnant woman at her side. “This is Marielle. She and Artemis live a few cabins over.”
“Nice to meet you.” Marielle smiled at me, pressing her hand against her rounded belly.
“Hi.” I gestured toward the bed. “Please, sit down.”
“Thanks.” Marielle carefully made her way over and perched on the edge of the mattress. “I’m at the stage where my feet always feel like they need to be up.”
“At least you’re not carrying twins like Evette did with Ellie and Eva,” Laina pointed out with a grin, glancing around the room. “How are you settling in?”
“Better than I expected, honestly.” I paused, then added, “I was only planning to stay one day. But after what happened at the construction site, Garner asked me to stay longer.In case whoever sabotaged it saw me. It's for my safety.”
Laina snorted.
Marielle didn’t even try to hide her smile.
“Yeah,” Laina drawled. “For your safety. That’s a good one.”
I blinked. “What?”
“He looked at you the same way Keane did with me when we first met,” Laina explained with a swoony look in her eyes.
Marielle scooted farther back on the mattress, folding her arms over her belly. “Like the rest of the world faded out and there was only one thing left to focus on.”
Heat crept up my neck. “He’s just being kind. And protective.”
Another look passed between them. Quick and loaded with a meaning I didn’t understand.
“Those things can be true,” Marielle agreed with a soft smile. “And still not explain everything.”
I twisted my hands together. “Is it normal to feel too much for a guy this quickly? Like you don’t recognize yourself anymore?”
“Absolutely,” Laina confirmed without hesitation.
“Sometimes, it just takes the right person to wake parts of you that have been quiet for a long time,” Marielle added.
I nodded, even though my chest still felt tight. Their reassurance helped, but it didn’t explain why my thoughts kept circling back to Garner. Or why the idea of leaving made my stomach sink.
As they stood to leave, Laina gave me a knowing smile. “You’re exactly where you’re supposed to be.”
I watched them go, comforted and unsettled all at once. And more aware than ever that whatever was happening with Garner wasn’t something I could simply walk away from.
I sat alone on the edge of the bed after they left, the cabin settling into a gentle hush around me. The fire popped softly in the living room, but it wasn’t the source of the warmth I felt deep inside.
I exhaled slowly and forced myself not to overthink. Trauma did strange things to people. I’d spent most of my life braced for impact, waiting for the moment kindness turned into obligation. Maybe my body was confusing safety with attraction. No one had ever protected me without asking for something in return, so my gratitude might just feel overwhelming.
Garner was ridiculously hot and protective of me. Anyone would feel affected by that after a year of surviving alone.
I reminded myself I didn’t need him. I’d learned how to take care of myself the hard way. Once the danger passed, I could leave.
The thought should have settled me. Instead, something in my chest tightened.
Even now, with a wall between us, I was painfully aware of his presence in the cabin. And worse, how empty it felt when he wasn’t right next to me.
I didn’t even know him, so it made no sense to feel like I’d lost something. It made no sense at all, yet somehow felt inevitable.
The feeling only intensified with every hour I spent with Garner. By the time night settled over the cabins again, the world outside had gone still, but my thoughts refused to follow.
