"It's an off-the-grid smart house. The department has contracted a private company to determine how resilient and cost-effective it is to implement some of these strategies to help offset the carbon footprint of traditionally built residences. They’re considering nationwide implementation, can you imagine? A suburbia of smart houses, it’s the future, Frey."
“Well, future or not, please tell me we're not the first guests to stay up here in the winter?" I half-laughed.
Tav only shrugged. "No idea. It's the latest model."
I let his words hang heavy between us before I replied, "So do we have a generator or solar power?"
"A combination of both, plus radiant heating throughout. The sun never sets for long up here, we’ll be fine.”
“So even if the generator goes out, you won't need to go full-lumberjack and cut down trees for a fire or anything?”
“Nope.”
“Well, that’s a relief." I turned to the stove in the kitchen and thought of food sources. "And food supply?”
“We’re gone one weekend and suddenly you’re ready to be a pioneer woman? It’s fine, Freya.”
Just then the speakers in the house boomed.“The ten-day forecast for the Northeast region of the United States—”
“Can we turn her down...or off?"I complained.
“Sure." Tav crossed the dining room to the touchpad screen next to the door. "But I bet she’s always listening.”
His words sent a serious chill down my spine. "The house? Should I be worried she might turn the lights on in the middle of the night?”
He swiped a few settings on the touchpad and then the screen went black. "It’s nice to think the house isn’t recording our voices, but it’s being uploaded to a server somewhere that someone has access to.”
“Seriously?"
He shrugged. "That’s how it goes. The smarter it gets the better it gets at reading your mind."
“This place is suddenly creeping me out.The house is always watching.Sounds like a plot out of a horror story.”
Tav sat back behind his computer, fingers fast at work typing.
This was why I appreciated our separate lives. Half of the time he was here, but really not.
I lingered at the kitchen counter, my eyes on the back of his head as he worked. Would I miss him if he was gone and I was suddenly alone? I hated to admit that I didn't know. I’d adapted to life without him all week, and now that it was just the two of us it felt like the sun shone brighter on this mountain when I was outside and far from the air that he was constantly sweeping from my lungs. Tav had a big personality and it swung like a pendulum most days.
I wiped the counter with a wet rag as those thoughts lingered in my mind. Tav seemed to notice my latent anxiety when he asked then, "Are you feeling okay, maybe you should rest your foot.”
"Maybe." I swallowed, the ache in my ankle turning to a dull throb. "I haven't gotten much sleep since we've been here. I hate to waste our time in paradise.”
He stood from his chair. His warm palms worked at my shoulder blades before he placed a kiss at the crevice of my neck. "Take a nap. I'll bring a pill for you, do you want something for that ankle too?"
There it was again.
My medication.
Did he think I was an addict? Did he want me to be?
I felt like I relied on that more than ever even though it’d been months since I’d gotten that fateful phone call. When I wasn't on the pills I felt strung tight with energy, on the borderline of anxiety, but when Iwason them I felt thick-headed and groggy all the time. Which was worse? With or without them? I still wasn't sure. And was I being paranoid that it seemed like he liked me on my meds?
I sucked in a soft breath to relax as I let him guide me to the stairs. He rubbed my back softly, placed another kiss at the crown of my head and whispered, “Sweet dreams, Sleepyhead.”
A chill ripped down my spine with his words.
SIX
