"I'm going to head down there later," I say casually. "Grab some more of your things. Take a look at that roof myself. You don't need a contractor. You have me."
"You want to fix my roof?" Skepticism colors her tone.
"I want to fix everything," I say. And I mean it.
I want to board up the windows. Reinforce the doors. Install locks that actually work. I want to make it so that nothing gets to her unless it goes through me first.
"You're bossy," she accuses, poking me in the chest.
"I'm right."
She rolls her eyes, but a smile tugs at her lips. She turns back to the stove, dishing up eggs and bacon onto two plates.
"Sit down," she orders. "Eat. You can't fix anything on an empty stomach."
I sit. I watch her move around my kitchen. She hums a little tune, soft and off-key. Opens my cupboards like she knows where everything is. Pours coffee into my favorite mug and sets it down in front of me.
Domestic. Terrifying.
I take a sip of coffee. Strong. Perfect.
The radio on the counter crackles again. Austin this time.
"Vanguard, this is VP. Checking in. How’s the weather up there?"
I pick up the handset. "Clear," I say, eyes on Avery. "Holding the line."
"Need any supplies?"
"No. We have everything we need."
I set the radio down. Avery slides into the chair across from me. She pulls her legs up, tucking them under her flannel.
"Who was that?" she asks.
"My cousin Austin. He worries."
"About the storm?"
"About everything."
We eat in silence. Fire crackles in the hearth. Wind howls outside, a reminder of the cold world I’ve locked out.
"Oliver?"
"Yeah?"
She puts her fork down. Nervous. Fingers trace the rim of her plate.
"What happens when the snow melts?"
The question hangs in the air.
I stop chewing. I look at her. I see the insecurity in her eyes. The fear that this—us—acts as a temporary shelter. That once the roads clear, I’ll expect her to pack up and leave.
I think about the tablet I smashed. The route mapped through her land. The way her body felt around my cock last night.
"The snow isn't going anywhere for a while," I say.
