He silently quickens his pace while I stumble behind him. With each step, my suede pumps sink into the mud of the unpaved path. At least I’m not cold anymore because the frustration over my own behavior rises in me like hot lava. My cheeks burn, and my breathing grows heavy.
I manage to stay silent until we arrive at the cabin where I will call home from now on. My dirty shoes leave muddy brown stains on the concrete pavers in front of the dark brown painted wooden house with tiny windows. At the entrance, I spot a pot of spring flowers next to a round wooden table and two chairs crafted from tree trunks. They look decidedly less rustic than the rest of the cabin.
I step closer and run my fingers over the modern curves. "These are quite pretty."
Noah acts as if he hasn’t heard anything. His lack of appreciation for beauty matches his gruff behavior. He opens the door and places my luggage in the narrow hallway in silence.
I kick off my shoes and step inside the cabin. The interior is also entirely made of wood. The floor creaks with every step. The walls are paneled, and the kitchenette at the other end of the living space I’ve just discovered is decorated in a country style. Two doors branch off on the right side of the room.
As a child, this is how I imagined Grandma’s house inLittle Red Riding Hood. Even back then, I never particularly liked this rural farmhouse decor.
Noah clears his throat. With his index finger, he points at one of the doors. "Bedroom." His hand moveson to the next door. "Bathroom." As soon as he finishes speaking, he turns to the wood-burning stove standing next to a red-and-white-checkered fabric sofa.
Still shivering from the cold, I shuffle from one foot to the other as he starts a fire for me. "Nice place," I say because I can’t think of anything better to say.
A subtle smile crosses his angular face, then he immediately becomes serious again. "I’ll let my sister know." He carefully arranges the logs inside the stove. I examine him more closely, and I can see his resemblance to Hanna—the chocolate-brown hair, the perfectly curved jawline, and the athletic build.
"Yes, please do that," I mumble while trying my best to regain control over my thoughts.
He rises from his crouch and looks at me so intensely for a moment that I feel a wave of heat wash over me. "You should take off your wet clothes."
The corners of my mouth twitch as if they have a mind of their own. "Should I?" My eyebrows arch, and my body straightens.
Stop, Elina. Stop
As I desperately bite my tongue, he simply nods. Then he walks past me to carry my suitcases and bags into the bedroom. I follow him sheepishly, then, after he places one of the travel bags on the floor, I open it and stick my hand inside.
Everything is damp.
One by one, I pull out T-shirts and pants from the bag. Even the cream-colored silk blouse I planned to wear for my first day of work tomorrow is wet. Frustrated, I spread it out on the blue floral bedsheet.
First, my parents couldn’t make it to the train station. Then my new boss couldn’t pick me up. Therain, the missing GPS data, my embarrassing behavior, and now this. Can nothing go my way?
Without saying a word, Noah turns around and leaves the room. He's probably afraid that I'll start crying on the spot, and he's not that wrong. Fighting back the tears, I unpack the rest of my clothes. I hardly notice when Noah returns to me shortly after. He's carrying a clothes rack under his arm, which he hands to me with a lopsided grin.
When he smiles, he looks even sweeter than he already does.
"Thank you," I beam at him because I can’t help it. "Now I just need to find something dry to wear." He just gawks at me for a moment despite it being his turn to say something. No wonder, with the way I'm stupidly grinning at him. In an attempt to divert, I pick up one of my tops and hang it on the clothes rack. "I’ll manage just fine. Thanks for your help."
He clears his throat, and then I hear fabric rustling. In my peripheral vision, I see him take off his plaid shirt and place it on the nightstand. "In case of emergency."
He shouldn’t do something so nice. I clearly feel my already shaky defenses crumbling. "Thank you." Disarmed, I stop what I'm doing and look directly into his dark eyes. There’s a flicker that definitely means something. "I’ll be staying here for a while. If you want, we could..." I don’t give my words a second thought.
His gaze shifts to his wristwatch. "I have to go," he grumbles before I can even suggest that we spend time together.
His rejection is the best thing that can happen to me, yet I swallow hard. "Alright. I need to..."
He nods dismissively as if he doesn't want to hear what I have to say. Then he turns on the spot and leaves the bedroom. I’m left alone, not knowing what to think.
"...focus on this soggy mess anyway," I finish my sentence even though Noah is long gone.
What was that just now? How did he manage to throw me off balance like that?
I find no answers to my questions. But at least I know it would be better if we didn’t see each other again anytime soon.
