“That was my shin,” he gawks at her.
“I know it was your shin. That was my foot’s subtle way of telling you to zip it,” Merelyn replies, tilting her head to the side like a jab.
I can’t help it, but a smile pulls at my lips at their quarrel. I let out a defeated sigh. I’m going to sit here for Merelyn. As soon as my hand touches the base of the chair, Gavin rises to his feet. I watch him round the table and pull the chair out for me.
I nod as an awkward thank you, pursing my lips, then I sit. He tucks in the chair and then heads back to his seat. As soon as he sits down, he reaches for a small pot of black coffee and pours it into my empty mug.
“There’s hazelnut creamer,” he says, pointing to a small ivoryplate with miniature hazelnut creamers with his finger. It sits in the center of the table with a glass mason jar of strawberry jam.
“Hazelnut is my favorite. Thank you.” I peel it open with my fingernails, then pour it into the mug. The white creamer swirls as I add three more.
So he can be a gentleman when he chooses.
“Want some coffee with your creamer?” Gavin asks as he eyes me.
The whiplash this man is giving me. He’s nice one moment, and then he opens his mouth, ruining it.
Flicking my annoyed gaze at him as I hold my mug, I spot his cruel smirk. Rolling my eyes, I take a small sip, the warm coffee waves over my tongue and down my throat. God, coffee feels so good on icy days.
“So you got jokes.” I cock a brow, setting the mug down. “I want to see the crash site.”
I’ve been holding that in since I sat down.
Merelyn freezes; the spoonful of fluffy scrambled eggs shakes as she slowly blinks my way.
“I mean, someone has to be looking for me by now. My parents, my sister, and friends?” I continue. “I need my phone, regardless of the signal.”
Gavin straightens his spine as he continues to chew breakfast and glances at me.
“How far is it from the cabin?” I ask.
“Like a twenty-minute walk.”
“I’m going. Maybe I can find my cellphone while I’m there.”
“No,” Gavin tells me with a scowl.
“You can’t keep me locked in this cabin. If I want to look for my things, I can do that.”
He scoffs.
“Go ahead and be my guest. You won’t last five minutes with how cold it is right now. I’m not leaving my house unless it’s an emergency. The winds and snowfall are brutal right now.”
Shit. Maybe he’s right. I can’t go out there alone.
“Where’s Georgia?” I ask, genuinely curious.
Gavin shrugs.
“Must have been something I said last night,” he replies coldly.
She tried to shoot her shot with him, and he rejected her.
“She’s next door, probably helping me organize my house. I have a hoarding problem,” Merelyn replies. She slowly scoots her chair back, collects her fork and butter knife, and places them on her empty plate. The glass and utensils chime together as she stands, but before she can take a step, Gavin helps her. Towering over her, he takes the plate from her hand and hands her her cane instead. He saunters over to the kitchen and puts the dishes in the sink. Merelyn slowly walks to the living room.
I’m almost done with my breakfast, and then I need to find a way to convince Gavin to take me to the crash site.
As soon as I turn around, a shadow of a figure, resembling a woman with long black hair, flashes outside the dining room window’s wooden curtains. The woman disappears into thin air, my mouth gaping open as I hold back a scream. Blinking, an eagle crashes against the window hard. The sound of its beak and nails scratching the glass momentarily catches my attention. The loud thudding boom startles me, forcing me to yelp and jump in my chair. Its wings slowly batter as it picks itself up and flies away. My palm covers my trembling lips as I watch it travel deeper into the trees through the raging snowfall. I’m surprised the window didn’t crack or break with how hard it hit it, and I’m shocked that the bird was able to get back up and fly.
