LOGIN"It's... messy. We're working through it. Or we're supposed to be working through it. I don't know." I took another drink, I really need that courage only liquid can give. "But being here, away from all that, it helps. You help."It wasn't the whole truth, but it wasn't entirely a lie either.Miles was quiet for a moment, processing. Then: "Does he hurt you? Physically, I mean?""What? No. God no. It's nothing like that." I rushed to clarify, horrified that he might think—"Eww...no no no. Did I sound like that?.""Did I sound like... like that's what it is?""Not really. You didn't sound like it's one thing in particular. I was guessing.""It's not that. Not at all.""Okay. Good." He looked relieved. "I just needed to make sure. Because if someone was—""No one's hurting me, Miles. I promise.""Okay. Good." He picked up his whiskey again, swirling it in the glass. "You know, my cousin went through something similar with his stepsister. They fought constantly when they were teenagers,
After dinner, Miles poured us a generous measure of the whiskey that according to him, he'd stolen from his dad's collection, and we settled on the floor in front of the fireplace, with our backs against the couch, our shoulders touching, and the fire crackling and warm just a few feet away.The whiskey was smooth, expensive, and it was the kind that burned pleasantly going down and left something like a warm trail in your chest.I sipped it slowly, feeling it combine with the beer I'd had at dinner to create this pleasant buzz that made everything feel softer, easier.Outside, the darkness was complete. No streetlights, no neighboring houses, no ambient glow from the city. Just the vast, endless dark of the wilderness, broken only by the light spilling from the cabin windows. Through the glass, I could see nothing but blackness and the occasional reflection of the fire behind us."This is surreal," I said quietly. "I don't think I've ever been somewhere this remote.""It takes some g
No service," I said, stating the obvious."Told you. We're officially off the grid." He didn't seem bothered by it, if anything, he seemed pleased it's like it's just a day doing something normal to him. "The cabin has a landline for emergencies, but that's it. No internet, no cell service, no distractions. Just us and nature.""And whiskey.""And whiskey," he agreed, smiling.The roads got progressively more remote, paved highway giving way to smaller roads, then to roads that were barely more than gravel paths winding through the trees. We hadn't seen another car in at least twenty minutes, and the forest pressed in on both sides, thick and dark and endless.Finally, Miles turned onto a nearly invisible dirt road, barely more than two tire tracks through the undergrowth, and we bumped along for what felt like forever but was probably only five minutes before a cabin appeared through the trees.It was smaller than I'd pictured, but somehow more charming. It was a single-story wooden
The day was brighter than usual for mid-November, the kind of crisp Friday afternoon where the sun felt warm despite the cold air, where everything looked sharper somehow, more vivid. I stood in my driveway at 3:15 PM, my overnight bag was at my feet, and my jacket was zipped up against the chill, watching for Miles's car and trying to calm the fucking butterflies in my stomach.It's a camping trip. Two nights in a remote cabin with him, Miles and whatever happened between us.I'd packed last night. I took practical clothes, warm layers, the good hiking boots I'd bought after our first trail adventure. Toiletries, a book I probably wouldn't read but it's just here because it should, the plush turtle from the arcade that had somehow become a talisman. My phone charger, and extra socks because he'd emphasized how important dry feet were when camping.The week had passed in a blur of anticipation and dread. I'd seen Jax exactly twice. Once at breakfast on Tuesday when we'd maintained our
He fed tokens into the zombie game and handed me one of the plastic guns. The game started and suddenly the screen was full of zombies lurching toward us, and we were both firing frantically, trying to aim, reloading by shooting off-screen like the instructions said, getting overwhelmed by the sheer number of enemies.We made it to level three before we ran out of lives, both of us laughing and breathless, and when the game ended Miles threw his arm around my shoulders."We're terrible at this.""Spectacularly terrible," I agreed.We made our way to the bar in the back, settling onto stools, and a bartender who couldn't have been more than twenty-one came over with a smile."What can I get you?"Miles looked at me. "Beer okay? They've got a decent IPA on tap.""Perfect."He ordered two IPAs and an order of loaded fries, and when the bartender left to pour our drinks, Miles turned to me with this soft, happy expression."This is like... this is exactly what I wanted today to be," he sa
We were halfway back to the car when Miles stopped dead in the middle of the sidewalk."Wait. I just remembered something."I turned to look at him. "What?""There's an arcade two blocks from here. Like, a legit retro arcade with all the old games from the eighties and nineties. Pac-Man, Street Fighter, those motorcycle racing games where you actually sit on the bike..." He was getting excited now, talking faster. "I used to come here with my cousins when we'd visit in the summer. It's probably still there—this town doesn't really change. You want to check it out?"An arcade. The idea was so unexpectedly wholesome and fun that I found myself grinning. "Absolutely. But I'm warning you, I'm shit at video games.""Even better. I can look like a gaming god in comparison." He grabbed my hand and we started walking quickly, his enthusiasm infectious. "Okay, full disclosure: I might get weirdly competitive about this. It's a flaw.""Noted. How competitive are we talking?""Like, I once didn'
His finger was barely inside me. Just the tip, maybe half an inch, enough to make me crazy but nowhere near enough to help.I could feel myself trying to clench around it, trying to pull him deeper, but he held his hand completely still."Ja..ax—" His name came out desperate, in
He had changed into sweatpants with no shirt, looking at me standing there in just my bra and panties, like a predator looking at it's prey.I'd made a terrible mistake coming here.Or maybe a perfect one.The jealousy I'd wanted him to feel all night was about to eat us both alive.He didn't move.
"He's nice," I said, which was true but also obviously not really an answer, but it felt like a good thing to say.Lexi made this frustrated noise and said "Nice? That's what you're going with?" "What do you want me to say?" "I don't know. That you're into him?
Everyone was together now in this loose comfortable circle that felt familiar and easy in a way that made my chest completely loosen.Miles, Alex, Vera, and two others whose names I knew but didn't really use outside of group hangouts—everyone was here with drinks in their hands and exci







