I poured a glass of wine and sipped it while I skimmed through the television. A yawn confirmed it would be a short evening, and I didn’t care. Sleep sounded better than the meaningless rattle of the television and it came quickly once I turned the television off.
I WOKE UP THE NEXT day and showered, putting on my makeup just for the sake of going out to get food. I checked my mail and headed towards the exit, when I saw the man at the front desk waving towards me.
“Ms. Westbrook.” He smiled when I approached.
“Yeah?” I asked.
“This came for you. I was supposed to give it to you last night, but I was on break when you arrived. I hope it wasn’t time sensitive.” He grimaced as he handed me a folded piece of paper.
“Thanks.” I took it from him and held it up to the light.
I had no idea who could have left something for me at the front desk. Everyone I knew would call or text before they would bother with the trouble of pen and paper. The front was scrawled with ‘Heather’ in dark black ink. I turned it over in my hands and then started to open it, trying to figure out exactly what it was.
Across the top of the paper were the words Wolf Creek, faded but clearly visible. It was a map. I continued unfolding it and I saw a red line drawn from my apartment to a spot in the mountains. My heart started to beat hard in my chest when I realized exactly where it was pointing.
Holy shit...Is this?
It felt like a dream suddenly manifested in real life. I walked over to the light and unfolded it completely on a table. It was the size of two regular sheets of paper with my apartment on one side and Wolf Creek on the other. I traced the line, one that led straight to Shane’s cabin.
I looked over at the man at the desk to ask him who left it for me, but he was already gone. I stared at the paper and then I noticed there was writing along the bottom. I traced it with my fingers as my eyes opened wide.
You know where you belong.
Chapter 12: Shane
Someone once said that if you love something, let it go. If it comes back to you, then it was meant to be. That person was a fucking idiot. There was no glory in letting love slip away over a proverb.
There was certainly no excitement in spending the long months alone in my cabin once Heather was gone. I missed her every day. I craved her. Each day we were apart drove me mad and I simply couldn’t allow the madness to consume me. I considered getting a cell phone, but I didn’t even know her number.
I knew I could probably find out if I tried, but embracing technology wasn’t me, even if it meant I got to hear her voice again. It was strange to try and comprehend how a few days together turned me into a monster hellbent on possessing my blonde goddess once again, but I couldn’t get her off my mind.
I need you so fucking bad.
The idea of her finding another man and giving herself to him made me angry when there was no evidence it was even happening. I knew it was only a matter of time because time was the ultimate enemy. If I didn’t do something, she would move on. I had to connect with her again, to show her why she belonged with me for as long as we both drew breath.
“Have you heard from that girl?” Mr. Blanchard asked as he ran up my purchase at the local liquor store.
“No.” I shook my head.
“That’s a shame.” He sighed. “Maybe one day.”
Very soon if I have anything to say about it.
I found myself buying more and more liquor each time I went to town. It wasn’t because I was drinking more, I just didn’t like the questions. I only made trips when I had to. Mr. Blanchard always asked about Heather. I couldn’t even stand to go to the diner and have a Country Fried Steak because someone was always there to ask more fucking questions.
Our story may have passed from the world’s voice and the evening news, but she was still a celebrity in Wolf Creek. She had only spent a few nights there, but they were ready to adopt her as one of their own. They would have probably thrown her a parade if she showed up again.
Business had been booming since the town became famous and I hated every bit of it. Occasionally, a group would get a little too close to my cabin and I would have to send a warning shot their way. When the months started to wear on, I decided it was time to move. I started building another cabin nearby, far enough away from the one we spent our time in, but close enough to easily walk there if you knew the way.
It was a little fancier than the first one, with a few modern upgrades to make life a little easier. It even had doors on all of the rooms. I worked on it most days, just letting the toil take my mind off the things when it could.
“I’M SORRY, WHERE DO you want me to put this?” The older man wiped his brow as he delivered a load of materials.
“Just up the hill is good.” I pointed in the direction of the new cabin, which was hidden from his view.
“If I get stuck, you’re paying for a wrecker.” He spat on the ground and climbed back into his truck.
When the winds of winter came, I felt a desire for Heather’s touch that couldn’t be simply washed away with a night of drinking. The new cabin had been completed and the old one was just a shell. The upgrades I made were nice, but they just couldn’t distract me from my thoughts.