Page 78 of Monsters

Chapter 28

The sun disappeared under the horizon and fog was skimming the surface of the lake as the chill set in. I watched Lucas move with ease around the kitchen while preparing our dinner. Over wine and smell of simmering food, we laughed and chatted like we’d never been separated. The threat of Mason was pushed to the back of our minds while we drank each other in.

This was how it was meant to be.

This was how our lives were supposed to have played out.

Lucas blew on a spoonful of pasta sauce before holding it over the counter for me to taste.

“Oh my God,” I exclaimed, my taste buds dancing. “That’s so much better than mine. Who taught you how to cook?”

Lucas smiled, almost bittersweet. “Certainly not my mother.”

“How’s she doing?”

There was a pause. “She died.”

My heart broke. “Shit… Luc… I’m sorry.” A lump formed in my throat, sadness over not being there for him.

Lucas shrugged his shoulders indifferent to the hurt I knew he wasfeeling. “Don’t be sorry. Her quality of life had been poor for many years. Most of it by her own doing. She never fully recovered after we left Little Valley. One night she took a cocktail of drugs, passed out and never woke up.” Lucas returned to the stove, his back to me. I took the opportunity to wipe the tears away.

“Lucas,” I started, my stomach anxious. “Why did you move out of Delaware without so much as a goodbye?”

Lucas remained silent, and I wondered if he’d heard me. He continued to stir the sauce until finally, he answered, “It was the only option at the time.”

It was a vague response and not at all the answer I needed. But I didn’t push.

With dinner served, we moved down to the fireplace which crackled and flickered with dancing embers. We sat on a rug, our backs against the couch as we fell into an easy rhythm of conversation that didn’t touch on anything sensitive.

“I love that you got into cabin building,” I said while keeping my foodgasm face at bay. “Jesus! What’d you put in this?”

Lucas laughed, his beautiful eyes glistening. “You and I always had such an awesome time at Little Wren that I fell in love with the whole idea of cabins and… escaping.”

The mouthful of pasta quickly turned to cement as I tried to swallow. Lucas knew nothing of the last couple of times I was at Little Wren. To him it was heaven.

He frowned, worried. “You okay?”

“I’m fine,” I returned, smiling despite my thumping heart. “You’ve done such a beautiful job, it’s easy to see why you’re in such demand.”

Lucas swallowed some wine. “You know, the first cabin I ever built was called ‘Gemma.’”

“No, it wasn’t.”

He nodded, a small smile playing on his lips. “Yep, it was.”

“You named it after me?”

“I thought it appropriate.”

Again, I was rendered speechless, this time for something good.

Lucas rose to his feet taking our dishes. “Stay here in front of the fire and give me ten minutes.”

I watched in amused confusion as he walked to the kitchen and back outside. In that time, I found my cell and typed a message to B. I hadn’t heard from him since the airport, and I had no idea if he’d even found the place. Walking around the cabin, I held the cell high above my head until I saw a single bar of reception show. Pressing send, I waited in position for a reply. Fortunately, he responded quicker than expected.

Me: Are you close?

B: Just to the right of the dirt road hidden from view.

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