Page 55 of Heartstrings & Horizons
As much as I want to believe that he’ll come around, all of my past experiences tell me I’ll have many more hills to climb in order to garner his support, if it ever comes.
It didn’t take much internal debate for me to decide I should head back to Toronto to stay with Mags until I can figure out my next move. Breakfast with Dad and Sue is an awkward affair. Nobody really says much before we make the short drive over to the station.
“Call me when you get in, Pipsqueak.”
“Will do, Dad. Thanks for the ride.”
Thetrain ride back to Toronto is roughly four hours, giving me plenty of time to think about my next move. I would eventually need to look into getting a job because the impending conversation with my mom would inevitably lead to them withdrawing financial support. The question was whether I would be looking in Northbrook or elsewhere. I truly felt like a wanderer just searching for a place to land. I had already texted Mags to make sure she was ok with me staying in my old room for as long as I needed. She, of course, understood and held off on finding a new roommate until I could figure out where to go from here.
“Honey, I’m hoooome!” At least I was back in a familiar place and I could always lean on Mags for support.
“Hey babe, you okay?” I hadn’t filled her in on all of my parental drama yet, but Mags could always read me like a book, and the fact that I was back in town this soon after leaving probably told her everything she needed to know.
“Oof. Can we start with an easier question?”
“That bad?”
“Yep.”
“Wine?”
“God, yes.”
Mags pops open a bottle of red as we settle in the living room so I can fill her in on all the gory details. She stayed mostly silent while I recounted the entire confrontation with my dad from the airport, to the 2nd conversation the night before.
“Well, you’re welcome to stay here as long as you need. Maybe look into a job here while you and Cade work out your next steps.”
“Thanks, Mags. You’re the best.”
The rest of the night was like putting on a comfy pair of socks, warm and familiar. We watched AbFab and drank wine. Occasionally talking about possibilities for jobs and a timeline of when I could potentially be with Cade again.
Late into the evening, my phone lights up with a text from the man himself. The excitement of seeing his name fades as soon as I read the message.
Cade: Hey baby, I don’t know if you’ve seen anything on the news yet, but our town was hit with a massive ice storm and the power is out everywhere. My phone isn’t going to last, so I wanted to tell you I miss you and I’ll be in touch as soon as I can. xoxo
Fuck.
Chapter 21
Cade
? Feel Like - Gracie Abrams
Ibarely had time to settle back into reality when the storm hit. It came swiftly and with little warning, encasing the town in a thick layer of ice. Power lines snapped under the weight, plunging the area into darkness and cutting off all communication. My phone was already struggling with low battery, so I sent off one last text to Paige.
Cade: Hey baby, I don’t know if you’ve seen anything on the news yet, but our town was hit with a massive ice storm and the power is out everywhere. My phone isn’t going to last, so I wanted to tell you I miss you and I’ll be in touch as soon as I can. xoxo
After the storm died down, an eerie silence overtook the town as Dean and Miles filed in through my front door. We decided to pool our resources and wait out the power outage at the cabin.
Thefirst night was the worst. Cold seeped in as the howling wind created an overwhelming sense of dread. It was abundantly clear very early on that we would need to ration our supplies, mainly subsisting on peanut butter sandwiches and bottled water.
“Looks like we’re in for some real gourmet dining,” Miles jokes, trying to lighten the mood as he slaps 2 peanut butter coated slices of bread together. I manage a smile but my mind drifts to Paige. I didn’t get to talk to her about the conversation with her parents, and I’m worried about how she’s coping. Every day without contact feels like an eternity.
The days blend together in a haze of cold and quiet. We spend our time playing cards by candlelight, the LED lanterns having died out hours ago, and listening to the wind whistling over the lake, the quiet sound broken only by the occasional crack of a tree limb succumbing to the weight of the ice.
I approach the desk nestled in the corner of my seldom used office, finding a pad of paper and a pen. I’m not sure why I started writing, but as my thoughts linger on Paige, I recount our trip and the growing affection I have for my fiancée.
“To - ron - to,” I murmur as the pen glides across the page.
