Page 8 of Heartstrings & Horizons
“Yeah, I definitely got that impression.”
The rest of the evening passes without incident. I force my mind away from the evening’s events, drifting instead to thoughts of Paige. Closing down the bar is a blur as I let my mind linger on earlier conversations with the girl who is taking up way too much space in my head.
The drive back home is like second nature and before I know it, I’m pulling into the circle drive of the familiar dusty blue 3-story house. I toss my keys on the small wooden table by the door, the sound echoing through the empty hallway. With a sigh of relief, I kick off my shoes and collapse onto the sofa, seeking respite from the suffocating monotony that surrounds me.
For the past few years, life has been a steady, predictable pattern. Wake up, work, come home, hang out with the guys on days off, and repeat. It’s not a terrible life, but it feels hollow, like I’m just going through the motions with no sense of purpose or direction.
I tug my phone from my pocket, tapping on the familiar text message thread, a smile forming as I reread our last conversation.
Paige is like a breath of fresh air after years spent underground. The way we’ve connected is vastly different from my previous experiences with women. She’s filling in the cracks of my existence I didn’t know were there in the first place and if I’m not careful, she’ll sneak past the last of my defenses and take up residence in my heart, too.
I grab a beer from the kitchen and follow the familiar path through the back doors and onto my deck. This place has become my refuge over the years. I inherited both the cabin and the land surrounding it from my late grandmother’s estate. ‘The cabin’ had long outgrown its original size, but its name remained unchanged, a nod to its humble beginnings. I updated the space, adding my personal touch while preserving the timeless charm of the antique wood beams and trimmings. It always felt like grandma knew something I didn’t — like this place needed me, but I needed it even more.
There’s a chill in the air, the sound of the October wind rustling fallen leaves as they dance along the path leading down to the dock. I lean forward on my elbows, watching the waves crash along the shore in a relentless, repetitive rhythm. Each one echoing my own feelings of stagnation, as the waves surged forward only to be rapidly pulled back. I turn my beer bottle in my hand, feeling the cool condensation dance along my fingers as I’m idly picking at the label. My phone sits on the table, silently tempting me to send Paige a message, but I hesitate, not wanting to seem too clingy.
Paige
I’m sitting at my desk, surrounded by a chaotic spread of textbooks, their pages dog-eared and marked with colorful sticky notes. A pristine surface now cluttered with the tools of my haphazard study sessions.
My eyes are fixed on my English lit paper, but my mind is miles away. Approximately 800 miles to be exact. I glance at the clock, the minutes ticking by, a sense of dread settling in my bones. Each assignment feels like a chain holding me back from what my heart truly wants to pursue. The heavy weight of parental expectations looming overhead like an ever present ghost, reminding me that I’m not free to go after what I really want.
With a resigned sigh, I close my notebook, looking around the empty house, the silence only amplifying my loneliness. I really need to finish my paper, but that seems like a problem for future Paige, so I let my feet carry me upstairs to the bathroom.
Running the water just shy of the temperature of lava, I add some floral scented oils and vanilla bath salts., then head into my bedroom to grab a scrunchie for my hair to avoid an unnecessary wash day, a pair of clean pajamas, and a towel.
Returning to the bathroom, I strip out of my leggings and oversized tee, then slide into the water.Perfection.
Just as I’m about to pull up a book on my kindle, my phone vibrates on the bamboo bath tray.
Cade: Do you have a name or can I call you mine?
Before I can overthink it, I grab my phone and dial his number. My heartbeat picks up as the phone rings.
“Hey.”
I’m stunned silent, that single word stealing my breath. His voice is rich, like a warm hug after a long day. It reverberates through my bones, sending a chill up my spine.
“Paige? Are you there?”
“Yeah, sorry. I wasn’t expecting you to sound like…that.”
If Cade’s voice is a warm hug, his laugh is pure sex. I could drown in it.
“Thanks…I think.”
“It’s a good thing, I promise. You could narrate audiobooks with a voice like that.” He could read the phone book and I’d probably come on the spot, but I don't say that. Ignoring every inclination to snake my hand between my thighs, I try to find something else to move the conversation along.
“Your pickup lines are getting worse, I fear.”
“It got you to call me, didn’t it?”
“You got me there.”
What was supposed to be a solitary evening soaking in the tub quickly turned into something else entirely. We talked until my bath water became tepid, and eventually I made my way back to my room. I hear rustling on the end of the line. Is he getting into bed?Down, girl.
“Tell me about your family,” he says.
That hits me like a bucket of cold water. It’s not a question and I’m not sure how to broach this particular subject, so I tread lightly.
