Page 13 of Collision of Winters
“We’re safe here, blue.”
Oh. It’d been a long time since he’d used that nickname for me. It was because of my eyes. They were light blue.
He’d closed the shutters, but I still heard the rain splattering against the cabin.
Wade wasn’t bothered one bit. He sat on his end of the couch—or, he was half lying down, with his feet on the table—and gazed into the fire as he sipped his coffee.
I wondered what he was thinking. It wasn’t the first time I’d seen him just stare at nothing.
The other day, he’d read a book for a couple of hours, and then he’d put it down, remained seated, and simply stared off into space. Like a psychopath.
Either his mind was at utter peace, or it provided so much entertainment that he didn’t need anything else.
“How can you just sit there and do nothing?” I wondered. “Don’t you get bored?”
He lolled his head along the back of the couch and smiled faintly. “Who says I’m not doing anything?”
Um.
Next, he patted the spot next to him. “Come here. I wanna show you something.”
Okay!
I set my mug on the table and hurried over to him, bringing one of the blankets with me.
Not that I’d admit it so he could hear, but I loved being close to him.
I snickered at the thought of Chris being here instead. “Can you imagine if Chris had been in charge of this silly intervention? He would’ve been all, drop and give me twenty! Don’t just stand there, boy—chop wood faster!”
I plopped down next to Wade, and he chuckled warmly.
“And that’s why heisn’there,” he said. “He doesn’t know how to approach you in the best way.”
“But you do?”
He peered at me, his expression open. “You’ve cooked, you’ve baked, you’ve made me coffee, you’ve helped out around the cabin, and you haven’t screamed at me yet. I’d say I’m doing a damn good job.”
I grinned ruefully and leaned back against the cushions like he had. “Don’t get too smug.”
“I’ll be as smug as I please.” He finished his coffee and left the mug on the table before leaning back again. “Now. Roll your shoulders a bit. Make sure you’re comfortable.”
I obeyed. I let out a long breath too, which caused me to yawn.
“Good.” His voice dropped a little. “Look into the fire. Really look. Let everything else disappear.”
That couldn’t be too difficult. To save batteries, we’d switched off all the lanterns. We had the fireplace and a few candles burning.
Either way, I made a conscious effort to only zero in on the fireplace. I watched the flames dance and the embers whirl skyward.
“Relax your eyes too,” he murmured. “It’s okay if your vision blurs at the edges.”
His voice relaxed me more than the flames, though they kinda worked too. I let out another breath, feeling like I was melting into the couch, and I got it. I’d had an aquarium as a kid, before my mom had sold it. Staring at fish could be hypnotic.
“You’re doing something now, Kayden. You’re actively giving your mind a break from intrusive thoughts and distractions.”
“But I was just thinking about my old fish tank,” I whispered.
I felt his shoulders tremble with a silent laugh.
