Page 86 of The Monster I Loved
“Sure,” I said. Although nothing could scare me anymore.
“How doyou fancy going upstate for a couple of days?” I asked Summer the next day.
“I don’t know if my jerk boss will let me take two whole days off so suddenly, and so soon after I started working for the company,” she teased.
Pulling her toward the car, I played along. “I heard he can be reasonable at times. Maybe the asshole might say yes.”
Summer laughed. Her face lit up, her eyes sparkled, and in that moment, it was as if everything else had faded away. I observed her as she sat next to me in the car, fastening her seat belt, not saying a word, just letting it all sink in. The two of us were finally together, and we were both happy.
“Thad, are you going to start the car?” Summer asked.
I shook my head, grabbed the wheel, and told her all about the lodge I’d booked as a last-minute surprise for us upstate called Scribner’s.
Talking about the baby and the wedding kept us busy for the entire drive, and as soon as we saw the lodge, any tiredness we may have felt from the journey melted away.
The place was gorgeous.
Secluded, beautifully decorated, and cozy as hell. What a place to make memories.
We checked in and headed to our room.
At the center of the room was a large bed, which brought about an interesting predicament I hadn’t considered. Summer was carrying my child, but since we’d officially decided to give it a go again, we hadn’tdone the deed.
“What’s first on the itinerary?” Summer asked.
Worried she felt uneasy, I started to ramble. “They have everything up here. Hiking, skiing, bonfires, saunas.”
Summer nodded. “Pregnant women shouldn’t do saunas, but I could definitely eat soon. Maybe a hike, then a bite?”
“Absolutely,” I said.
“Sorry about the sauna thing,” she mumbled.
I shook my head. “It’s my fault. I should’ve checked what activities were okay during pregnancy. How about ice skating? There’s a little rink on the property.”
I pointed toward it, with the mountain in the background, but Summer shook her head. “I don’t want to risk falling.”
Shit! Was I thinking at all? My eyes opened in horror. “Hiking it is, then.”
Summer smiled. “We have enough experiences on the ice to last us a lifetime.”
I chuckled, knowing she meant the first time we met.
Years ago, like I often did, I’d abandoned all my friends on the hill to meet up with Henry and his friends. I’d already met Eden, Felix, and Daisy, but Summer had been away visiting family. So, the first time I laid eyes on her was at the ice rink. There she was, twirling around in a black and white tutu. Her shining blonde hair was only rivaled by her bright smile.
“Who is she?” I’d asked, jolting my head from right to left, determined to never take my eyes off her.
Henry answered, “That’s just Summer.”
Just Summer.
I could never imagine describing her as Just Summer. How could he talk about her like she wasn’t a golden angel on ice? “Just Summer...”
“Thad,” Henry had said. “Are you coming on the ice or just going to stand there and stare at her?”
I could do both. In seconds, I was on the ice and making my way closer. “Guess I’ll introduce you two, since that’s where we’re headed.”
Henry couldn’t understand. I had no say in anything. From the moment Summer appeared, my free will disappeared. It was like she was a magnet on the ice, pulling me toward her.
