Okay, good.
Hess
So be ready to go at noon. That’s when we’re leaving for the cabin.
Camila
Wait…didn’t you hear what I just said.
Hess
Yeah, I heard everything, and I understand where you’re coming from, but I still want you to come to the cabin with me. So be ready to go at noon.
I guess Hess didn’t give up after all.
Nope.
Didn’t give up at all.
The Taylor cabinlooks like it was plucked from a postcard, all honey-colored logs and green roof nestled into the tall pines. The wraparound porch is alive with nieces and nephews darting between rocking chairs, bare feet thumping across the planks, laughter ringing out into the mountain air. The smell of pine and freshness clings to everything, making it feel like a world away from the city.
Inside, the house is just as cozy—a stone fireplace, walls lined with wood, family pictures hung in every corner, scratches made in log walls detailing how each child has grown over the years. It’s the familiest thing I’ve ever seen, the complete opposite of how I grew up.
“This place is incredible,” I say as Anita leads us up the stairs.
“Bart built it back in the nineties, and we’ve been coming ever since.” She pushes open a door at the end of the hall. “You two will be here.”
I step inside first. The room is small and warm, afternoon light glowing against pine walls. The quilts on the bed look soft and handmade. But the bed…there’s only one. A very large one, but still. Singular.
Behind me, Hess groans, “Mom, we can’t stay in here together. There’s only one bed.”
Anita’s brows lift, her expression equal parts amused and feigning innocence. “Why not? You’re married, aren’t you?”
I freeze on the rug, caught between laughter and horror.
“Remember how we talked? This isn’t a real marriage. We don’t even share a room back at home.”
“Every marriage is real to me.” She waves him off like he’s a child whining about chores. “All the other beds are taken, and the couches too. There’s nowhere else to sleep, so I guess you’re stuck.” And just like that, she’s gone, footsteps light as she heads back down the hall, unaffected by our predicament.
Silence fills the little room. I glance at Hess. He’s still standing stiff in the doorway, like Anita just told him to bunk with a wild animal.
“I think your mom set us up.”
“Iknowshe did.”
I laugh, dropping my bag onto the bed. “You’re freaking out.”
“I’m not freaking out.”
“Yes, you are. You look like you’ve been sentenced to death.”
“No”—he throws his bag next to mine—“I’m just trying to be respectful to you.”
“You’re overreacting. We can sleep on a bed together in a totally platonic way.”
His eyes flick to me, darker now. “Overreacting?” his voice drops, rougher, like it scrapes along my skin. “Camila, I don’t think you understand how beautiful and tempting you are. It takes every ounce of willpower I have to be the perfect gentleman you deserve.”
For a second, I just stare, heat crawling into my chest. Then I let a slow, teasing smile tug at my mouth. “So are you saying you don’t think you can keep your hands off me?”
