Fighting with Fire #2 ✔

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟔 - 𝐄𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫

𝘞𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨: 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵

We spent a couple of hours gathering firewood — and this time, I actually did gather firewood; we actually needed it this time, after all.

Watching Theo's back muscles contracting through his t-shirt as he carried the bulk of the wood back to Coloma, I silently wished that something good would happen between us tonight. There was a strong part of me that needed us to make things right, even if things didn't progress to how we used to be in Lake Oldoy.

"You good?" Theo checked, startling me out of my thoughts.

Catching up with him, I nodded. "Yeah."

His eyes flicked up and down my body — I'd gotten too warm in my hoodie, so I was wearing a tight vest and a pair of soft cotton shorts — both items of clothing that were stuck to my body in the warm June late afternoon. And damn; only he could make a mere look so physical, like he was already seeing me without my clothes, lying under his body...

Aware of how Theo's t-shirt was also clinging to his skin, I swallowed. Nothing was even happening between us, but the way he looked at me so physically had heated my core up considerably.

It was the first time in a while that I'd been fully alone with Theo, with none of the pack around for what had to be miles.

"I know it was, like, half a year ago..." Theo began randomly asking. "How was your Christmas?"

Bemused, I frowned. "What makes you ask?"

"I just realised I never did." He lifted his shoulders in his signature shrug. "So, how was it?"

"Well..." I shifted uncomfortably with the few branches I was carrying. "Uncle Rob tried out a range of tactics whilst I was on Svalbard with him, and at Christmas, the tactic was getting me to camp out in the cold, with nothing but semi-warm and a crude snow shelter."

"Oh my God."

Nodding, I continued, "So, I spent my Christmas alone and trying to summon my fire. How was yours?"

"I was freezing in a homeless shelter in Iowa, and it was raining." He threw a grimacing look at me. "So I guess we were both cold and alone."

"Despite my fire partially returning to me," I admitted, wondering where the hell all this honesty was coming from, "There are still times when I feel cold... and alone." My voice dropped to a whisper, "And I don't know how to stop feeling alone."

"I was alone in Lake Oldoy, before I found you, Ember," Theo told me, "And then, with you, I was no longer alone, and I'd found a way to solve my problems one step at a time."

Can we do the same now? I wordlessly questioned, not having the courage to say the words aloud.

And so, once again, we fell into silence.

The sun was sinking pretty quickly by the time we arrived back at Coloma. I could see why the pack loved this abandoned mining town so much; it was, or at least it used to be, perfect for them. There was a certain indescribable quality to the place — it was mysterious, and yet totally comfortable at the same time.

Maybe it was just being with Theo that made me comfortable, and I was treasuring how easy being with him was once again.

Okay, so Storm betrayed the pack, the threat of the hunters seemed even closer, and we were staying the night in Coloma — life wasn't exactly perfect, but, weirdly, it felt like things were falling into place.