I n d o м ι т a в l e

(22)

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"Maybe I'm just farsighted. The further away something is, the better I can see it but once it gets close, I lose sight of it.

― Ai Yazawa

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{Chapter: 22}

Unedited ✖

{ A S P E N M O N T G O M E R Y }

I find myself standing in a unfamiliar room, one of the guest rooms in Nicholai's house. The coffee brown interior meshed with the average cream walls is decorated with dear antler trimmings. A placate feeling floats down my body and my muscles slowly begin unwinding in the familiar atmosphere that is Nicholai's home.

The room smells dimly of pine, coated in his naturally attained musky scent, the pleasant odor seeming to stick to the walls and furniture splayed out across the average bedroom. The glare of the sun entering through a floor-to-ceiling window paints splashes of fire across the small couch and coffee table centering the room, a small tv perched atop a desk of shelves and drawers. I admire the scene tranquilly.

I walk idly towards the bed, running my fingers over one of the four bedposts observantly before I flop backwards into the comfortable bed sheets, the brown silk molding around me like clouds enveloping my body. I wonder where he gets such amazing mattresses.

My boxes have all been shoved into the corner, awaiting to be unpacked and put away like they should be but my muscles ache at the idea of doing anymore manual labor. The strain in my arms and legs is prominent, and even though I know prolonging the experience will only make me dread it more, I decide a break is in order.

Marci disappeared only seconds after dropping the last of my boxes off, muttering a quipped farewell before vanishing out of the house. I don't know whether she really doesn't like me or is just uncomfortable, but my gut feeling tells me my former assumption is closer to correct.

I don't dally on the thought long, my eyes closing on their own record as I try to soak in as much relaxation as possible before having to get up and start organizing the mound of items piled messily inside the cardboard boxes and suitcases stacked away on the other side of the room.

The weather after we arrived at Nicholai's house dropped to a more chilly temperature and the mild cold sweeps through the house and begins drifting over my skin causing goosebumps to raise on my skin.

Deciding I've done enough loitering for the moment, I prop myself up with exaggerated groaning, dragging my worn out body towards the mess of different devices and apparel.

Tearing open the first box labeled clothing I dig around inside the mass of different cloths before swiftly pulling out a red sweater and tugging it over my head. In the back of my mind I briefly remember Nicholai saying something about "tempting him in red" back in the clearing, or something vaguely relating to that sentence.

I push the thought away forcefully before dumping the contents of the box onto my new bed.

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I mentally jot down check marks beside the list of things I needed to fold and put away, internally nodding to myself when I see I'm nearly done.