Happier A Christmas Love Story

Chapter 3 (Erica)

I could tell by the look on his face that he really did not want to talk about it, I mean to be fair if he asked me why I was there I wouldn't want to tell my reasons. 

"If I told you, you wouldn't believe me," he said with a sarcastic chuckle. "How about this we start off with simple questions as to why we are here before we divulge the story?" I offer while lighting another cigarette.

"That could work, I will go first. Is there a person behind the reason you are here, and if so who are they?" He asks. 

I was hoping he wouldn't open with that only because I didn't want to think about Darren, thinking about him brought back the memories, the memories of seeing him in bed with Sherri. her naked body on top of his, the sound of his voice trying to scramble for an excuse. 

"There is a person behind the reason I am here, my ex-fiancee Darren" I inhale a drag from my cigarette and instantly feel the calmness spread throughout my body. "What about you?"

"My father," he said with a sad tone. I finish the cigarette and suggest that we go inside. When Jake and I go inside I make a tea and offer him one, he just nods his head. After I get the teas made we head into the living room. I take a moment to really take in his looks his blue-grey eyes, his brown hair, his strong jaw. I wonder what a guy like him would be doing out here alone a couple weeks before Christmas, surely he would be hanging out with friends, or maybe even a girlfriend. I mean I should be doing the same thing but here I am, hiding. All because I found my fiancee or ex rather cheating on me, I suppose I should be used to it with the way my mom cheated on my dad, thinking I didn't know. It was then that his voice pulled me from my thoughts. 

"What are you thinking about, you look sad" I look down into my tea not really wanting to answer, a tear falls and splashes into my tea. I don't want to cry in front of him. Christ, I just met him, I don't want him thinking that I am some over-emotional woman who cries at the drop of a hat. I get up and bring my tea upstairs to my room, I lock the door behind me and place the tea the dresser before throwing myself on the bed and let out a gut-wrenching sob. 

I had cried myself to sleep without realizing it until I woke up and it was black outside, aside from the white snow that was coming down in heaps. The smell of spaghetti floats into my room, gradually I peel myself from my bed and unlock the door and follow the smell.  When I make it down the stairs I make my way to the kitchen and I see Jake finishing up a sauce.

"It smells like an Italian restaurant in here," I say trying to put humour in my voice. Jake spins around startled "Well I heard you crying, and I figured I would leave you be, but I don't know I thought it would be nice if when you felt better you had a hot meal to get into your system" He shrugged after he said this. 

"That was very kind of you thank you," He offers me a plate and we sit at the table. The awkward silence feels like a 300 lbs weight on my chest. "So the snow is coming down pretty hard out there," I say trying desperately to make conversation, "Yeah I was watching TV while you were upstairs and well there was a weather announcement that said all the roads were blocked, we are supposed to get anywhere from 3-4 ft of snow tonight" "That doesn't sound that bad" I try to find a positive. 

"It is, the cabin grounds are shut down for the next week and a half, no one can get in or get out. Luckily we have enough food in here to last that long, I don't even know how they would know to stock it up with this stuff though" He says with wonder clouding his voice. 

"Marvin booked the cabin for me and gave them a list of things I like so that they could stock it up because he knew I was gonna need it, they must have just overstocked" I take another bite of my pasta. 

"Marvin? Is that your boyfriend" He asks and I nearly choke on my pasta.

"No not in the slightest, Marvin is my best friend and he is very gay he and his boyfriend Ivan have been together for the last two years," I say and smile. The look on his face is priceless. 

"So I have an idea," he starts timidly, "I was thinking if we are gonna be stuck here for a week and a bit we should tell each other why we are here, I know it is gonna suck so I figured we get the fireplace going with hot chocolate and we can just talk it out, it'll make this a lot easier so we aren't walking on eggshells with each other" he can see that I am skeptical "I can even go first if you want." I think about it for a few moments, I haven't even known this guy 24 hours, do I really want to tell him about the reasons why I am here, but on the other hand he is willing to open up and go first. I mean I am never going to see him again after this week so there really isn't a problem, I should probably talk about it with someone anyway.

"Ok" I finally reply "Only if you first and there is a lot of hot chocolate on hand" A soft smile makes its way to his face. "We also have to promise that no matter how hard it gets talking about it we won't up and leave and lock ourselves away," He says with a teasing tone. "Only if you agree to periodic smoke breaks" I laugh, mentally thanking the people who built this cabin with an enclosed deck so that even though we were getting so much snow I could still get a smoke in

"Deal, Now let's tidy up and go to the living room shall we I feel like we have a lot of ground to cover tonight" I grab our plates and put them in the sink while he gets the kettle going. 

This is gonna be a long night but God please let me survive it. I turn the tap off hoping my silent prayer will be answered.