Happier A Christmas Love Story

Chapter 4 (Jake)

With the mess from dinner cleaned and the kettle boiled, Erica and I made our way to the living room. She looks so lifeless. Though she is still beautiful, it seems as though there is something that is holding her back something that is preventing her from breathing like she is living. She makes her way to the couch as I go towards the fireplace to get the electronic fire going. 

From what I have gathered she has solved things out here with the fireplace and a hot beverage, just like when I found her asleep on the couch last night. I glance over at her curled up figure and wonder if I really want to expose my life to this girl, what if she is like all the others that find out about who I am, they are only ever after my money or they want to "fix" me.  Though Erica doesn't seem like that kind of person. I break myself from my thoughts and go sit down across from her on the couch.  

"So Mr.Snyder, what is the reason you have come to these cabins for the weekend, which turned into a week and a bit." She says in a soft voice, "Well, where do I start, I am the heir of a multi-million dollar company that I don't want, My mother passed away a few months ago in a car accident, that was caused by a drunk driver. I don't want the company, but I don't have the heart to tell my father I don't want to take it over, I have a brother Nicholas, he could take it. Though I think the reason he wants me to take over the company is not that he thinks I can do it, I think it is his way of apologizing." my voice breaks slightly. 

"Apologizing for what," she says quietly. 

"I was in the car with my mother when we were hit by the impaired driver, my father believes the accident was his fault, he and my mother were arguing before she left I snuck in the car last minute to calm her down. They were arguing about how he was always at work and never there for us when we were younger...he loved her, though he wasn't around a lot to show it he loved her, and when the doctors pronounced her dead he broke down. The truth is I am here because well this weekend was supposed to be either finding a way to come to terms with taking over the company or trying to figure out a way to break it to him that I don't want the company."

"So why didn't you go to your girlfriend about this? I am sure she could have helped you" She offers. A smirk came to my face, "Is that your way of fishing to see  if I am single," I watch as she looks away, it seems that I have said something to upset her, but then again she has told me next to nothing about herself so there is no way of knowing what I said wrong. 

Why don't you ask her you idiot? I can't just flat out ask her that would be weird. 

"Erica? Did I say something to upset you? I ask. She sniffles slightly then looks back up to me, "I was not trying to fish and see if you were single that is the last possible thing that I would be thinking about." She wipes the tears from her eyes and rises off the couch, she grabs her hot chocolate and her pack of cigarettes and moves to the back deck. Slowly I follow behind her, I watch as she lights a cigarette and leans against the cabin as if she didn't have the strength to hold herself up on her own. Quietly I opened the door. 

"I hope I didn't upset you Erica, I was just trying to make a joke to lighten the mood after talking about my father an-"

"I was supposed to be getting married soon."She cuts me off, but I know better than to interrupt back so I sit and listen to why she is at these cabins. "I had a fiancee Darren, though I guess I wasn't enough, in the bedroom I mean, because he also just had to have my best friend. I walked in on them in bed when I walked into his studio apartment. That day I remember I went to the market, and I was going to make us dinner. The groceries were long forgotten after I saw them in bed together. I tried to quit smoking for him, he wanted me to have quit before the wedding in a few weeks, but I mean if he can fuck whoever he wants I should get to do whatever the fuck I want. So I called my best guy friend, he put this cabin on his card, gave them three hours to stock the cabin with the food I love and on the way out here I bought a carton of cigarettes." She then turns towards me. " This was supposed to be a weekend of alone time, chick flicks and smoking till my lungs gave out, and when the lady at the check-in told me this cabin was double booked I thought well fuck, there goes my weekend. At the same time, I also thought there must be a reason this other person is coming to the cabins alone on a weekend so close to Christmas and I let it go, and here we are, divulging the deep dark reasons as to why we are here. That is also when I ran upstairs and didn't come out till dinner because this is all new and sinking in." She sighs and then slides down to the deck floor. 

I am stunned into silence, neither one of us says a word. Though there really isn't a need for words, we have found out a lot about each other in just the few days we have been here and I can honestly say I want to get to know her more.