True North

Chapter 8

Wren had started the fire. There was an old pan in the cupboard. We were going to heat up some jerky and tell stories by the fire until we were tired.

I laid a piece of jerky on the pan.

"Why would your dad ever want to leave this place? I mean don't get me wrong. Your house is awesome. But this house is the Ultimate get away from all the lights and noises and..." Wrens trailed off as he sat down on the carpet.

"Do you think your dad knows your missing?" I asked.

"Eh... he gets in tomorrow. Faunsy will probably tell him then." Wren shrugged. The fire crackled in front of us and illuminated the room.

"Wren, I don't think your dad can get in tomorrow... with the storm and all." I said. Wren just stared at the fire.

"I have a bad feeling." Wren said.

"About what?"

"I don't know. I feel like something bad will happen." he said.

"You're psychic?" I joked.

"No." Wren said. He turned to look at me. "you know when you just have a feeling that something bad is going to happen? But you don't know when, where or who? You just know it'll happen."

"Sometimes." I shrugged.

I pulled the jerky to us. Wren took some.

"My dad and I got into a fight before I came here." Wren said out of the blue. I took a bite of my jerky. "He said that I needed to be a man. Start making real money. Find a nice girl and move off. He wants me to start a life and I don't think I'm ready for that. But 'god forbid' my dad even listens to what I want to do."

We were silent for a bit, just staring at the fire. Absorbing the warmth through our layers of clothes. I had laid the blankets near the fire place so they'd be warm for bed.

"What do you want to do Wren?" I asked. Wren but his lip and looked around.

"I want to get a job doing something that will be enough to someday make my wife proud and put food on the table for my kids. I want to love and not forget. I don't want to get divorced like my parents. I don't want to do something dangerous that will leave my wife a widow. I want to make people happy." He said.

"I think that's sweet." I said.

"What do you want to do?" Wren asked me. I was about to open my mouth to speak when I realised that I didn't know. I had a whole plan on going to university but after that? I didn't know.

"What I want to do.. I want to graduate university. Go to Greenland for a summer and fall in love and get married. I want to settle down. I want to always be close with my dad and the ones who mean the most to me." I said. I know it was ordinary. Get a degree, travel, love, settle down but it seems like the ideal life.

Wren nodded. the fire crackled in this cold winter night. The warmth radiating from the fire felt so nice. I scooted closer to Wren. He stared straight at the fire. I scooted closer but he was lost in thought. I guess now would be a better chance then any.

He blinked and looked towards me.

I went on my knees and sat on my feet. So I was eye level with Wren.

"You look so good in this fire light." I told him. I could see the amber flecks in his brown eye glisten. I could hear his heavy breaths and the way his breath shook when I spoke.

"I think you look so good all the time..." Wrens voice was heavy and calm and raspy. His eyes showed so much emotion. His hand was on my thigh. I gave him no time to think about what to do next. I jumped on his lap and put my hands on his cheeks in one swift movement. Then I kissed him.

And this wasn't the kiss I had with Connor. It didn't feel dull. It didn't feel boring. It didn't feel like just a kiss. It felt like so much more. It felt like I had found my other half and this kiss is the thing that connects us. That let's us know we are one. The kiss the made me decide that I may fight with Wren all the time and we might not agree with much but this kiss made everything okay.

I pulled from him. Wren looked at me.

"What's wrong?" he asked. His voice was calm an tired.

"Wren. I.. I think that I love you." I said unsure.

"Well one things is for sure." he said. He took my hand. "I do love you."

"Don't you think it's too early. We've only known each other less then a month." I said doubtfully.

"But yet we know more about each other and been through more then some people have in a year. Don't you think that means something?' he asked. I didn't need to answer using words but I did do it with my mouth. I pushed Wren back gently. He laid down looking up at me. Chills went up my spine. I looked at Wren who playfully twirled the tips of my hair with his fingers.

I took my coat off. And then slowly unbuttoned his. He began to grin. He pulled his jacket off. I blushed. He looked at me and nodded and I nodded back. We didn't need words anymore. We knew exactly what we were doing. He pulled my sweater over my head only leaving me with two layers of clothing on left. I could see the look he was giving me. My hands made their way from his waist to his face and I grabbed his face and leaned close and kissed his nose. Then my hands slid back to the trim of his sweater and I carefully pulled it off leaving him with one layer left. But I think we were both satisfied. I laid next to him and nuzzled into his chest. And his breathing and heart beat sounded like warm music to me. The crackling of the fire in the back was the screaming fans.

Wren and I laid there for a while longer. Then my eyes got heavy and Wren began dozing off. So we slumped over to the couch/bed. And we laid next to each other and got close enough to stay warm. We blew out the fire. The still room was cold and dry but outside the wind blew harshly and snow came down harder and heavier. So we piled up the warm blankets on top of us and made sure every inch was covered. Wren fell asleep quickly. And all at once he laid down under the covers his eyes shut and he fell into slumber. But it took me a while. I was still thinking about the kiss. And kiss made me think about dates and dates reminded me of my dads yesterday morning. He must've gotten home. Realized I wasn't there. Called my cell a couple times. Called Faunsy. Asked around town. Called rangers to search. But I wouldn't be found. Not in this storm. Not right now. the rangers wouldn't take the chance though with the storm. They'd wait for it to blow over then look. But my dad, my stubborn dad. Heck he's probably out there now looking for me. I wish I could tell him I was safe, well at least for now. I think he deserves that. Made he will stumbled across Nooloo and Nooloo will tell my dad where we are. Maybe...

I couldn't afford to panic. Not now. Im too tired. I got closer to Wren and turned to me side so he'd spoon me. He naturally put his arm around me like it was normal. I then dozed off to the sound of his heart beat.