COMPLETE ✓| Charlotte Hastings found herself between a rock and a hard place when she aged out of the foster system. With only a car to her name, she set out on the open road, hoping to find long lost relatives. Winter hits her hard. When she meets...
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CHAPTER SIXTEEN | CANDLELIGHT
Charlotte Hastings
It felt I had a permanent smile on my face. As long as I was with Eli, it would never disappear. My heart felt complete, with all of these new experiences under my belt. The impending possibility of leaving kept trying to creep its way into my mind, but I wasn't going to let it. Forgetting was okay, for one night at least.
The whole drive home, Eli's hand was intertwined with mine as he navigated through the heavy snow. After parking in the driveway, he only let go briefly to get out of the truck. Wind slapped me in the face as I jumped out and my feet sunk into what looked like a foot of snow. Eli wrapped an arm around my waist. "Let's get inside!" he shouted over the howling wind.
I could barely see, but thankfully I didn't need to with him guiding me. I had never seen weather like this and even though it probably created a picture perfect morning, it was terrifying. Just the short walk made my face feel frost bitten. Eli slammed the door shut behind us and took off his gloves, rubbing his hands over mine to warm them up. He reached over and felt his way up the wall until he found the light switch.
I heard the familiar click, but instead of being welcomed by light, we remained in the dark. My eyes were quick to adjust, although it didn't solve the mystery. He tried again, but still no light.
"Ah, crap!" he muttered under his breath. "Power's out. Let me just go flip the breaker."
Without hesitating he rushed down the stairs and disappeared from view. Even though we were inside it still seemed chilly. After slipping out of my jacket, I laid it down on the bench beside the door. I expected the lights to turn back on momentarily, but after several minutes went by there was still nothing. Carefully, I made my way down the stairs.
"Eli?" I called out.
"One second," he called back from the utility room, his voice hoarse.
A few moments later, he returned, able to see me in the darkness now that his eyes were adjusted to the darkness of the basement. "It wasn't the breaker," he said when he reached me. "I think the power must be out because of this storm." He dropped his head a little and fiddled with my hand held in his own.
It was like someone had flipped a switch on his emotions along with the lights. Disappointment was written all over his body, even in the way his shoulders slumped toward me. Somehow, being in the dark didn't bother me. Making something from nothing was what I was good at.
"Do you have any candles?" I asked as I reached up and placed my hand on his bicep.
A smile spread across his face. "I do!" He slid his hand along the wall, guiding himself back to the utility room and returning with a box of candles. "I'm sorry in advance," he said as soon as he saw my face. "They're my mom's leftovers. She kept saying I needed some for emergencies."
