Cursed

Chapter Fifteen

"Hey, Elora," she felt a gentle hand on her arm, coaxing her from sleep. "It's time to get up, we're here." She looked around, becoming acquainted with her surroundings. They seemed to be set deep in the woods. Surely, no one would ever find them here. At least not for some time. The two exited the vehicle, making their way to the quaint cabin. Leif carried both of their bags, setting them on the ground briefly to unlock the door with a key that he retrieved from his pocket.

The cabin was rustic, which Elora had expected. The furniture looked handmade and well-loved. The layout was similar to her apartment, as the entirety of the cabin was basically confined to one room, apart from the bathroom. Immediately she saw a double bed up against one wall, facing a fireplace on the opposite wall. There were two small armchairs facing the fireplace and a bookcase in the corner. She hoped there would be a few things that caught her interest there, as she didn't have the space to pack many books. There was also a small kitchen and an island  with two stools. The house appeared to be perfectly crafted for two people. A pang of what felt like jealousy caught Elora by surprise at that notion.

She wondered if this was someplace special for Leif and a past lover. Elora tried hard to cast away that feeling. She had no right to feel anything like that towards Leif. He wasn't hers to be jealous of, and he never would be. He wanted nothing to do with her, and he all but admitted that back in the car on the way here.

Leif locked the door behind them after placing the bags on the floor, and did a quick scan of the small dwelling, looking in the bathroom and in every possible hiding place. "All good," he confirmed.

"Great," Elora nodded, shifting on the balls of her feet awkwardly. She felt strange, being alone with Leif in this remote cabin designed for two. "This is great. Really. Thank you for bringing me here. And for protecting me."

"You're safer here." He had walked across the single room to the fireplace, where he was beginning to build a fire.

"Well, I'm going to go shower. If that's okay?" She knew she didn't need approval, she was basically living here now. But, this all felt so strange. She didn't quite know how to act.

"That's fine. There's towels in the bathroom closet." Leif didn't look away from the task at hand.

Elora retrieved her bag from its spot next to the door, hauling it into the bathroom using her uninjured arm. She locked the door and jiggled it a few times for good measure before turning the shower all the way up and stripping down. The hot spray felt amazing after the day she'd had, and she savoured that feeling. Not for too long, though. She knew Leif would likely want to shower as well, and she didn't want to be that person who stole all the hot water. She stepped out and dried off, pulling on her favourite cosy pyjamas. She didn't care that it was morning now, they weren't going anywhere anyways.

She stepped out of the bathroom, steam following her as she opened the door.

Leif was opening and closing cabinets in the kitchen when she came out. "The cupboards are completely bare. I'm going to have to run into town," he explained as he leaned against the countertop.

"Oh, okay. I'll go change and then we can–"

"I think you should stay here. If one of Ivar's guys sees you with me, even all the way out here..." He trailed off, shaking his head. "It's just not safe. And there's no way anyone knows you're out here yet. But, here," Leif reached into his back pocket, pulling out a small phone and handing it in Elora's direction. "My number is on this. Please call me if you notice anything is off. The store is only about fifteen minutes from here, and I'm going to be quick."

Elora pondered everything that he'd just said. She was nervous about being left alone in an unfamiliar place. But, she was safest here. If anyone had followed them, they'd done a damn good job of flying under the radar completely. She opened her mouth to protest, but closed it. "Fine. Okay," she nodded, accepting the phone and shoving it into her pants pocket.