Laura
Once we were done unleashing anger on each other, we both went back inside. I sat on the couch, my legs pulled up under me, staring out the window at the water that now surrounded the cabin. It was eerie, the way the rain had transformed the world overnight. A sense of being trapped settled deep in my bones, and it wasn't just because of the flood.
California. I hadn't wanted to come back here. Ever since I fled the state after leaving Jackson, I'd promised myself I would never return. I'd buried the memories of that life as deeply as I could, but now, being here again, those memories were clawing their way back to the surface. I'd managed to get through the night because I thought it was just a matter of hours before we'd leave. But now? Now we were stuck, and Jackson was somewhere out there. A part of me wondered if he would even remember me after all these years, but the fear that he might somehow find me gnawed at my gut.
I glanced over at Jake, who was seated across from me, his eyes fixed on something outside but his mind clearly elsewhere. Knowing him well, he was probably planning how to fire me and get a new assistant. I mean, I had disrespected him in ways I had never seen anyone do. It felt good anyway, he needed to be out in place just as much as he thought I needed to be put in place too.
After a while, I sneaked a quick peek at him again and this time, the tension on his face had simmered down, but it hadn't vanished completely. He wouldn't even look in my direction or say a word despite the fact that I kept tossing on the couch, trying to get a reaction out of him, even if it was little. I wanted him to say something. I would be able to judge the level of his anger towards me from that.
The silence kept building up till it got heavy, oppressive even, and I knew we couldn't sit like this all day. My nerves couldn't take it.
I needed a distraction. Something, anything, to take my mind off the possibility that Jackson could somehow find me here.
Looking around around the cabin, my eyes landed on an old deck of playing cards sitting on a shelf near the fireplace. It wasn't much, but it was something. I got up and grabbed them, holding them up for Jake to see.
"Do you play?" I asked, breaking the silence. He glanced at the cards in my hand, clearly uninterested at first, but I wasn't in the mood to let him brood all day. "Come on, Jake. We're stuck here, might as well do something to pass the time."
He sighed, his eyes drifting back to the window before he finally turned back to me with a shrug. "Sure, why not."
I sat back down and shuffled the deck, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in my stomach. I was good at cards, always had been. It was one of the few things I remembered fondly from my childhood, playing endless rounds with my brothers. I could use this to distract myself from the chaos in my head.
We dealt the cards and played in silence for the first couple of rounds, but I couldn't help noticing how serious Jake looked, even with something as simple as a game of cards. He didn't seem like the kind of guy who knew how to relax.
By the time we'd played through five rounds, I'd won every single one. I didn't gloat, because I wasn't sure how he would take it but I could see a flicker of surprise in his eyes as he stared at his losing hand.
"Five rounds, huh?" he muttered, leaning back in his chair and giving me a small, grudging smile. "Didn't see that coming."
I shrugged, trying to keep it casual, though inside I was glad to have won. "Guess I'm just lucky today."
"Or maybe you're smarter than I gave you credit for," he said, and there was something in his tone that caught my attention. It wasn't a compliment, not really, but it was close. For a moment, his gaze lingered on me, longer than it had all day. It felt… different.
I didn't know how to respond to that, so I looked down at the cards instead, shuffling them absently. "Want to go again?"
He shook his head, but his eyes remained on me. "No, I think I've had enough of losing for today."
I chuckled softly, trying to shake off the weird tension that had crept into the room. But it was there, undeniable, hovering in the air between us. I glanced up at him, and for a split second, I could see something different in his eyes. Something softer. Before I could say anything, he looked away, his face hardening again.
Jake
I was barely paying attention to the game at first, too wrapped up in my own thoughts. My business was at risk. I'd been rushing through this California trip to get back to Atlanta, to that important meeting that could make or break a major deal for the company. And now, not only were we stuck here, but I couldn't even notify my clients about the situation. No signal, no way out, no way to explain. Not only would I be losing be losing a huge amount of money, I would also be losing their trust. This was the worst possible outcome, and it was making my blood boil. No one wants to do business with someone who can't keep to their words. I wouldn't.
And then there was Laura. Despite everything, she had suggested playing cards, like it would somehow solve our problems. I didn't want to, but hell, we were trapped in the middle of nowhere. What else could we do? So I agreed, figuring it would at least take my mind off the disaster we were in.
I underestimated her.
Round after round, she beat me, fair and square. It wasn't luck. She was smart, sharper than I'd thought. Each time she laid down her winning hand, I could feel a grudging respect building in me. Laura wasn't just some assistant tagging along for the ride. There was more to her than I'd given her credit for.
After the fifth round, I sat back and studied her, my mind distracted from the business disaster for the first time in hours. I hadn't noticed before, not really, but there was something about her confidence as she played. It was subtle, but it was there.
"Five rounds, huh?" I said, my voice quieter than I intended. I was impressed, though I didn't want to admit it out loud.
She shrugged, but I could see a flicker of pride in her eyes. "Guess I'm just lucky today."
I leaned forward, resting my elbows on the table, and gave her a small, almost imperceptible smile. "Or maybe you're smarter than I gave you credit for."
She looked down at the cards, shuffling them in her hands, and I felt a strange pull in my chest. This was the same woman who had infuriated me hours ago, who had stood toe-to-toe with me in the middle of the storm, refusing to back down. And now, here she was, surprising me again in a completely different way. I wasn't sure what to make of it.
"Want to go again?" she asked, her voice casual, but there was something in her tone that told me she wasn't as unaffected by the tension as she appeared.
I shook my head, trying to clear the fog in my mind. "No, I think I've had enough of losing for today."
She laughed softly, and I found myself watching her more closely than I had before. There was something about her that was getting under my skin. I didn't like it. I was used to being in control, of my life, of my business, of everything. But Laura, she was starting to slip through the cracks of that control. And it unnerved me.
The room fell into a comfortable silence after that, but every so often, I'd glance at her, catching her watching me in return. Neither of us said anything, but the tension between us was palpable.
Then, suddenly, a loud clap of thunder echoed through the cabin, shaking the windows. Laura jumped, her eyes wide with fear, and without thinking, she moved closer to me, instinctively reaching out for my hand.
I hesitated for a moment, wanting to push her away, to maintain the distance between us. But when I looked at her, saw the fear in her eyes, something inside me softened. I didn't push her away. Instead, I held her hand tighter, letting her draw closer.
For once, I didn't feel the need to be in control.
At least, not in the way I usually was…