Caged In

Chapter 6

The rising sun shines through the living room window to warm my face. The fire has long burned out, not once did I wake to fill it. A smile grows on my face. I haven't slept this well in years even on the couch it was better than most nights I have had. I can only imagine how it'll be waking up to her every morning. She could always reject me though. I swallow audibly at the thought slithering through my mind, getting up to go to the fridge and downing a bottle of water. It is a constant struggle for happiness in my mind when dark thoughts corrupt the bright ones. I have to try and keep my mind focused.

Walking out the sliding back door and stepping on the deck the crisp air curls around me to chill my skin. Sweater for the early mornings and evenings from here on out. This is the weather I love the most. Stretching out and taking a deep breath in before making my way over to the bear pelt rolled up against the side of the cabin. Unrolling it I give it a good shake out before reapplying more salt, it'll take another twelve hours before it'll be ready. Bringing my wrist up to check the time my watch isn't there I haven’t had the chance to fix it yet.

Guess that's my next task.

Time passes by as I try to remove and replace the small components of the watch when my stomach rumbles out its wants. Time to eat. Opening the fridge it's damn near bare, going to the cupboards but they aren't much better and my stomach protests more to the emptiness of this place. I need to stock up on my own supplies before winter if I don't do it now I'll probably forget later. The little bit I have put up in the back room will only last a month.  

Making a quick list of the basics I will need before leaving through the front I catch sight of Kirsten walking towards my cabin, face down and hands in her jacket pockets her oversized scarf hides the lower half of her face as she marches on. She hasn't noticed me. Reaching my driver side door and opening it I call out "need something?" Startling her, she puts her hand over her heart with a gasp from the surprise. "Oh Cage, you scared me, I wasn't paying attention." She says quickly, flustered. "umm no, I didn't need anything. I'm just walking around, needed to get out of their house... Stretch my legs..." She trails off with a bit of a blush forming on her checks.

"Fighting again are they?" I ask her. I have been around long enough, I am used to their arguing by now but I remember how awkward it would be to listen to.

"They do it often, huh?" She asks softly.

"Ya," I answer.

She nods before the conversation falls into an uncomfortable silence. Rattling my keys in my hand I am not sure what to do or say to this female. She doesn't seem so bad right now just lost and mixed up in a friends nonsense. Taking another moment to think on it before giving her the invitation to join me the wolf does not agree with the idea. I ignore. "I'm heading to the store to get some things for winter. Would you like to tag along?" Kirsten pauses for a moment and her eyes go wide as she thinks about my offer.

"Are you sure you don't mind?" She's being timid, careful not to step on toes.

"Hop in," I tell her.

It's not a long drive and she takes the time to congratulate me on yesterday. I can see she is happy for me but a dull sadness can be seen in her eyes no matter how bright she smiles.

Loneliness and longing battling in those amber eyes.

In the store, the topic changes and she tries to change her mood with it. Helping me to go through my list and pick out the things I need. She is shocked at how much I need to get. Seems Scott has his house winterized and I'm so far behind procrastination isn't even an excuse. Lack of caring.

She plucks a jar of cherries off the shelf, humming to herself. "You wouldn't believe it," she says, "but my family owns an orchard. We grow oranges, apples, peaches and cherries. I couldn't imagine moving here and having shorter growing seasons for gardening." She's smiling more to herself than me. Never imagined her to be a gardener. Taking the jar from her hand inspecting it before handing it back; never much cared for the candied cherries. "My Grams likes to garden, me and Pops built her a greenhouse a few years back. Not really my thing though." Grabbing two bags of sugar off the lower shelf she picks up a sack of flour for me.