Christmas at Fox Ridge

20. Eira

Chapter twenty

Eira

January 29

Lucas

Saw this and thought of you

I accidentally cackle out loud on the train home from work when the picture comes through: a mug covered in a pattern of cat butts. An old woman narrows her eyes at me, and I continue to snicker quietly into the collar of my wool coat.

Eira

It feels like I should be offended by that…

Lucas

This crosses the line, but not the flat-assed dude pictures you send me all the time?

Eira

Speaking of which… You sure this isn’t you?

I fire off the picture then slip my phone into my pocket and step through the open train doors at my stop. The evening breeze has a bite to it that makes me pull my coat up over my ears, wishing I’d worn a scarf. Despite the dark sky, there’s not a star in sight, and I trudge along the slushy sidewalk. The snow’s melting thanks to Canada’s infamous false-spring, where naive souls—such as myself—get our hopes up during a random bout of warm weather in late January. All so the Earth can turn around with a big fuck you in the form of a blizzard, like the one I’m willing to bet comes next week.

Lucas

Caught me. Here I thought the bald head and neck tattoos would throw you off.

Eira

I could smell you from a mile away

Lucas

It feels like I should be offended by that

I could tell him it’s a compliment. That I bought a candle last week simply because the scent when I walked through the store brought me crashing back to his bed, breathing in the smell of his warm skin. That I turn my candle warmer on every night so my room smells like him when I fall asleep.

Or that I went back two days ago and bought ten more of the same candle, just in case they discontinue them.

For the last month we’ve been talking almost non-stop during waking hours, between text messages all day and phone calls at night. But we flirt, we talk about our day, and we don’t talk about anything important. Like what the fuck we’re doing here, or why he still hasn’t come to visit.

Lucas

I can taste you from almost 500km away, snow angel

Eira

Yeah? What do I taste like?

Lucas

Mine.