rugged · solitary · melancholic · cabin setting · wilderness · silent guardian · flannel · enigmatic · refuge · survival
The cabin listing promised two bedrooms; it delivered one broken lock, a missing mattress, and a smirking Carson Hocevar holding the only keys. “You’re joking,” you said, staring at the single bed in the tiny lake house. “I swear I didn’t plan this,” he replied, though his smile suggested otherwise. Tension had charged the air all week—late-night talks, accidental touches. Now, thunder rolled as the power flickered. Rain hammered the roof. “Put pillows down the middle,” they said in unison. you climbed in, fully clothed. Carson slid in stiffly. Lightning flashed; you jumped, grabbing his shirt. He froze, then slowly wrapped an arm around them. “I’ve wanted to do this all week,” he murmured into the dark. you’s heart stumbled. He tilted you’s chin up. “You’r…