Chapter 2
The week following the fight, I was on silent mode. It seemed as if the whole world was trying to get my attention, whether it was by yelling, flirting, or snowing. Yes, snow.
On a chilly Sunday morning, I was curled up in a ball in my blue beanbag, watching the steam on my coffee swirl, mist, and dance up to the ceiling before it vanished into thin air. Usually the suburbs of Chicago don't get snow until the end of November, yet in the middle of October, the flakes were falling like confetti thrown into the air by an eager birthday boy. I sighed slowly and sadly, just trying to comprehend what was going on in my life. I needed some jazz. Something peppy and hip to take my mind off things. That's when my phone rang.
"Hey, Shaye, it's Sam," said a quiet voice on the other end. Sam is Nick's best friend. What the hell?
"What's up?" I asked him, wanting to quit the conversation and go shopping or something.
"So, um, I have a cabin up in Maine, and I was wondering if you wanted to head up there for a few weeks with me. You know, just to get away for a bit."
Maine? A few weeks? Get away?
"I don't know if that's such a great idea," I replied apologetically.
"Come on, it'd be a lot of fun!"
"Sam, I really don't think that will work out great. I'm sorry. You should ask someone else." I bit my lip, annoyed.
"Shaye, we really need some time to get to know each other. Nick and I are really good friends, and because --"
"Nick put you up to this, didn't he?" I questioned him.
"No," he answered, "I just think we could be better friends than we are. That's it. Swear."
"Tell you what. I'm not going all the way to Maine. That's a crap ton of miles, but there's a cabin up in Wisconsin that Nick and Emma bought for their honeymoon. I have a key, and we could go up there just for this weekend if you're serious about this getting to know you stuff." I don't know why I was offering up a vacation with a man I barely knew, but I was willing to jump at anything for an opportunity to get out of Chicago and its drama.
"Sounds great. I'll pick you up tonight?" He asked, obviously excited.
"Seven o'clock is perfect," I replied.
"See you!" He hung up. I closed my phone and turned towards the window again. The snow was sticking to the ice on my window, creating a translucent filter on the sill. What did I get myself into? I asked myself. Well, no matter how this weekend turns out, I'm away from Nick and Emma, and I can finally get some rehab. This is going to be exciting.
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My pink plaid duffel all packed and ready to go, I sat on the stairs by the front door. It was only 6:30 and I don't know why it was so early but for some reason I was feeling excited. I should be freaked out because I was spending a weekend away from humankind with a man that I barely know. Something about the situation though made me feel risky and perked me up a bit.
At a quarter 'till seven, the doorbell rang, jerking me out of my daydream. I looped my bag through my arm and opened the door, expecting Sam, but it was Emma. "I heard that you're going for a weekend with Sam," she said, narrowing her eyes. "I wouldn't if I were you."
I rolled my eyes blatantly, ignoring her apparent words of wisdom. "Well then it's a good thing you aren't me, because I'm going. I need to get out of this place."
