“I think that’s better,” I looked over my shoulder at the tent where Isaac was sleeping.“I should have pitched my tent, I wasn’t thinking.”
Mike didn’t say anything right away.
“I’ll put on some extra logs for you.”
Then he sat down for a bit.
I unrolled my mat and my sleeping bag and got into it, fully dressed.
“Look,” he said pointing up into the sky. “There is the North Star, Polaris.”
I tried to see where he was pointing but I only saw a night full of stars. Mike pointed out the group of stars that made up the Big Dipper. As it was becoming fall, the stars were closer to the horizon.
“I see it!” I said.
“Then, when you look down, that bright one, that’s Polaris.”
This was the thing with Mike. You didn’t talk about feelings with him, but if you got lost, he was the man to help you find your way. He’d keep you on the path, make sure you got home.
The crackling fire and the warmth that emanated from it lulled me to sleep.
In the night, I woke up, though. It was completely dark, and the fire had gone out. I heard sounds in the dark, like an animal among the trees. I lay perfectly still and listened to the leaves rustling, owls hooting from the trees. There was no sign that anyone was awake. I sat up and prodded the fire, putting on more sticks and wood and coaxing the fire back to life.
I saw Mike was also sleeping on the ground, on the other side of the fire. There was a bottle of wine next to him. I took a few swigs and felt it warm me. The stars overhead were beautiful but I was cold, and my back was sore from sleeping on the ground. I thought of Will, sleeping back home on his imported mattresswith Egyptiancotton sheets and longed for his arms, which always held me when I slept.
I missed him, but I also realized that he needed time to sort out what was going on with Jade. I looked up and found the North Star right away this time.
It was trying to show me the way forward.
Chapter 22
Will
“Can Jade stay for dinner?” Zoë asked me on Saturday, when Jade dropped her off, hours later than we’d agreed.
“I’m sure she has stuff to get to,” I said, avoiding looking at Jade.
“Actually, I have nothing on,” she said, smiling at Zoë.
“Didn’t you tell me about having to go to a dinner with Mac?”
Jade looked at me, I could see her thinking.
“A dinner?”
“Yeah, he told me earlier.”
I put my hands on my hips and looked her in the eye, challenging her to defy me. But Zoë wasn’t helping.
“Please, can she stay, please?”
“I’m afraid not, sweetheart. Now why don’t you go change. I see your pants are all muddy.”
Zoë ran off and I turned to face Jade.
“What was that all about?” she asked me, amused.
“I don’t want you here for dinner,” I said flatly. “I don’t want you in my life.”