I sit up, aghast.
“You’re supposed to cut it!”
“Live a little.” Matt sticks his fork back into the dessert and scoops out a large bite. He holds it up to my face. “Open.”
I roll my eyes but comply, practically drooling when the sugary cake hits my tongue. “Oh my god that’s good cheesecake. It’s so sweet.”
“I bet I know something sweeter.” With that, Matt puts down his fork and stands. Before I can even react, he’s scooping me up and kissing me hard. “I think it’s bedtime, sweet girl. But first,” he nods his head in the direction of the dessert, “bring the cake. I want to eat it off your naked body.”
With Matt carrying me, and me carrying the cake, we make our way up the stairs to our well-used bed. That night, we make love as if it’s the last time.
It’s tender, passionate, and sensational. Through our bodies, we try to say what we haven’t yet been able to say with our words. Each kiss tells the other how much we long for the other; each touch is our desire to never let go.
We fall asleep in one another’s arms, unable to be apart even to rest, fearful of what the morning will bring. But too soon, it’s daytime, and our goodbye begins. It’s bittersweet, to say the least.
We stand in the doorway of the little cabin, holding hands and staring out into the woody forest beyond.
“Is it silly if I say that I don’t want to leave?” I look up at Matt, squinting against the bright sunshine.
“It’s not silly. But we can’t stay.” He gestures toward the trees and road beyond. “Our real lives are back in Blue Mountain.”
“I know.” I sigh deeply. “But for the first time for a long time, I feel whole again. Like the world is sharper, clearer, and like I know who I really am. And I don’t want that feeling to go away.”
He doesn’t answer right away, merely staring off into the smoky mountains.
“I know sweetheart,” he says finally in a low voice, squeezing my hand. “We’ll figure it out, okay?”
But I’m impatient, and press the issue.
“So what do we do?” I shield my eyes against the sun as I again look up at Matt, trying to memorize every detail of his handsome face.
“What do you mean?” He shifts his gaze from the tree line back to me, his blue eyes distant.
“If we see each other around town? Like at an event. Or the movies. What do we do?”
“I don’t know.” He frowns slightly, and I can tell he’s also been pondering this question. “Why don’t we just play it by ear?”
Ouch, I think to myself, but out loud I agree as casually as possible. “Sure. That’s a good idea. No need to overcomplicate anything.”
Matt nods and then lifts my hand to his mouth, kissing the palm lightly.
“Okay then. Goodbye, Cora. Take care of yourself.”
I swallow, trying to choke back sudden tears. “You, too, Matt.”
Matt shoots me one last, searching look and then strides from the porch to his car. I watch him load his bag, my eyes misting at the sight.
Don’t go, I want to beg him. Please stay with me. But I bite my tongue. Slowly Matt turns the car around, waves one last goodbye, and begins the long drive down the mountain.
As the vehicle fades from sight into the steep road, I remain standing on the porch for another moment. I’m not ready to pop our idyllic bubble, to leave these beautiful memories behind.
But all good things must come to an end. Tears well in my eyes and I swallow thickly. It bugs me that our goodbye didn’t seem to bother Matt that much, but I decide not to dwell on it as I pack up the last few items and put them in the car.
I take one final look around the cabin, the place that was supposed to be my sanctuary but became so much more. The fire damage is still severe, but I almost forget about it as I think about the many happy moments I spent with Matt over the last week: board games in the kitchen, lovemaking in the bedroom, late night talks on the porch.
I sigh and pull the front door closed, locking up the cabin and the memories of my affair with Matt Harrison.
A few moments later, I’m making my own way down the mountain. I roll down all the windows in the hatchback, grateful for the cool morning breeze.
Wow, that storm really did some damage, I muse as I note the many fallen trees, washed out mountainsides, and fallen power lines. I smile, grateful for those few days of torrential rain and that fortuitous, fallen tree, because it gave me more time with the man that I love.
You’re really going to have to stop thinking about him, I scold myself.