A whole week had passed by since Raine had joined Thorn Inc. Although her new job wasn't as simple as she expected it to be, she was finally getting the hang of it. And with Xavier's constant support, she was able to learn many new things about the company itself and the people it was associated with. However, while things at her new job we going smoothly, her old one was still a mess.
The cafe remained closed due to further investigations and also for renewal purposes. Daisy was constantly fighting with the insurance company to get her claim approved while Mike was pressurizing the police officers to finish the investigation as soon as possible.
Cathy hadn't taken the news so well and that had Daisy even more worried about everything. Daisy had left Mike's house, but Mike did not fail to stand by her side in her time of need. He'd be with her at every police meeting they had and Daisy was slowing giving into his affection. Finally giving him the chance that he ached for, ever since he'd met her eyes.
* * *
Bundled up in her covers, Raine was resting in bed on an early Saturday morning, watching the clouds drift across the sky. Mike had left a couple of minutes ago to hang out was Daisy and Raine was all alone, too lazy to get out of bed and do anything.
Her eyes drifted off to the boxes that were stacked across the wall in her room. Boxes that were full of memories that she was too afraid to unveil. Her sweetest memories were at the tip of her fingers, yet she lacked the strengthen to look back at them, leaving them hidden away forever, in the cardboard boxes that had now become their home.
The sudden ringing sound coming from her phone had Raine's thoughts interrupted. Sighing, she crouched closer to the bedside table, leaning over to grab her buzzing phone. A grin crawled up on her face at the sight of her boss's name that was flashing brightly on the screen.
"Good morning Raine." Xavier greeted, his voice warm and inviting.
"Morning Xav." She said, followed by a soft yawn that managed to escape her lips.
"Still in bed, are we?" He asked in a voice full of amusement.
"In my defense, this is my first weekend off in about two years! Let me enjoy sleeping in for once." Raine justified sweetly, to which Xavier simply laughed.
However, Raine wasn't joking. Ever since she had moved out to New York, she'd been fighting to make ends meet. In a city so big and busy, an opportunity to grab even a dollar couldn't be lost. Especially when there were far too many bills to be paid. Breaks or vacations just couldn't be afforded.
"Is that so Miss. Woods?" Xavier questioned. "Well in that case, I'll apologize to you in advance."
Confusion swept over Raine's face. "Apologize for?"
"I might just have to steal you for the weekend." Xavier replied.
"What do you mean?" Raine asked, still unsure of his intentions.
"Actually, I just got a call from a distant relative. They are throwing a charity event for children with disabilities, and would love for me to attend as their guest speaker." Xavier clarified. "I understand that it's pretty last minute and I strongly dislike the idea of working on the weekends myself, but it's an important event for the children. I just couldn't say no."
"Of course not! You have no idea how many children can benefit from these events." Raine said genuinely. "I'm guessing you'd like for me to attend with you?"
"Yes. I need you to come with me."
"Ok sounds good. When is the event?" Raine asked.
"Tomorrow."
"Great! I'll make it!" Raine said enthusiastically.
"Um....Raine, the event isn't here." Xavier said slowly.
"Oh, really? Then where is it?"
"It's in Upstate New York. About a seven hour drive from here. We'd have to leave tonight."
"Oh." Raine siad. "Um...so does that mean we have to spend the night?"
"Yeah. I have a cabin of my own near the venue, so we can just spend the night there. Only if you're comfortable, of course." Xavier replied.
"Um..I..I think that should be fine." Raine said thinking things through. "When do we leave?"
"Around four. I'll pick you up." Xavier stated. "Make sure you pack warm. There's been a lot of snow up there lately."
"Pack warm." Raine repeated. "Got it! Anything else?"
"Not that I know of. I'll take care of any further arrangements, all you need to do is pack your essentials."
"Ok cool. I'll see you soon." Raine said before hanging up.
A smile grew on Raine's face, as she tossed the phone onto the bed. Throwing her blanket to the side, she hurried off her bed, running frantically around her room to begin the mission impossible. Packing.
* * *
A couple of hours had passed by and Raine had barely managed to get her things to together.
"Just a minute!" Raine shouted from her room as she heard the doorbell ring.
She had finally managed to get everything packed together and fit into her small carry-on bag. Doing a last check through her list of things to bring, Raine smiled in satisfaction as her mission was finally accomplished after hours of hard work.
The last time she had traveled anywhere was when she moved from California to New York, which was a good two years ago. Going on this business trip may have sounded boring for Xavier, but Raine could barely hide her excitement. Traveling had always been her passion but like everything, it wasn't free.
"I'm so sorry!" Raine said as she swung the door open. "I was just....." Raine trailed off as her eyes fell on Xavier's, who was looking absolutely breathtaking in a pair of jet black jeans and a gray sweater. It was quiet obvious that he looked stunning in his normal formal attire but these casuals, they made him looked even better. If that was even possible, that is.
His dark hair was pulled back but still messy, most liking from his fingers that would rake through it occasionally. And to top it all of, his pristine blue eyes appeared to glow under the lights of the hallway, sparkling as they met Raine's own.
"Are you checking me out Miss. Woods?" Xavier asked smirking.
"N-no!" Raine let out, her cheeks glowing red like they always did when she was in Xavier's presence.
Xavier chucked at her loss for words. "You were saying?"
"Sorry, I was just finishing up the packing. Let me go grab the bags. I'll be out in just a sec."
"Allow me." Xavier said as he followed behind Raine, grabbing her luggage before Raine had the chance to.
Raine smiled with appreciation. "I'll just lock the apartment up and leave a note for Mike."
Xavier nodded. "Sure. I'll wait downstairs and load up the car."
* * *
After leaving a note for Mike, Raine hurried through the house, making sure all of the windows and doors were locked before she rushed down to the parking lot.
She found Xavier leaning against a black SUV that had thick tires, perfect for the snow, and tinted black glass, good for keeping private.
"Nice car!" Raine complimented, causing Xavier's gaze to lift off of his phone and onto Raine. He gave her a lazy smile before approaching her. "Where's Jordon?" She asked, noticing the lack of driver in the front seat.
"Oh, Jordon had asked for a day off a couple of months ago. It was pretty last minute and I couldn't bare to pull him out of whatever plans he had in store for himself today. He told me he'd send another driver and guard with us today but I thought it might.... you know.... be fun if it's just the two of us." Xavier said rubbing the back of his neck. "The security team will arrive tomorrow morning for the event, I don't think I'll need any security in the cabin. It's a really quiet area."
Raine nodded. "Sounds good. So it's just me and you, I guess."
"I guess so." Xavier whispered before going towards the passenger door and opening it for Raine to sit inside.
Once she was seated, he rushed over to the driver side, getting himself settled. "Make yourself comfortable. This is going to be a long drive." Xavier teasing, watching Raine changing all of the adjustments on the seats.
Being on the shorter side was always a struggle when it came to sitting in a car. Raising her seat to the highest position possible, Raine turn to Xavier who was staring at her with amusement. "What?" She asked.
"Nothing." He said, shaking his head innocently.
* * *
It had been an hour since they had begun driving. Slowly but surely, the vast city of New York was fading away as the tall skyscrapers that dotted the horizon, began to vanish. The sun was still hanging low in the sky, painting the blue canvas with streaks of oranges and pinks.
"I'm sorry for dragging you along with me." Xavier said, breaking the silence in the car. "I know this was your weekend off and instead of enjoying it, here you are, stuck with me."
Raine pressed her lips together and smiled. "First of all, you don't have to apologize." She said shrugging. "And second of all, who says I'm not enjoying this?"
Xavier gave Raine a confused look before changing lanes. "Well, I've got to trapped in a car for the next seven hours."
"And?" Raine questioned raising an eyebrow. "Xavier, one thing you don't know about me is the fact that I absolutely LOVE road trips!"
"Is that so?" He asked with curiosity and amusement.
"Of course! Why else did you think I agreed to this?" Raine teased.
"Well in that case, I'm glad. I feel less guilty now." He said laughing.
"So, it's a charity event?"
"Yeah. My father's sister hosts these events every year and she thought that if I'd attend, more people would be attracted."
"Your aunt." Raine said, to which Xavier shot her a confused look. "You said your father's sister, so your aunt."
"I guess you can say that. I....we don't get along very well." He replied curtly.
Raine nodded slowly. "I understand. I'm in the same boat."
"With your family?" Xavier asked. "Where do they live? You've never mentioned them before."
Raine's body froze for a brief second. It was the one question she'd been avoiding for a while, and now that they were trapped within the four doors of this car, Raine found no escape.
"T-they...they aren't from New York." Raine answered shortly.
"Oh yeah. You did said you were from California." Xavier recalled.
"So, you have a cabin up here?" Raine asked quickly, changing the topic.
"Well technically it was my father's. He grew up in Upstate New York, right outside of Ellicottville. But when he started working on the company, he had to move out to the city. So he just left all of this behind." Raine couldn't miss the hint of bitterness that laid within his words.
"Have you ever been here with him?" She asked carefully.
"No. He never had time to take me here nor show me the place he'd grown up in." Xavier smiled sadly. "After he had passed away, I found out about the property. It's a small little cabin, hidden in the woods but there's something about it... something that made me want to keep it."
"Well, I'm excited to see it." Raine said, resting her hand on Xavier's. He turned to face Raine, his Caribbean blue eyes shining with gratitude. And Raine didn't hesitant to reply with a smile of her own.
* * *
The sun began to fade into the horizon and the bright stars emerged from their hiding spots, into the clear night sky. Large heaps of snow covered the ground like a soft blanket, shining in the moonlight. The highway carved through the snow, snaking around the forest of tall pine trees.
Xavier gripped the steering wheel with one of his hands while the other rested on the armrest. His eyes remained trained on the icy road ahead, trying hard to keep the wheels from slipping on the black ice that covered the asphalt.
Their conversation had ended a while ago and the two of them were enjoying the peaceful silence while absorbing the natural landscape. It was so different from the hustling city they had come out of.
For a brief second, Xavier took his eyes off the dashed yellow lines, and onto Raine. A smile emerged on his face when he saw her parted lips and a strand of hair that was blowing up and down with her soft breathing. Her gorgeous chocolate brown eyes were safely hidden away behind her eyelids as she dosed off, leaning her head against the window.
Immediately, Xavier pulled the car to the side of the road. There was not a human in sight, let alone a car. The area was barren apart from the pines that stood strong and tall, above Xavier's car.
Xavier shuffled out of the driver seating, treading to the back before opening the truck. Hunting through the bags, Xavier pulled out a blanket before shutting the truck and making his way over to the passenger side. Carefully, his tucked the blanket around Raine's sleeping figure, covering her in a bundle of warmth.
His eyes stayed on her innocent face a second longer before he found himself leaning in. His lips landed on the warm surface of Raine's forehead as he pressed a soft kiss on her fair skin. He tucked the strand of hair behind her ears, before shutting the door and making his way back to the driver seat.
The rest of the drive, Xavier spent in silence. The howling of the wind and the gravel against the car tires were the only sounds that could be heard. Raine was sleeping peacefully in the passenger seat which Xavier had pushed all the way down so that she could sleep in comfort. Occasionally he would glance at her sleeping figure and smile as he heard her soft snores that contrasted with the silence in the car.
"NOO!!" Raine shouted, causing Xavier to slam the breaks and lurch forward.
The sudden breaking caused the car to swerve slightly, as it slid on the icy road. Xavier hands firmly held the steering while, once more gaining control of the vehicle and stopping it successfully on the side of the road.
Quickly glancing behind his shoulder, Xavier checked to make sure no one was behind them. Once he was sure the car was stopped and safe, he turned back to Raine, shocked when he found her sitting up right and panting hard. Beads of sweat were dotting on her forehead and her hands trembled as she looked out the windshield breathing heavily.
Xavier's shocked expression was quickly replaced by a concerned one, as he reached over and took her hand into his own.
"Raine?!" Xavier asked with worry. "What's wrong? Are you alirght?"
His fingers wrapped around her wrists and drew soft, soothing circles against her skin in attempts of calming her down. Slowly but surely, Raine's breathing relaxed and her eyes met Xavier's blue ones that were swirling with concern.
"Xavier..." She whispered, her voice bathed in an essence of fear and panic. "I'm so sorry. I...." She trailed off, realizing that they were still in a car.
"Shh...It's ok. What happened?" Xavier asked, shaking his head when he heard her apologize.
"N-nothing. I..It was just a dream." She covered up, shaking Xavier's hands away and diverting her attention to the empty road. "I-I didn't mean to scare you." She said looking back down at her fingers that still trembled.
"It's alright." Xavier said, looking at her warily. "Water?" He asked, holding a water bottle in front of her.
Raine nodded, gulping down the cool liquid before wiping her face and looking out the window.
"Where are we?" She asked.
"We are almost here. Just about a half and hour left." Xavier notified. "You ok to leave, or do you want to wait some more?" Xavier asked carefully.
"No, no. I'm fine Xavier, we should leave. It's already pretty dark out here."
"Ok." Xavier said, starting up the car once more. Raine fixed up her seat to it's upright position before throwing her head back and sighing.
Although her heart was still racing as flashbacks of her nighmare came before her eyes, Raine tried hard to shake those thoughts away. She was in a car with Xavier. And to her, that meant that she was safe. She trusted him and as long as he was with her, she knew nothing bad could ever happen to her. Reassuring herself a couple more times, Raine managed to calm herself down.
Meanwhile, Xavier kept glancing at Raine to make sure she was doing alright. He was confused beyond belief and was dying to know what had caused such a reaction. But pushing her into something she wasn't ready for, was not in Xavier's nature.
"It's quiet dark out, isn't it?" Xavier asked in attempts to pull Raine out of whatever trance she was in.
"Y-yeah. It's pretty late too. How much more do you think we need to go?" Raine asked, looking around the path to see if any signs of civilization were visible. "We're in the middle of nowhere. Are you sure we're going the right way."
"Why, are you scared of getting lost?" Xavier smirked, winking at Raine before regaining his focus on the road.
"You wish!" Raine teased.
"Ok, ok" Xavier said grinning. "And to answer your question, no we aren't. In fact, we're here!" He said, turning onto a dirt path that was covered on both sides by large piles of snow.
"Finally!" Raine cheered, leaning out of her seat and looking around.
Xavier continued on the dirt path for about a half a mile longer, before a large wooden cabin came it sight. The cabin was like any other typical cabin, and had an aura of warmth and comforter surrounding it. Raine noticed the low roof liking which was covered completely with a thick layer of snow and the chimney that was just waiting to burn. Two large windows were skillfully placed between a large wooden door, all propped up on a couple of steps.
Xavier parked the car in front of the cabin. Unbuckling his seatbelt and grabbing his jacket from back seat, shrugging it on. "Stay inside." He spoke, before jumping out out of the car and rushing around to the other side, opening the door for Raine.
Holding out a hand for her, Xavier helped Raine out of the car and onto the cold ground that was covered in heaps of snow. Xavier grabbed the blanket from Raine's seat and wrapped it around her body before he snaked his arm around her small waist, guiding her up the steps of the cabin.
"Our bags?" Raine asked as Xavier fumbled with the keys to open the door.
"I'll get them in a minute. I need to get you inside first. Can't have you catching a cold, can I?" Xavier said as he pushed the door open and turned on the lights, illuminating the room in brightness before allowing Raine to step inside.
As soon as she stepped inside, a huge smile appeared on her face. Â The cabin wasn't grand or lavish, with marble floors and quartz counters like she had imagined it to be. Instead it was rustic and authentic, just the way she liked it.
The walls were covered in panels of wood and a large stone fireplace served as focal point of the room. Big leather sofas were placed around a small metal coffee table and their was a pile of wood set to the side, ready to be burned.
Raine was simply blown away by the aesthetics of this lone cabin, embedded deep in the woods.
"Wow." Raine said, stepping further into the room. "This really is a cabin in the woods."
______________________
A/N: Hope you all enjoyed this one! And Happy February, hope your new year is going strong! Please don't be a silent reader! Help support the story by voting! It's the best way to motivate writers to update more parts!
Question of the day:Â What is the craziest thing one of your teachers has done?
Vote
Comment
Breathe