I never want this night to end. Never did I think I’d say this, but drenched in sweat and wrapped in Dean’s arms is exactly where I want to be. I tell myself that just because we’re leaving the dance, that doesn’t mean our date will end. No awkward goodbyes on the front porch. No wondering if he had a good time and will call me. He’s stuck with me, after all. At least for another few days.
It’s scorching inside the gym, but the second we step outside, I remember how terrible the New England temperatures can be.
“Nooo way, buddy.”
“What? Not up for a walk?” he asks with a glimmer of something in his eyes as he walks toward the road.
“We’ll freeze to death before we get halfway home.”
“Then I guess I’ll just have to keep you close.”
Without another word, he scoops me in his arms and starts walking.
“You have to be joking. It’s like three miles back. You can’t carry me the whole way.”
“Wanna bet?” Dean keeps walking, his usual smug look written all over his face the whole time.
I love this so much. Being this close to Dean and joking around with him…this is exactly where I wanna be. My only regret is how much I fought this.
“What do I get if you can’t carry me?”
“Huh?”
“I thought we were betting again. And I want to. So what do I get if you can’t carry me?”
“Me, of course.”
“You can’t choose the same prize twice.” He pretends to act offended. “Plus, I have you anyway.”
“Damn right, you do.” He walks a few more steps with his eyes scrunched like he’s deep in thought. “What about, if you win, I treat you to the world’s best hot chocolate? And if I win, I teach you how to cook.”
I can get behind these terms.
“Deal.”
Dean looks forward, heading into the dark and unknown with determination. Only a couple of steps later, he turns left and heads toward the same SUV we Uber’d here in, opening the back door and depositing me in the car's warmth.
“Thanks again for hanging out tonight, Sam. Much appreciated,” he says, sliding in on the opposite side.
“No problem, Dean. I couldn’t pass up your offer,” Sam says, heading in the cabin's direction. “My girlfriend wasn’t super excited I was working on Valentine’s Day, but she’ll be thrilled in a few months now that I have enough to propose finally.”
“Congrats, dude. Hope you got a few dances in with her tonight, at least. You didn’t sit here all night, did you?”
“Nah. We spent a few hours dancing. I took her home, too. Hope that’s okay.”
“I wouldn’t expect you to let her walk home by herself. That’s the gentlemanly thing to do.”
“Did you rent him out for the night?” I ask, whispering to Dean and pointing to Sam in the front.
“Made the most sense to me. That way, I knew we’d have a way home. You didn’t think I’d actually walk back, did you?”
Before I get the chance to respond, Sam talks again.
“I also got to see you deck that dude dancing with your girl. Good for you.”
Dean stiffens next to me. I hope it isn’t because I made such a big deal about it earlier tonight. It’s not like it actually upset me, anyway. I just couldn’t process Dean coming back and saving me after how I treated him. To make sure Dean knows this now, I squeeze his hand. He immediately relaxes.
“I just hope I didn’t cause any problems.”
“Like what? I saw what he was doing. Was actually on my way to break it up when you came storming over. It was rad.” It’s silent for a second, then Sam continues. “He doesn’t live here. It won’t affect anything at Jerry’s, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
“What’s Jerry’s?” I ask Dean, but he ignores me.
“I guess word travels fast around here.”
“You have nothing to worry about. Trust me.”
I ask Dean again about Jerry’s, just in case he didn’t hear me the first time, but he just shakes his head and says he’ll explain later.
We’re back at the cabin in no time. With Sam idling the car, Dean walks around and opens the door for me. And he said he’s no gentleman. I’m in my own world, hand-in-hand with Dean and soaking up every second of how crazy this trip has turned out to be when I feel Dean stiffen next to me.
“What’s wrong?” I whisper.
With Sam gone and Dean holding me tighter as he looks around, I feel my breathing quickening and palms sweating.
“There’re footprints,” he says, motioning to the ground ahead of us that’s illuminated by the glow of the nearly full moon. “And there’s something on the door. You stay here while I check it out.”
Dean takes a few slow steps toward the porch, leaving me alone in the dark. Yeah, no. There’s no way I’m letting myself get abducted by some lunatic, so I follow Dean to the porch.
“I thought I told you to stay back,” he says with a puff.
“I know you’re not familiar with horror movies, but spoiler alert. That’s always what someone says before the murderer shows up. I don’t know about you, but I’m not in the mood to be murdered tonight.”
“Fine. Just stay close.”
Like staying close wasn’t my plan all along.
Walking up the steps to the door, he takes the note and holds it out so the moonlight acts as a flashlight. I peer over his shoulder, trying my best to read what it says.
Power should be back on now. Sorry about the delay…I didn’t realize anyone was staying in the cabin this week. If you need anything else, let me know.
At the bottom of the page is a phone number and a name I don’t recognize.
“So, the power’s back on?”
“Only one way to find out.”
Just like the note said, the power’s back. And it’s toasty warm inside. This already amazing night just got a lot better.
“Hungry?”
I shake my head.
“I’m alright. Honestly, I’m just completely worn out from the dance. Mind if I head to bed?”
“Of course not. I’ll just get a quick shower then I’ll be right in.”
The idea of lathering Dean up in the shower while the hot water steams up the room is too enticing.
“Well, if that’s the case, I think I can wake up enough to join you.”
I move in slow motion, controlling every muscle of my body as I take off my jacket. When I have nothing covering up the lingerie on top, I unbuckle my jeans, but Dean stops me.
Okay. Talk about a buzzkill.
“What’re you doing?” I ask.
“Trust me, I wanna do this just as much as you, but—”
“Oh, don’t tell me you’re going all celibate on me again.”
Dean laughs.
“I absolutely am not.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
“All my past ‘relationships’ were all about sex. I don’t want that to be the case with you. We have all the time in the world. I just want things to be different. Does that make sense?”
It doesn’t, but I tell him it does.
We go our separate ways, and as soon as I strip out of my clothes and put on my pajamas—which is now just an assortment of Dean’s clothes—and my head hits the pillow, I’m fast asleep.