CHAPTER 06 — THE HOLIDAY TRIP
1197 Words
The decision was made over breakfast.
Not announced.
Not discussed.
It simply happened the moment Elara’s mother set her coffee down and said,
“You’ll stay for the weekend, of course. The roads will be terrible with
the snow.”
Elara froze.
Across the table, Jace lifted his mug calmly, unfazed. He didn’t answer
right away. He waited—watching Elara’s reaction first, reading her the
way he always did.
“That’s… kind of sudden,” Elara said carefully.
Her mother waved a hand. “Nonsense. You’re engaged. Families spend the
holidays together. And your aunt already booked the mountain lodge for
everyone.”
Mountain lodge.
Weekend.
Snowed in.
Elara’s pulse spiked.
Jace met her eyes. One brow lifted, a silent question.
She squeezed his hand once.
Stay.
He nodded, just slightly.
“We’d love to,” Jace said smoothly. “Wouldn’t we?”
Elara’s stomach flipped. “Yes,” she echoed, because backing out now would
raise too many questions. “We would.”
That was how it started.
The drive up the mountain was quiet, the world shrinking into white and
grey as snow thickened. Jace drove with both hands on the wheel, focused,
steady. Elara watched the trees blur past, trying not to think about the
fact that they were headed somewhere isolated—with one room, limited
space, and no easy escape.
“You okay?” Jace asked, eyes still on the road.
“Define okay.”
He huffed a low laugh. “Fair.”
They reached the lodge just before dusk—a wide wooden structure tucked
between tall pines, smoke curling from the chimney. Lights glowed warmly
inside, a sharp contrast to the cold outside.
Inside, chaos greeted them.
Luggage. Laughter. Coats everywhere. Someone arguing about rooms.
Elara’s cousin spotted them immediately. “You’re sharing, right? There
are limited rooms.”
Elara’s heart dropped.
Jace didn’t hesitate. “Of course.”
She stared at him. “Of course?”
He leaned in, voice low. “Engaged. Remember?”
She exhaled slowly. “Right.”
The room they were given was small but warm. One bed. One dresser. A
window overlooking snow-covered trees.
The door closed behind them.
Silence fell.
Elara set her bag down carefully. “We can manage. I’ll take the bed. You
can take the chair.”
Jace shrugged out of his jacket. “We’ll see.”
She glared. “Excuse me?”
“I said we’ll see,” he repeated calmly. “I’m not touching you. Relax.”
Her cheeks warmed. “That’s not—”
“Stop assuming,” he said gently. “I’m good at control.”
The word control hit differently now.
They unpacked quietly. The lodge buzzed with life outside their door, but
inside the room felt suspended—private, charged.
Dinner was loud and long. Stories were told. Wine flowed. Jace stayed
close to Elara, a constant presence at her side. His hand rested at her
lower back when people crowded in. His thumb brushed her wrist when she
laughed too loudly.
Small touches.
Necessary touches.
Dangerous touches.
Later, the group moved to the fireplace. Someone suggested games. Someone
else suggested drinks.
Jace leaned toward Elara. “We should step outside.”
“For air?”
“For space,” he corrected.
They slipped out onto the back deck. Snow fell gently, muffling the
world. The cold bit immediately.
Elara crossed her arms. “You planned this trip too?”
“No,” he said. “But I’m adapting.”
She laughed softly. “You always do.”
Jace leaned against the railing, close but not touching. “Last chance to
call this off.”
She looked at him. “You’d leave?”
“If you asked.”
Her chest tightened.
“I didn’t ask.”
His gaze softened—just a fraction. “Good.”
Back in the room later, the night stretched long. Elara changed in the
bathroom, acutely aware of Jace’s presence on the other side of the door.
When she stepped out, he was sitting on the edge of the bed, back turned.
She froze.
“Tell me when you’re ready,” he said calmly.
Her throat tightened. “I am.”
He stood and moved to the chair without looking at her.
The restraint did something dangerous to her.
“Jace,” she said quietly.
“Yes?”
“Thank you… for not pushing.”
He glanced back. “I don’t need to.”
Silence wrapped around them.
As Elara lay down, staring at the ceiling, she felt the weight of the day
settle in. The kiss. The lie. The trip.
This wasn’t temporary anymore.
The lodge creaked softly as the wind picked up outside.
And in the chair across the room, Jace Wolfe stayed awake—watching the
door, the window, and the woman who had unknowingly become his most
dangerous commitment.
Elara didn’t sleep right away.
The lodge settled around them—wood contracting in the cold, wind brushing the eaves like a warning. She stared at the ceiling, counting breaths she didn’t need to count.
“Jace,” she whispered.
“Yes.”
“Are we actually stuck here?”
“For the night,” he said. “Maybe longer.”
She exhaled. “They planned this.”
“Your family?” A pause. “Parts of it.”
That made her turn on her side. “Parts?”
“Someone wants proximity,” he replied evenly. “Pressure works better when there’s no exit.”
Her phone vibrated on the nightstand—one sharp buzz, then another.
PAULA: Quick update.
PAULA: Lodge is perfect for the board call tomorrow.
PAULA: Casual. Cozy. Bring him.
Elara’s pulse jumped. “Tomorrow,” she murmured.
Jace stood, crossing the room quietly. He read the screen once, then handed the phone back.
“They’re escalating,” she said. “They want to see us off-script.”
“They want to see *you* choose,” he corrected. “In a room they control.”
She swallowed. “And you?”
“I stay where you put me.”
The words landed heavier than a promise.
She sat up slowly, pulling the blanket around her shoulders. “Then we don’t react.”
Jace’s brow lifted. “We don’t?”
“No,” she said, steadier than she felt. “We decide first. What they get to see. What they don’t.”
A beat.
Then he nodded. “Okay. You lead.”
The shift settled between them—quiet, deliberate.
“Ground rules,” she continued. “Tomorrow, no surprises. No rescuing unless I ask. If I touch you—” She hesitated. “—it’s on purpose.”
His gaze sharpened. Aligned. “Understood.”
She breathed out. “And tonight?”
“Tonight,” he said, stepping back into the chair, “we rest. So they don’t read exhaustion as truth.”
Elara lay back again. The ceiling looked different now—less like a trap, more like a map.
Outside, the wind rose.
Inside, the balance changed.
And for the first time since the lie began, Elara felt it settle into her hands—dangerous, yes, but hers.
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