Cabin Fever(26)

I cock one hip, pissed and still confused. “So who are you again?”

 

“I’m Jeremy. And you are …?”

 

The name rings a bell. Jeremy, Jeremy, where did I hear that name before?

 

He answers my unspoken thoughts before I have a chance to grill him with any more questions. “Jeremy Oliver. James’s and Jana’s brother.” He pauses before delivering his last shot. “The owner of this cabin.”

 

The blood drains from my face. All my plans, all my hopes, all the things I dreamed I could get done here fall away and leave me bare. I have nothing and nowhere to go. Back to square one. Again.

 

For a few seconds I feel helpless and sad and ready to fold in on myself. Crying until I either vomit or fall asleep, that’s plan A. Then I look at his scruffy face, his crappy clothes that haven’t been washed in way too long, and his arrogant attitude written all over his stupid face, and I decide: No. This is not how this is going to go down. I am not leaving this cabin until I’ve painted something, that’s all there is to it. It’s not like a have a choice. It’s paint or die and I’m not ready to give up yet. I lift my chin and let him have it.

 

“Well, as far as I know, you’re only one-third owner of this cabin, and the other two-thirds said I could stay here as long as I like, so sorry, Charlie, but you’ll have to find somewhere else to stay.”

 

He laughs a few seconds and then his jaw goes off to the side. “You’re not kidding.”

 

I fold my arms, trying to hide the fact that I’m shaking. “No, I’m not, actually. I’m dead serious.”

 

He gestures to the front windows. “Have you been outside lately? There’s four feet of snow out there right now. I’m not going anywhere. I barely made it up here as it is.”

 

I shrug. “You can leave in the morning.”

 

“Not likely. Roads won’t be clear for days.”

 

“Oh, you’re not staying here for days.” I laugh at that. “No way, José. I have work to do.”

 

“Work?” He looks around, his gaze landing on my laptop. “What? You write books or something?”

 

“No, I paint.” I can’t keep looking at him, so my gaze roams around the room instead. I don’t know why, but he’s getting bigger and bigger the more I stare at him. His shoulders are taking up half the kitchen.

 

“What do you paint? Walls? They hire you to paint in here?”

 

I glare at him. As if. “No, I don’t paint walls, don’t be ridiculous.”

 

“Why is that ridiculous? You think house painters are ridiculous?”

 

“No, that’s not what I said.” Now I feel guilty.

 

“Sounded to me like that’s what you said.”

 

“Shut up.” No, it’s not the cleverest comeback in the world, but he has me too flustered to think of anything better.

 

“Shut up?” He laughs. “Did you seriously just tell me to shut up?”

 

“Yeah, I did, but it doesn’t sound like you understand what that means.”

 

“Oh, I know what it means, but anyone who thinks they’re going to get me to stop talking by telling me to shut up is crazy.”

 

This has to be the dumbest argument I’ve ever had in my life. I look back at him and shake my head slowly, hoping to shame him into silence. “Unbelievable.”

 

“Yeah, exactly. Unbelievable is a woman thinking she can come into my home and just unpack her life and start living it here without my permission.”

 

“No, actually, unbelievable is a guy who disappears off the face of the earth and then has the gall to be upset when his worried siblings rent out a house to a friend in need. That’s what’s unbelievable.”

 

He stares at me for so long and so intensely, I have to look away again. Dammit. That’s two points for him and none for me. No more wine for me ever. At least not while this guy is around.

 

“A friend in need, huh? What are you so needy for? Boyfriend break up with you?” His mocking tone is impossible to miss.

 

“Go to hell.” I storm off to the bathroom, unable to hold in my anger or my pee any longer. I’m liable to say something even worse if I stay for another second in that room with him.

 

Jaws follows me in, and I close the door behind us. “That guy’s an asshole,” I say to my little friend as I peel several layers of clothing off so I can get to my jeans and pull them down.

 

He lies on the floor and stares at me.

 

“Look away, Jaws. You shouldn’t stare at women when they’re about to drop their drawers.”