These Cold Nights:

Chapter 5

I awoke groggily the next morning.

There was a line of drool trailing from my chin to the soft cushion of the couch pillow. I propped myself up and noticed Rose's sleeping body on the other side of the living room. She was shivering in her blue sweatshirt, and I realized I wasn't feeling too warm either. The flames in the fireplace had gone off hours ago, and we had been surviving in the circulating heat all night.

I rose, and walked over to the nearest bedroom. It was quaint, with wooden bed posts and a furry bear rug on the ground. Slowly, I pulled off the knitted quilt from the mattress, and went back to living room with it. I placed it comfortably over Rose's sleeping form, and she subconsciously accepted it by snuggling underneath the warmth.

Her face was peaceful.

And I liked that look on her.

I looked around the living room, noticing a bulky object on the couch that I had been sleeping on. Then I remembered last night, I had went back out into the snow and taken the battery out of the car. I couldn't take the chance of Rose escaping. I still felt like she didn't trust me- or want to trust me. My eyes tore away from the battery and scanned the rest of the room. Our oatmeal plates were still scattered across the coffee table, so I piled them and put them in the kitchen sink.

They still smelt of brown sugar and cinnamon.

I went back to the small bedroom and raided the closet for a pair of strong snow boots and warm fur coat. It reminded me a lot of what I used to wear in Russia, and decided that I might as well use it if I was going outside. The coat was a little big, but the boots were a perfect fit. Soon, I was ready to go outside into the cold.

The snow had stopped, leaving a winter wonderland all around.

The sun was out, and I could now clearly see the surroundings. There were more trees than I predicted and in the near distance there was a large frozen lake. The black car we arrived in was still parked a few meters away from the house, but was now in a mountain of snow. I could barely make out the wheels.

I walked around the back of the house, were there was a toolshed. Inside were shovels, fishing rods, and axes. There were also a few shelves with everyday tools like screwdrivers, hammers and wrenches. That's when I noticed something strange from the corner of my eye. It was a glass cabinet, with 3 rifles standing straight up.

Obviously, they were hunting rifles, but I found it precarious that there were almost no animals around. Suddenly, I wondered what kind of people lived here.

Shaking negative thoughts out of my head, I looked back at the larger tools. I eyed a heavy axe, knowing that I would eventually have to chop wood for the fireplace. I was hoping that for today I would get off lucky and find some good pieces lying around. I sighed, debating on my chances.

Fate was on my side as I expanded outside of the yard. There were thick pieces of branches that would serve well in the fireplace- at least for the rest of the day. I bent down, scooping them into my fur covered arms. My long arms held a good amount at once, and I was grateful for that. It would suck to make more than one trip back and forth to the cabin.

"Hey!"

I turned around swiftly, dropping some of the pine branches that I cradled. It was Rose, pulling a fur coat around her own body. She must have taken it from the same room I did. "What are you doing out here?" I yelled, "Weren't you asleep?"

She strode closer to where I stood, "You slammed the door on your way out."

"I'm sorry," I confessed, "Didn't mean to wake you up."

"It's okay, I thought you were running away and abandoning me."

I shook my head, "You still don't trust me, huh?"

She bit down on her pink bottom lip, "It's hard, okay? I've never been in a situation like this before," a puff of smoke left her mouth with every word, "What are you doing out here anyway? It's freezing."

I gestured toward the branches, "I was getting wood for the fireplace."

"I'll help you," She offered, lifting up a few.

Soon, we were back in the house, huffing and puffing. Although we were just two minutes away from the yard, the snow was difficult to walk through. We had to lift our feet almost two feet high with every step. The hallway had a trail of melted snow as we abandoned our boots and trekked into the house.

We dropped the wood into the hearth and I lit it up immediately, soaking up the warmth of the rising flames. Soon, the entire cabin smelt of fresh pine.

"I'll get breakfast," I announced, shaking the fur coat off and entering the kitchen. After ransacking the cabinets, I decided that cereal would be an ideal morning meal. I got the same nonexpirational milk and found some dry cereal flakes in the pantry that reminded me a lot of Corn Flakes.

Footsteps entered the kitchen, and Rose came in, also removing her fur coat.

"Sorry it's not really a five star meal," I noted, shaking the box of cereal.

She smiled slightly, pouring herself a bowl, "Oh please, I'm a college student. For me it's all about cereal and instant mac and cheese."

"I saw some ramen noodles in the cabinet, maybe we can have somewhat of a decent meal for dinner."

"I'll be looking forward to it," she nodded.

I poured myself a bowl too, and sat next to her at the small wooden kitchen table.

"So," she started, "Yesterday, in the car, you made it pretty clear that you knew a lot about me and my life. Of course you studied my file and all, but I still feel like it's unfair. The only thing I know about you is that you like to read Western novels and you know how to hotwire a car."

I chuckled at the last statement, "Well what else would you like to know?"

"Your full name, age, origin of birth and the organization that you work for."

I cleared my throat, and was taken back a little by the sudden list of demands, "My full name is Dimitri Belikov, I am twenty four years old, I was born in Baia, Russia and I don't work for an organization. I work for people who hire me."

"And who is this person who hired you to spy/kidnap me?"

I hesitated for a moment. She already knew more that she should.

"His name is Abe. I met him in France a couple months ago. I don't really know much about him; only that he dresses like an Italian mobster."

"What were you doing in France?"

"Well if you must know, I was finishing up another job."

"Do you speak French?"

"Oui. But how is that relevant?"

"It's not, I just wanted to know."

There's a ghost of a smile on her face, I could tell from her eyes, but her lips refused to curl upwards. The house began to warm up and the familiar smell of burning wood filled the air. I got the impression that the interrogation was over, so I began to eat the cereal. The milk was refreshing and cold as it slid down my dry throat.

The silence between us is more comfortable than it was yesterday.

Suddenly, I hear a chiming tone coming from the living room.

"Oh! That's my laptop!"

Is it Sage? I drop my spoon and follow Rose out of the kitchen and into the next room. She darted out seconds before I did, nearly knocking over her bowl. I could feel the excitement radiating off of her, but when I enter the living room, I see the complete opposite. She's kneeling on the bear skin rug in front of her laptop. She's staring at the screen, not even moving a muscle. Once again, the computer lets out a chiming tone.

"What is it?" I ask, stepping closer.

"It's Lissa. She wants to videochat."

"You can't!" I exclaim, stepping closer.

She turns to face me, her expression is grim, "Please, Dimitri. She must have noticed that I didn't come home last night. She's worried about me."

I stand my ground and shake my head, even though the look in her eyes makes my stomach feel weird. Is it guilt? I shake my head once more and close my eyes, "Rose, no one can know where we are. I'm sorry but I can't let you talk to her."

When I open my eyes, she's standing up, refusing to face me. When her mouth opens, her voice is almost as low as a whisper, "You know, I was starting to feel a little comfortable around you; but I guess I have to remind myself that you kidnapped me and you're holding me hostage hundreds of miles away from my home."

I didn't even get a chance to reply, because she turned on her heel and stomped outside of the room.

I sigh, throw my hands over my face, and lower myself onto the nearest seat. When did things become so complicated? How many missions have I been on? How many men have I killed? How many people have I tracked without them even noticing me? But this! This girl! She's noticed me from the beginning! How?! She's just a college student… just a girl!

I run my fingers through my hair, scratching my scalp in frustration.

What is that feeling in my chest, in my stomach, in my head? Is it guilt?

I open my eyes, as the orange sunset fills the room through the windows. I'm sitting in the same spot as before. I must have fell asleep after whirring my brain around all the complications my life has endured in the past twenty four hours. I get up and rub my eyes tiredly. From the looks of it, I was probably sleeping for about five or six hours.

Damn. I didn't even know I was tired.

I pass the front door on my way to the kitchen. Our fur coats and hiking boots remain in the same place as this morning. And in the kitchen, our cereal bowls are still half-eaten and on the small table where we were.

Where is she?

I walk out and down the short hall to the bedrooms. I look into the first one and notice that the bed's quilt was still missing from this morning. But what caught my eye was the pile of clothes that were on top. As I got closer, I noticed Rose's blue sweatshirt and jeans. I raised an eyebrow, and turned around just in time to see her leaving the bathroom.

Droplets of water fell from her wet hair as she walked into the bedroom. She was dressed in a tight green shirt, with sleeves that reached all the way to her hands. She also managed to find a pair of gray sweatpants that were fitted on her petite frame. There was rosiness to her cheeks that resembled the same shade of her full lips.

"Finally awake, huh?"

"Yeah," I swallowed, "I didn't mean to fall asleep. I didn't even know I was that tired."

My eyes trailed down her body once more, noticing the small shape of her waist. She ran a towel through her hair, attempting to dry it. I gulped and swallowed once more.

"The fire burned out while you were asleep."

"Oh," I hadn't noticed. The house was still relatively warm, "I'll get some more wood."

She nodded, and once again I spotted a ghost of a smile through her eyes.

"Are you still mad?" I asked, crossing my arms over my chest.

She tilted her head to the side, "For the past few hours, I had a lot of time to think. I realized that you haven't killed me yet and you haven't been mean to me or rude in anyway," she shrugged her shoulders in defeat, "I just wish I knew more of what was going on. I feel like I'm lost in the dark here."

"I told you everything I knew. I answered all your questions about and the guy who hired me. I don't know anything else. I'm in the dark just as much as you are."

"I know," she nodded. She didn't say anything else; instead, she hung the towel up so that it could dry and left the room quietly. I watched her as she left the room, noticing the way her body moved and shifted as she walked.

I groaned and entered the bathroom. It was still steamy from her shower, and the mirror was foggy. I turned on the light, and watched as the room illuminated with a dull glow. I washed the sleepiness from my eyes and peered into the smoky mirror. I wiped a small part clear with the back of my hand so that I could peer at myself through dark eyes.

But in the center of those dark eyes that I studied, I noticed something. Something that wasn't there before.

Hope.