The Best of Us (Love in Isolation Book 2) Page 2

  “Trust me. I won’t let anything happen to you. We’re only an hour away, so I think it’s best we continue instead of turning around.”

  “I agree. One hour this way is better than two hours the other with a storm chasing us back to the city.” She keeps her eyes focused on the road that’s barely visible.

  “And this is the only time I have off before the wedding activities start so it’s kind of a now or never thing.”

  For the next half hour, I hold the steering wheel with white knuckles as I navigate down the winding one-lane roads. While driving conditions aren’t ideal, I’m happy we left when we did or we could’ve possibly had to pull over and wait it out. Not something I ever want to do because the conditions can turn very quick. The last thing I want is to be stranded in a car for hours.

  When we’re ten minutes away from the cabin, our phones alerts buzz.

  “What’s it say?” I ask.

  Kendall unlocks her phone and reads it to me. “Basically, there’s an arctic blast, and they’re predicting a lot of snow. Roads are closing too.”

  When I finally turn into the driveway, relief floods through me because I was growing more concerned. I open the garage and pull in so we don’t have to unload in this weather.

  “I’m so happy we’re here,” she admits and gets out. The wind howls, and a shiver runs through me. It’s much colder here than it was in the city.

  “Guess we should start unpacking,” I tell her as I unlock the cabin door and turn on the lights and heat.

  When I walk back to her, she’s wheeling her suitcases toward me.

  “You get the heavy stuff,” she snickers. “It’s why you’re here.”

  I pop an eyebrow at her but keep my thoughts to myself as she passes me, and damn she smells so good. We make several trips back and forth until everything is unloaded. As we put the ridiculous amounts of groceries she bought where they belong, I bump into her several times.

  “Sorry,” I say, grabbing her arm to keep her steady. For a moment, I think her breath hitches, but then she smiles.

  “I got this,” she tells me, brushing her body against mine before walking into the pantry again. “You weren’t lying when you said there was a ton of food here, but I’m glad I grabbed what I did. Cami won’t eat half of this,” she explains.

  I lean against the doorframe and watch her with my arms crossed over my chest.

  Kendall points at the jars of caviar and oysters. “She’d rather starve than eat any of this.”

  “If she were hungry, she’d eat it. Anyone would.” My parents always keep the house stocked with their favorite things and since Cami loves visiting so much some of her staples are here too, but not enough to last for as long as her and Eli plan to stay.

  “Hey, instead of standing around, do you think you can get the Christmas tree from the basement? Cami mentioned it being stored there.”

  I glare at her. “Do you have any idea how old that tree is? I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s dry rotted.”

  “I don’t care if it’s covered in dust bunnies. We’ll make it work or you’ll be going out in the snow and cutting me a fresh one. I’m not kidding.” Kendall gives me a pointed look.

  “Don’t forget that I’m not one of your parents' workers that you can just boss around,” I warn. “I’m here for my sister and best friend, that’s it.”

  She lets out a sarcastic laugh. “Whatever you say, Ryan.”

  Kendall finishes stuffing the shelves then goes back to the kitchen and packs the freezer and fridge. Though I don’t want to go down there, I do because the quicker we get everything set up, the faster we can leave. Instead of wasting any more time, I take the stairs to the lower floor two at a time.

  Once I’m in the storage area of the basement, I click on the light switch and glance around. It’s like a time capsule in here with old holiday decorations and old furniture. There’s a thin layer of dust that I’ll need to mention to my parents so their cleaning company can make sure they take care of this the next time they're out. The last time I was down here was over a decade ago.

  After I find the gigantic tree, I search around for the old ornaments. When we were kids and dad wanted to get away from the business, we’d escape to the cabin. Cami and I always loved it here because it was different from what we were used to. After mom decided she wanted a newer, more updated place, we started visiting there more often, but Cami still comes as much as she can.

  There're at least four giant plastic tubs full of ornaments and considering I have no idea what Kendall has in mind, I only bring the tree because that’s all she asked for. As soon as I set it down by the couch, Kendall walks in with her hair pulled up into a ponytail.

  “Oh wow,” she says after she unzips the tree bag. The lights flicker, and Kendall turns and meets my eyes. “Uhh.”

  Immediately, our phones buzz and we both look at another weather alert.

  WIND CHILL WARNING: VERY COLD AIR AND WIND WILL CREATE DANGEROUSLY LOW WIND CHILL VALUES EXPECTED OVER THE NEXT THREE DAYS ACROSS WARNED AREA. PLEASE BE ADVISED OF ROAD CLOSURES DUE TO EXCESSIVE AMOUNTS OF SNOWFALL DUE TO THE ARCTIC BLAST. TEMPERATURES COULD PLUNGE FROM 10 TO -30 BY TOMORROW AND RECORD-BREAKING AMOUNTS OF SNOWFALL PREDICTED. TAKE PROPER PRECAUTIONS.

  “Fuck,” I mutter then walk to the large windows in the living room and notice how bad it’s gotten outside. The lights blip off then come back on.

  “Will we lose power?” Kendall asks.

  “As long as the winds don’t get any stronger, I think we’ll be okay.”

  “We better be. I’m not prepared for a camping trip.” Kendall continues scrolling through her phone.

  “I can’t imagine you camping, ever,” I say.

  She groans. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “You’re just not the type of person to do outdoor things. I’m sure your version of camping is staying at the Four Seasons.”

  Her jaw clenches. “Sometimes you’re such a dickhead.”

  “But am I wrong?” I push.

  Kendall shakes her head and storms into the kitchen. I get my duffel and go upstairs to the room I typically stay in. Since Kendall is such a queen, she can have the master bedroom with the amazing bathroom. I’m fine in my peasant quarters.

  When I enter my room, I try to remember the last time I was here. It’s been a while, though Eli stayed in this room when he quarantined with Cami. When I think back to that time, it makes me sick. Watching so many people suffer fucked me up and while a vaccine has finally been approved for mass distribution, what I saw during that time never left me. I’ve always loved my job, but I wasn’t trained to deal with something of that nature. I lost a lot of patients, some colleagues, and I felt like I didn’t sleep for weeks. Hell, months even.

  I was numb for most of it just to get through the day.

  After I’ve unpacked the small amount of clothes I brought with me, I go back downstairs.

  Kendall’s sitting at the bar on her phone as she eats a salad. I open the packed fridge and look around.

  “What can I eat in here?” I ask.

  “You’re smart, figure it out,” she snaps, but I know a lot of these things aren’t for us. Instead of asking again, I pull out some mayo and lunch meat. There’s a loaf of bread on the counter, so I open it. I set a plate down on the bar, making the messiest looking sandwich ever, but it'll do the job. Kendall stares, silently judges my masterpiece of a meal, then goes back to her phone.

  After I’m done eating, I rinse my plate and place it in the dishwasher, then go to the living room and check the amount of firewood we have. There’s enough to last us a while, but considering we’ll only be here a few days, there’s no need to see if there’s more in the shed.

  I plop on the couch and turn on the weather channel so I can get an update. I’m balanced on the edge of the couch watching how dangerous the conditions have become, and I’m worried it might linger. This storm needs to pass quickly so I can get back to the city. Kendall enters moments later, and from my peripheral, I can see her watching too. She lets out a long sigh.

  Eventually, she sits, but she’s on the opposite end of the large sectional couch. I know I’ve pissed her off, but she’ll get over it. I won’t suck up to her or stroke her ego like everyone else does. There’s no way I’ll be kissing the ground she walks on, and if she thought that’d happen, she’s sadly mistaken.

  After a few hours of watching TV, I yawn. I’ve been up since four because I went to the hospital and worked a few hours before I picked up Kendall. Eventually, she gets up and grabs her two suitcases, then struggles to get them up the stairs.

  “You want some help?” I ask.

  After she shoots me a glare from over her shoulder, she continues to lug her heavy ass luggage to the top floor.

  “No,” she barks.

  “Master bedroom is yours,” I yell, and when I hear the door slam, I know she heard me.

  “Good night to you too,” I mumble to myself, then turn off the TV and lights. Before going upstairs, I check the thermostat and set the heat higher because the outside temperature is still dropping. As I climb the stairs, I laugh knowing I can still get under her skin. The next few days are going to be interesting.

  Chapter Three

  Kendall

  DAY 2

  After the day I had yesterday, it feels nice to sleep in. As soon as I throw off the covers, I hear the wind howling against the cabin and see nothing but snow. The huge master suite overlooks the mountains, but right now, I can hardly see anything outside. It’s a complete whiteout.

  “Oh shit,” I mutter, realizing there’s no way we’re leaving later today. Surrounded by trees and mountains with a long private driveway, the cabin is twenty miles away from Roxbury. It’s the perfect get
away for a romantic honeymoon, but there’s nothing romantic about being stuck here with Ryan. Instead, he acts as if it’s his own personal hell.

  It’s definitely not normal to get this much snow this time of year. Usually this happens closer to Christmas and into January and February, but hardly ever mid-November. This rare arctic blast will probably keep me stuck here with Ryan longer than either of us intended.

  After I throw on a sweater and slide on my slippers, I go downstairs for coffee. As soon as I enter the kitchen, I see Ryan at the table on his phone with his laptop.

  “Dude, I think we’re stranded here,” Ryan says to whoever he’s talking to, and he doesn’t sound happy. He looks miserable too.

  Great.

  “No, the main road is snowed over. It’s so bad they won’t be able to get the plows out for a few days, and apparently, the news said they expect more snow to come. I had to take a few emergency vacation days from work. We got twenty inches so far, and it’s still coming down. The wind is brutal, so it’s just fucking blowing everywhere. Even if the roads were open, I wouldn’t be able to see it.”

  Twenty inches? Jesus.

  It’s confirmation that we’re not leaving anytime soon.

  I grab a mug and pour myself some of the already brewed coffee. He’s still chatting with who I assume is Eli or Cami.

  After I grab some creamer from the fridge, I continue listening to his conversation.

  Ryan releases a huff. “Thanks. I just wanted to let you two know so you don’t get worried about us. Hopefully, we don’t lose power. With my luck, an ice storm would make its way here too.”

  Lose power? Oh hell no. I can’t be here without power. We’ll just have to shovel our way out if that happens.

  I sit at the breakfast bar with my coffee and scroll through my phone when I hear Ryan whisper, “Yeah, she’s a fucking trip.”

  Wow. I haven’t done anything, and he’s already being rude as hell.

  After he ends the call, he goes back to typing on his computer. His forehead wrinkles and face contorts, which makes me wonder if he’s getting weather updates. If so, it’s not looking good.

  “Sounds like you’re stuck with me for a bit longer,” I say, hoping to break the awkward tension. “Won’t be so bad. You’ll get a few days off. Maybe take advantage of it and relax for once. Could also work on getting the stick out of your ass.” I hold back a laugh knowing he’ll probably ignore me for that last comment.

  “Easy for you to say,” he mutters. “Not everyone lives off their family’s money. Some of us have jobs to do. I’m sure your biggest concern is getting to the nail salon on time every day.”

  “Really?” I snap my gaze toward him. “That’s the best you got? How original.” I roll my eyes though he’s not looking at me. “For your information, I go every other week and it’s far from my biggest concern, asshole.”

  I hate that he thinks he knows me when he clearly doesn’t. He’s never even tried and acts like he has me figured out.

  “Well maybe if you had job aspirations and goals at your age, being stuck here would be a concern. It—”

  “At my age?” I interrupt. “So because I’m twenty-four, I should have the rest of my life all planned out? And if I don’t, I’m a slacker?”

  He clears his throat, finally glancing at me. “I didn’t say slacker, but that it might be hard for you to understand that I enjoy working. Being a doctor is who I am, and knowing I can’t be at the hospital with my patients worries me. Not that you care.”

  “Don’t put words in my mouth. I said to relax, which you’re incapable of doing. Considering you can’t do anything about being stuck here with a ‘fucking trip,’ you might as well take advantage of the time off. But you know what?” I stand, grabbing my mug. There’s no emotion in his face as I scowl at him. “Be miserable all you want. Alone.”

  I march toward the stairs and don’t look back. He can sulk by himself. Just because I don’t have an intense career doesn’t mean I’m a worthless trust fund baby. If he’d bothered to ask or tried to get to know me, he’d learn there’s a lot more to me than that. He’s just like everyone else and has made opinions about me based on what he sees on the surface.

  Once I’m in my room, I decide to take a bath in the jet tub while finishing my coffee. Cami always has it stocked with a variety of bath bombs, lavender oil, candles, and bubble baths. It’s just what I need after Ryan ruined my morning.

  I pair my phone with the Bluetooth speakers in the wall and jam out to Halsey who I have a major girl crush on. Her voice soothes me as I soak in the tub.

  After a while, I decide to FaceTime my sister, Piper, to let her know I’ll be here longer than expected. She’s three years younger than me and a famous YouTube star. It’s kinda funny because we’re so opposite. I prefer to stay out of the limelight, and Piper lives for it. She’s a perky, blond lifestyle vlogger and a natural extrovert. While I’d rather stay behind the camera, there are times when she’s had me in her vlogs.

  “Hey, what’s up? I’m doing a live video on Instagram,” she answers.

  “Well, excuse me,” I mock. “I just wanted to talk to my sister. So I’m stuck in Roxbury.”

  She looks into the other phone mounted on a tripod stand. Piper takes so many pictures and social media videos, she had to get a work phone so she could use her personal cell for calls and texts. “Okay, guys. I’ll be back shortly for my ‘get ready with me.’ Love you!” Then she blows kisses before ending it.

  “What’s going on? You’re stuck in Roxbury.”

  I snicker, shaking my head. “You’re so extra,” I mock, giving her my best kissy lips.

  “Shut up.” She flips her long hair and pouts. “Now tell me what happened.”

  “We got twenty inches of snow, and we’re basically stuck here until they can plow the roads. Could be days, and Ryan isn’t happy about it. Let me correct myself…” I clear my throat dramatically. “He’s not happy about being stuck with me.”

  “Why would it take days?”

  “We’re on a private road and it’s on the outskirts of town, like in the mountain area. It’s not a priority. Plus, Roxbury’s population is like two thousand. They probably have one snowplow.”

  She chuckles. “True.”

  “And we’re supposed to get more snow. When I looked out this morning, I could hardly see a thing. It’s windy too.”

  “So yeah, you’re definitely stuck there for a bit. Now tell me about Ryan being a jackass.”

  I snort because I’ve told her about Cami’s brother a few times. She knows I think he’s attractive but his pissy attitude and dull personality ruin it for me. He’s always been on the serious side but since the pandemic started he’s changed a lot. He worked in the ER at one of the largest hospitals in the city and saw the worst of it.

  “He called me a fucking trip when talking to Eli and Cami,” I explain. “And he’s just been super moody. I mentioned relaxing while he’s here, and he blew up over it. Basically said I was a spoiled brat who had nothing to worry about.”

  “Wow…” She pops a piece of gum in her mouth and starts smacking her lips. “Sounds like he needs to get laid. Maybe you can help in that department.” Piper waggles her brows.

  “Yeah, that’s not happening. He can’t stand me. For whatever fucking reason.”

  “Sounds like this could be an opportunity to get him to like you. Show him the real Kendall Montgomery—inside and out.” She shrugs, popping a bubble. “Both stranded in a mountain cabin surrounded by snow. Kinda sounds romantic to me.”

  I laugh though not hating the idea. “Add in watching Hallmark movies by the fireplace and I’d be in.”

  “See? Worked for Cami.”

  “Yeah well, I’m not Cami. Eli was in love with her so that’s different. Ryan only sees me as his sister’s annoying best friend. We’re supposed to be decorating the cabin, but it looks like I’ll be doing it alone since he’s set on being an asshole.”

  “You have time to butter him up.” Piper flashes a wink. “If you get my drift.”

  Rolling my eyes, I shake my head. “Yeah, I get your not so subtle hint.”

  “Mom’s begging for grandchildren and since I’m waiting till I’m forty, you’ll have to take one for the team.”