We were gone for half an hour before we finally made it back to the fire. Most of it was burned by now. It had reached the size of the average small campfire. Everyone had left to go get ready for the game, but Colton was still sitting by the fire, talking to Andrew. Every time I saw Andrew, I thought about the first time I had seen him in the house. I had almost killed him. Now I really did feel the guilt. I imagined that this was how Peter felt, but I didn’t want to show it. I didn’t have any remorse. I was just looking out for Breelyn and me, and I would do it again.

  “Good job watching the fire.” Jacob stepped close to it to warm his hands back up. Our fingertips were red. It was getting way too cold out here. I couldn’t imagine how cold the football game was going to be. “Yo, Andrew, come inside with me. I've got something to talk to you about,” Jacob smiled at me. Colton laughed from where he was, then the two of them went inside.

  "Nothing's changed, Colt,” I strolled over and sat down in the seat Andrew was previously in. I moved it a little bit away from Colt. The arms had almost been touching before I moved them. “I’m stuck in Hartland for eternity.”

  “I never thought you’d leave there. I’m surprised you’re even here?”

  “Well, we’re probably going to get snowed in here. You know me, though, I like to travel sometimes. But it’s never permanent.”

  “How different would things be if,” He stopped talking. We didn’t go much farther than that. There were a lot of things that we could have said. If we changed one small thing, how much more different would our lives have been?

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  “I’m a little messed up now, if you couldn’t tell,” I crossed my arms and leaned back in the chair a bit. I brought my opposite ankle up to my knee. “I’ve seen some things. I’ve dealt with some things. Your guys’ life here is like slapping a Band-Aid on the problem. You aren’t bleeding out, but everyone else is,” I rubbed my hands over my face. “But it’s nice to know that there’s somewhere peaceful to go sometimes. A normal place is still standing.”

  “I’ve been to funerals, and I've seen the people, but I know it’s different. I don’t want to imagine what it’s like to see the real thing. I’m not cut out for that,” I shook my head. I laughed as a trauma response. Blane’s face flashed through my mind

  “Nobody’s cut out for it. You just learn to deal.” I stood up and moved the chair away from the fire. I was getting a little too hot.

  “Guys from here still a little too far for you?” I almost stopped in my tracks. I sighed and put the chair on the ground. I never told him that directly, but he had heard it from the guy I told it to. I knew he had never forgotten how badly I had played him. We were so young back then, and immature. He treated me like he owned the rights to me, and I had proved him entirely wrong. I suppressed a laugh when I thought back to that night. The night I fell in love with a boy, and never dated anyone since. He was just too far, but the thought of being with anyone but him wasn’t fulfilling. It was easier to pretend like we were strangers now than to relive the past. That's exactly what I would do, and Colt knew something was up, even if it had been two years.

  “Something like that.” We sat in silence for a little bit.

  “It’s about time for the game, you coming?” He stood and stared into the dying flames.

  “Yeah, I'll be inside in a bit.”