Darker The Forbidden Berry

Chapter 8

Another month passed and everything seemed to be falling into place. Aja still had her concerns about the future, but Finn was happily teaching her how to live in the present. Finn was good at it, but it was a challenge for Aja. She had always been the type of person who felt like she had to stay two steps ahead of everyone at any given time. Her life had not been easy and she made up for it by making sure she was always prepared. Living in the moment was something that she just did not do. Finn was slowly changing all of that, but it was still difficult.

“Where are we going?” Aja asked as Finn pulled two suitcases out of the closet.

She was leaning back on her hands, watching him closely, her head cocked to the side. He’d told her they were going on vacation, but he had not told her where.

“And why are we going on vacation?”

Finn shrugged and reached between the bed and his oak nightstand, pulling out an old, thick book with a spiral binding. He tossed it on the bed and settled on the other side of her, picking it up and opening it to a large map of the country.

“I haven’t decided where we’re going yet. You need to do that.”

“I don’t know where I want to go, Finn. That’s why I leave this sh*t up to you.”

He tossed his head back and the room filled with that loud, warm laugh that made her heart flutter.

“You don’t need to know where you want to go. Close your eyes.” She huffed but did as he said. Finn wrapped his fingers around her wrist. “Now…Point.”

Aja extended her pointer finger, humming as he moved it around the map.

“Tell me when to stop,” he said, still moving her finger around.

Aja could not explain it, but even this made her nervous. She did not like it as she had no control over where her finger might land, but she took a breath.

“Stop.”

She opened one eye and then the other, looking at where her finger landed.

“Boston?”

“We’re going to Boston baby!” He sang, hopping up and offering his hands.

It was fall and they’d both packed for cooler weather so she did not think they really needed anything else. She took his hands, leaning into him as he pulled her close.

“Why are we going on vacation, though?”

“Why not?”

They fake waltzed around the room and Aja chuckled a little.

“You know not everyone just takes a vacation on a whim, right?” She asked softly.

“That’s not normal?”

“God no,” she scoffed. “Especially not just hopping on a private plane and going to a different state. When I was little we had to plan and save for an out of state vacation.”

He came to a slow stop, his head eased to the side.

“Do you not want to go to Boston?”

She paused for a long moment and finally shook her head.

“No. Michigan is beautiful…Let’s go on a camping trip up north.”

“Camping?”

“Yeah! Haven’t you ever gone camping?”

The look on his face told her the answer and she just laughed.

“Of course you haven’t. Rich people don’t camp, do they?”

“Well, I wouldn’t say that.”

“Come on. Grab the bags. Throw them in the car and I’ll book us a trip. I think I know how we can compromise. Ease you into the great outdoors.”

Finn seemed a little nervous, which was new for him. He was always so sure of himself, but this time he was the one caught off guard. They grabbed the bags and tossed them into the Monte Carlo and drove off, leaving the affluent neighborhood behind and heading into what Aja’s mom always called the wild country.

*****

The drive was long, especially after a supply trip, but now the car was loaded and the cities were fading to the wilderness that Aja had forgotten that she loved so much. They crossed the Mackinac Bridge and she could not help but fall in love with the sparkling lake. Another hour after the bridge they were pulling up to a small A-frame cabin with windows on the slope of the roof. Pine trees shook in the breeze and fiery leaves of gold, red and orange fluttered delicately to the ground.

Aja stepped out of the car and took a deep breath, taking in the crisp, lakeside air. It was far too cold to go swimming, but the view was nice. Finn came to stand beside her, their bags in his hands.

“This is how you camped when you were little?”

She let out a barking laugh and shook her head. “God no. We were too poor to camp like this. We would usually go to a national park and set up a tent. This is how I always wanted to camp. Since you’re footing the bill, I thought we might indulge a little,” she said, waving him over to the cedar cabin.

She pushed the door open and stepped inside, her breath taken away immediately. The wall opposite the door was a window that looked out onto the lake and the forest beyond. The cabin was only big enough for a king-sized bed and two end tables. A small door on the right side connected the bathroom and outdoor shower. The white sheets and quilt stretched over the bed was easily one of the most tranquil things Aja had ever seen. She dropped the bag of camping supplies at the foot of the bed and leaped into the sheets, rolling onto her stomach and looking out the massive window that practically served as a headboard.

“This is amazing Finn, don’t you think?” She asked, grinning and turning to look back at Finn.

He sat on the edge of the bed, looking out and rubbing the back of her thigh a little. “It certainly is captivating.”

“I read about this place in a magazine when I was in high school. I begged my mom to take us, but we did not have the money. I was so upset,” she sighed, putting her chin in her hand.

The bed creaked as Finn lay beside her, his chin resting on his folded arms.

“I want to make all of your dreams come true, Aja. If there was anything you wanted to do, then I’m going to make it happen,” he said, leaning over and kissing her temple.