11. Vivienne

11

VIVIENNE

T he stillness of the cabin felt heavier this morning, thick with the remnants of the storm. Outside, snowflakes drifted lazily, the wind a soft whisper against the walls, like the world exhaling after a long breath. The fire in the hearth crackled, casting its steady warmth throughout the room, and for a brief moment, Vivienne allowed herself to sink into the quiet peace she had come to savor these last few days.

She hadn’t realized how much she’d been craving the calm until the storm started to fade, the oppressive weight of it lifting from her shoulders. For the first time in days, it felt like she could breathe again, like the storm had washed away the pressures of the outside world, even if only temporarily.

But then her phone rang.

Vivienne froze. It was a harsh contrast to the warmth of the room, the sound too loud in the quiet, the jarring ring pulling her out of the cocoon she’d been living in. The screen flashed to life, and for a moment, she just stared at it. The name on the display sent a wave of dread through her—a contact she hadn’t seen in over a week, someone from her office back in New York.

She’d almost allowed herself to forget about the outside world, the way the storm had swallowed it whole, leaving her in a small, insulated bubble with Alex. But now, the intrusion felt like a breach, something that had no place here in this fleeting moment of peace.

With a slow, deliberate motion, she picked up the phone from the couch, her heart thudding as she accepted the call and brought the phone to her ear. She tried to swallow the knot that had formed in her throat but found it stuck there, lodged tight with the weight of the decision she knew was coming.

“Vivienne,” the voice on the other end greeted her, its tone too familiar, too cold. It was all business, a voice that could have belonged to any one of the countless people who had called her before, demanding her time, her attention, her life. “We’ve got a situation. We need you to come back. It’s urgent.”

Her stomach twisted in response, and she glanced toward the window, watching the delicate snowflakes fall. They seemed to mock her, drifting with no purpose other than to exist. She couldn’t let herself think about what was happening beyond the confines of this cabin. Not yet. She had been running from it, from the calls and the endless demands, trying to hold on to the fragments of something real, something she hadn’t known she could want until now.

“Can’t it wait?” Her voice was small, almost a whisper, but even as she spoke, she knew the answer. It couldn’t wait. It never could.

There was a pause on the other end, and then the voice came back, clipped and professional. “Vivienne, this is serious. We need you here. Now.”

The weight of it settled on her chest like a stone. She had tried to push it out of her mind, the constant pressure to return, to step back into the role—the prison—she had created for herself. It had always been this way. She had built her life around the demands of her career until there was nothing left to give but the hollow shell of her own expectations.

The reality was crashing back in, the promises she’d made to herself about change, about stepping away from it all, slipping through her fingers like water. It wasn’t just about the phone call, or the job; it was about everything. About what her life had become, and what it was never meant to be.

It wasn’t meant to be this hard.

Vivienne’s grip tightened around the phone, the cold metal pressing into her palm. She wanted to scream, to throw the damn thing across the room. Instead, she inhaled deeply, the air filling her lungs with a false sense of calm.

“I’ll be there as soon as I can,” she said, her voice sounding distant, even to herself. It was the only answer she could give.

She ended the call without waiting for a response, her finger trembling as she pressed the red button to disconnect. Her heart pounded, and she felt the walls of the cabin closing in on her.

Alex was still in the next room, oblivious to the turmoil stirring inside of Vivienne. For a moment, she considered going to her, seeking comfort, trying to put off what had just become all too real. But it was impossible. The weight of the decision hung in the air, and Vivienne knew there was no escaping it.

She stood, pacing to the window, pressing her hand against the cool glass, as though it might provide some answer. Outside, the storm had subsided completely, but Vivienne couldn’t shake the feeling that it had simply been replaced by something else: a storm of her own making, one she couldn’t outrun.

She glanced back toward the small flickering flames in the hearth and then at the door that led to the rest of her life .

She had to go back. But that didn’t mean she had to leave everything behind.

Not yet.

Vivienne sat in the silence of the cabin, her hands cold despite the warmth of the fire. The phone call had been an unwelcome reality check, but it was the silence afterward that had swallowed her whole. There was nothing left to do but face the tempest brewing inside her.

She hadn’t planned on leaving. Not like this. She hadn’t imagined that the quiet space they’d carved out for themselves could end so abruptly, her world cracking open to reveal the pressure and weight of the life waiting for her back in New York.

Her thoughts spun, each one tighter than the last. She had told herself that maybe, just maybe, this time would be different. That she could step away, let go of the demands of her career, let go of the life that had kept her tethered to a version of herself she no longer recognized.

But that was before the call. Before the reality of the work waiting for her, the world that was demanding her return with its cold indifference. Her fingers trembled as they gripped the edge of the table, staring at the half-empty mugs of tea that had once felt like the center of something meaningful. The storm outside had cleared, but the turbulence inside her hadn’t.

Vivienne closed her eyes, trying to center herself. She didn’t want to bring this tension to Alex. She didn’t want to shatter the fragile peace they’d found. But she knew there was no way around it. The truth was pressing, suffocating.

Alex was standing by the window, looking out at the quiet morning, her back turned to Vivienne, as though she were trying to pull herself together too. But this was different. The cabin had been their refuge, but now it was a cage, and Vivienne could feel it closing in.

"Alex," Vivienne’s voice was soft at first, hesitant. She could feel the weight of the words even before they left her mouth. "I have to go back. They called. There's an emergency at work."

Alex turned, her expression unreadable, but Vivienne could see the flicker of something behind her eyes. Something that said she’d been waiting for this moment.

"I know," Alex said quietly, her voice more resigned than anything. "I figured it was only a matter of time."

Vivienne’s chest tightened. It wasn’t just the weight of the words. It was the way Alex said them, like she knew the inevitable. Like she’d always known that this was all temporary.

"Alex, I…I don’t know what to do," Vivienne admitted, her voice wavering. She hadn’t realized how much she needed to say this until the words tumbled out.. "I want to stay. I want to be here with you, but everything else—everything that’s waiting for me—it’s all pulling me back. And I don’t know if I can walk away from it."

Alex’s gaze softened, but there was a flicker of something else there, too, something that cut deeper than Vivienne wanted to admit. "You can’t stay, Vivienne," Alex said, her voice quiet, with an edge to it that made Vivienne’s stomach turn. "Not for me. Not for this."

Vivienne’s heart stumbled, a painful twist inside her chest. "What do you mean?" she asked, but the answer already felt like it was slipping through her fingers.

Alex took a step back, crossing her arms over her chest, her eyes avoiding Vivienne’s. "You don’t belong here," she said, her voice flat now. "You belong in that world. The one you’ve built for yourself. The one that’s waiting for you. The one that’s always going to demand you."

The words felt like a slap, and Vivienne recoiled from the sting. She had wanted something else. Something more. But this was what Alex was giving her. A reminder of all the things she could never be, not here, not in the quiet spaces where they had shared something real.

"I’m not like you, Vivienne," Alex continued, her tone sharpening. "I’m not... I’m not someone who fits into your world. And you know that. This whole thing—us—it's just a distraction. You were lonely, and I was there. But that’s all it is. It was just sex."

Vivienne felt her pulse quicken, the tears burning behind her eyes, but she swallowed them down, trying to keep her composure. "You don’t mean that," she said, her voice cracking, barely above a whisper. "You can’t mean that."

But Alex was already stepping back, retreating further. "It was never going to last," she said, her voice cold and distant now. "It wasn’t supposed to. You have a life waiting for you, and I’m just a memory. You need to go back to it. I can’t be part of it. And I won’t pretend like this means anything more than it did."

The words hit Vivienne like a wave, sweeping her under, pulling her down until she could barely catch her breath. She wanted to scream, to demand more, to fight for the things they’d shared. But all that came out was a broken sob.

"How can you say that?" Vivienne’s voice cracked as she lost her composure, a raw ache leaking through her words. "How can you say that after everything? After what we’ve shared?"

Alex’s expression flickered, but it was too late. The damage had been done, and the space between them had never felt more insurmountable.

Vivienne took a step back, her body trembling. "I have to go," she said, her voice barely audible.

The world she had built with Alex, the fantasy she had let herself indulge in, was slipping away, leaving nothing but the hollow echo of what could have been.

The door creaked as Vivienne opened it, and the chill outside rushed in, a reminder that winter had not quite let her go. The world beyond the threshold was white and endless. Snow clung to the trees in delicate clusters, and the air felt still, like everything was waiting for something to break.

But something already had broken.

She stood at the threshold, staring out at the quiet, frozen world that had once felt like a sanctuary. But now, it felt as though she were standing at the edge of a precipice, and she was about to tumble into an abyss. The weight of what she had to do pressed on her chest, and for a moment, she couldn’t move.

The phone call had shaken her—her work, a cold reminder that there was no escaping her life, no matter how far she tried to run. It had felt like a sign, a cruel signal that her real life was still out there, waiting for her, waiting to drag her back to the chaos of deadlines and demands .

Her fingers shook as she pulled the phone from her coat pocket again, glancing at the screen. There was a signal now, faint but just enough to call for help.

Her car was still out there, stuck in the snowdrift, a silent monument to her bad luck. They had left it behind when Alex rescued her, but now, it was a reminder of the life she couldn’t seem to shake. She could call roadside assistance; they could have it cleared away. It felt like the simplest solution, but also the hardest. Calling for help meant facing the reality that she would be leaving. That the moment here, with Alex, was slipping through her fingers.

She couldn’t breathe through the tightness in her chest, but she knew she couldn’t stay. Not after everything. Not after Alex had pushed her away. After the words they’d exchanged, sharp and final, leaving her heart cracked open and bleeding. Exposed.

A part of her still hoped for something different. Maybe Alex would apologize. Maybe they would work through it. But the voice in her head, the one she’d tried to ignore, kept telling her it was already over and she had to let go .

She turned to look back at the cabin, the warmth inside now feeling like a distant memory, like something she had only imagined. The fire inside was still burning, the light flickering through the windows in a way that made her feel small and lonely.

Her heart thudded as she stepped back inside, her feet heavy on the floorboards. She couldn’t do this alone. She needed something to help ease the hurt, to make this all feel less final.

Alex was standing near the fire, her back to Vivienne as she poked at the embers. She hadn’t said anything since their argument, and the silence between them felt like a suffocating weight. Vivienne knew what she had to do; she couldn’t leave without speaking to her. But the thought of saying goodbye to Alex, of turning away from something she had allowed herself to believe in so fully, twisted her insides.

“Alex.” Vivienne’s voice broke through the silence, raw and fragile. “My car. It’s still stuck. I could call someone for help…or we could shovel it out together. I don't know what you want, but I can’t leave without doing something about it. ”

Alex didn’t turn around at first, but Vivienne could see her shoulders tense. She could feel the resistance in the air, the heated words of their argument thick between them. When Alex finally spoke, her voice was quieter than Vivienne had expected.

“Vivienne...” She sighed, her hands stilling over the fire. “I think it’s time you go. Take the snow gear I gave you. You’ll be fine and warm in that until help arrives. You’ve got to get back to your life. And I’ve got mine.”

The words hit Vivienne like a slap, but she couldn’t bring herself to flinch. She had known this was coming. She had seen it in the way Alex had closed herself off, in the distance that had crept between them. She had seen the finality in Alex’s eyes, and now, she could hear it in the coldness of her voice.

“Alex,” Vivienne whispered, her throat tight. “I don’t want to go. I’ve never wanted anything more than this, than...than what we’ve shared.”

But Alex didn’t meet her gaze. She stood there, unmoving, her face unreadable. “I don’t think you understand, Vivienne. This isn’t real. It’s just... It’s just something that happened. I’m not the person you think I am.”

The words twisted like a knife, deeper, deeper. Vivienne’s heart pounded against her rib cage, and she couldn’t breathe. She had thought that maybe, just maybe, there was something more to what they had—something lasting, something real. From inside her coat pocket, she felt the wooden bird Alex had carved for her, but it no longer felt grounding for her. The truth of the situation felt like a heavy weight she couldn’t carry anymore.

Without another word, Alex turned away, facing the fire.

Vivienne’s legs shook as she walked to the door, her fingers brushing the cool handle, trying to steady herself.

She had to go. She had to leave.

She stepped outside, the chilly wind biting at her face, but she didn’t feel the cold. She didn’t feel anything at all.

She knew she had to call for help and head back to her car. But no matter how much she tried to convince herself, the thought of leaving this place, of walking away from the warmth Alex had given her, felt like it would break her in two.

The world around her was nothing but white noise, and as she walked through the snowy road that would lead her back to her car, she realized there would be no turning back.