Echos of the past

Chapter 49

The gentle hum of the morning filled the cozy kitchen of the shack as Isla prepared breakfast. The sun streamed through the windows, casting beams of light that danced on the wooden floors. Teddy, who had been unusually quiet since he woke up, watched her from the kitchen table, a conflicted look etched across his face.

Isla, sensing his unease, turned from the stove to look at him, her hand pausing in the act of flipping a pancake. "What's on your mind, Teddy? You've been quiet all morning."

Teddy took a deep breath, his hands clasped tightly together on the table. "I've been meaning to talk to you about something," he began, his voice hesitant. "I got a job offer."

Isla smiled, moving to sit opposite him. "That's great news, isn't it? We talked about you finding something that could bridge the gap between the city and here."

Teddy nodded slowly, not returning the smile. "It is good news, but there's more to it. The job is great, exactly what I've been looking for, but it's an hour's drive from here. It means I won’t be around much. I’d only be able to come home on weekends."

Isla’s heart sank a little at the news, though she tried to keep her expression neutral. "I see. That’s quite a commitment, Teddy. How do you feel about it?"

"I’m torn," Teddy admitted, looking down at his hands. "It's a fantastic opportunity, Isla. It’s something that could really advance my career, something I think I'd really enjoy. But it also means being away from you, from this life we've built together, and I'm not sure how to feel about that."

Isla reached across the table, her hand covering his. "I understand why you're torn, Teddy. It's a big change, and it’s okay to have mixed feelings about it."

Teddy looked up, meeting her eyes. "I worry about you being here alone during the week. It’s not just about us being apart—I worry about your safety and well-being when I can’t be here."

"I know you do," Isla said gently. "But remember, I’ve been managing here on my own for a long time before we were together. I’m not afraid of being alone, Teddy. And Henry is just down the road if I ever need anything."

"I know, but it doesn't stop me from worrying," Teddy sighed.

Isla smiled, squeezing his hand reassuringly. "How about we try it for a while? See how we both feel about it. We can always reassess if it doesn’t work out. And who knows? Maybe it’ll give us both a bit more appreciation for the time we do have together."

Teddy considered her words, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly. "That sounds reasonable. I just don't want you to ever feel like I'm abandoning you or that you're not my priority."

"I could never think that, Teddy. I know how much we mean to each other," Isla reassured him. "Taking this job doesn’t change that. We’ll just have to work a bit harder to make our time together count."

"Thank you, Isla," Teddy said, a grateful look crossing his features. "Your support means everything to me. I don’t know what I'd do without you."

"You'll never have to find out," Isla replied, her voice firm. "I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere. Let’s make this work, for both of us."

Teddy nodded, a decisive look replacing the earlier uncertainty. "Let’s do that. I love you, Isla."

"I love you too," she smiled, feeling a new sense of determination settling in her heart.

In the quiet seclusion of their small, rustic cabin, as the sun began to dip below the horizon, casting a soft, golden glow through the windows, Isla and Teddy found themselves drawn to each other with a magnetic force that seemed to charge the very air around them. After days spent apart, each moment away had only deepened their longing, and now, with the warmth of the setting sun enveloping them, their reunion felt like the first drop of rain after a long drought.

The door had barely clicked shut when Teddy, his heart racing with anticipation, took Isla into his arms. There was a moment, brief and charged, where their eyes locked—a silent conversation of missed moments and rekindled desire—before their lips met in a kiss that was both a greeting and a desperate confession of need.

Isla’s hands reached up to pull Teddy closer, her fingers threading through the hair at the nape of his neck, gently tugging him down to deepen their kiss. Teddy responded instinctively, his own hands sliding down her back to pull her body flush against his. The initial contact sent a shiver through them both, a spark that set off a wildfire.

The kiss deepened, driven by days of separation and the aching need to feel each other's closeness. They moved instinctively, guided by a passion that needed no words, their hands exploring familiar yet ever-thrilling territory. Teddy’s fingers traced the curve of Isla’s spine, then around to the front to deftly undo the buttons of her shirt. The fabric parted under his touch, and he pushed it from her shoulders, his lips never leaving hers as it fell in a soft whisper to the floor.

Isla’s hands were just as busy, working to remove Teddy’s shirt, pulling the material up and over his head. The brief moment their lips parted to remove the garment felt like an eternity, and once free of the obstruction, their mouths crashed together again with renewed urgency.

The cool evening air kissed their exposed skin, but the chill was no match for the heat they generated between them. Isla’s hands roamed over Teddy’s bare chest, feeling the rapid rise and fall as his breathing grew more labored. Each touch, each caress, was reciprocated with a moan or a sigh, the sounds mingling with the soft rustle of clothing being discarded carelessly to the floor.

Teddy’s hands were gentle yet insistent as they slipped down to the waistband of Isla’s jeans, unbuttoning them and pushing them down over her hips. Isla stepped out of them, kicking them aside, her own hands busy at Teddy’s belt. The metal clinked softly in the quiet room, a delicate sound that seemed almost reverent in the hush of their hurried undressing.

Now, with nothing separating them but the fading light and their own breathless anticipation, Teddy and Isla paused for a moment, eyes locked. This pause was different—not one of hesitation, but of mutual admiration and the deep, unspoken acknowledgment of their bond.

The next kiss was softer, less desperate but more profound, as if through their gentleness, they could express the depth of what they felt for each other. Teddy’s hands cupped Isla’s face tenderly, his thumbs stroking her cheeks as their lips moved in a dance that was as old as time yet as fresh as if they were the first to discover its sweetness.

Isla’s arms wrapped around Teddy’s neck, pulling him closer, her body against his in a perfect fit. The world outside faded away, leaving only the two of them, the warmth of their skin, the beat of their hearts, and the breathless wonder of their closeness.

As they slowly made their way to the bedroom, each touch, each kiss, was savored. They moved together, a fluid, graceful dance that carried them to the bed, where the soft blankets awaited to embrace them. Here, under the canopy of their shared solitude, they explored each other with reverence, with passion, and with a love that deepened with every whispered word and every gentle caress.

The night deepened around them, stars wheeling in silent arcs overhead, unseen but felt in the depth of the darkness that cradled their cabin in shadow. But inside, there was only light—the light of their love, burning bright and sure, a beacon in the night that guided them home to each other, again and again.