Chapter 19: Heat in the Quiet
The fire crackled softly, casting warm shadows across the wooden walls of the mountain cabin.
Laughter still lingered in the air from dinner, where Jonas had somehow managed to grill steaks to perfection despite Leo's relentless commentary and Hanna's failed attempt at making a salad "more exciting" with gummy bears.
Alex had dubbed it "a culinary hate crime."
The wine was flowing, the mood light. Even Lina, who had been weighed down by the weeks since the call, found herself relaxing.
It had been almost three weeks since she filed the report, and though the aftermath left bruises of its own—disappointment in some people's reactions, the unexpected silence of those who once claimed to care—tonight, something shifted.
Jonas had done this for her. Brought everyone together, into the mountains, to breathe.
Marc, Alex, and Hanna had arrived earlier in the afternoon, their arrival a whirlwind of hugs, jokes, and inside stories.
They filled the cabin with energy and made it impossible to dwell too long in darker corners of the mind.
Lina was curled up on the couch, sipping hot cider, when Leo stood up dramatically, clearing his throat.
"Now, if you think Jonas is perfect," Leo said with a sly grin, "just wait till you hear how Mia tried to kiss a horse when she was ten."
"Leo!" Mia shrieked, tossing a throw pillow at him, which he dodged with the finesse of a man who'd spent a lifetime provoking his sister.
"It neighed at her romantically!" he insisted. "She was convinced it was her soulmate."
The entire group burst into laughter, including Mia, who buried her face in her hands.
Lina hadn't laughed that hard in weeks. Her ribs hurt, her eyes were wet. It was glorious
.
Marc grinned and leaned in. "Since we're doing confessions—Jonas once tried to serenade a girl from his high school window using a ukulele.
He didn't know she'd moved out and her grandma lived there now."
"I WAS SIXTEEN!" Jonas defended, groaning. "And she told me she liked music!"
"Her grandmother had heart palpitations," Alex added, deadpan.
The room dissolved into another wave of laughter.
Later, people drifted off to bed one by one, leaving the cabin quieter, cozier.
Jonas and Lina cleaned up in the kitchen together, moving in a quiet rhythm. Dishes clinked. Fingers brushed.
"I haven't seen you smile like that in a while," he said softly, rinsing the last glass.
"It's been a while," she admitted.
They moved to the living room, just the two of them now, curled by the fire with only the occasional crack of burning wood and the hum of wind outside.
She leaned against him, savoring the comfort of his arm, the safety of his presence.
Then came a sudden, muffled thud from the hallway.
Jonas and Lina exchanged a look—then silence, then a gasp, then hurried whispers.
"Do you think…" she started, eyes wide.
Jonas smirked. "Let's find out."
They crept quietly to the hallway—and there, tangled in the curtains like two teenagers caught red-handed, were Mia and Marc, flushed and clearly attempting to not be seen.
"Oh god," Mia muttered, hiding her face. "Abort mission."
"I told you the window was too low," Marc whispered as he tried to untangle her hoodie from a curtain rod.
Jonas couldn't hold back the laugh. "You two okay, or need a crowbar?"
"We're fine," Mia grumbled, glaring at him.
Lina shook with laughter as Jonas led her back to the living room.
Once they were alone again, the tension shifted.
The laughter lingered, but something deeper pulsed beneath it.
Jonas pulled her close, his hand splayed across her back.
His warmth seeped through the fabric of her sweater.
She turned slightly, letting her fingers trail along the edge of his shirt, grazing skin.
He met her eyes.
"Still laughing?" he asked.
"I'm not sure what I'm doing," she said honestly. "Except… I want you. Right now. And it scares me."
He didn't answer. Just leaned in, brushing her lips gently.
The kiss deepened slowly, turning from playful to possessive.
His hand slid up her side, fingers tracing her ribs, her pulse.
She gasped against his mouth, arching closer, and in that moment he stood, pulling her into his arms with such surety she felt herself melt into him.
They stumbled to their bedroom, shedding layers like weight. His hands were both gentle and firm, and every touch seemed to whisper, you're safe now.
When he kissed down her neck, she moaned softly, grabbing at his shirt, dragging it off him with urgency.
Her back arched when he found the sensitive spot just below her ear, when his fingers trailed lower, slipping beneath the waistband of her leggings.
She was trembling—and not from the cold.
"I love how responsive you are," he murmured, voice thick with need. "Every sound you make drives me crazy."
She felt heat flood her cheeks but didn't look away. Instead, she pulled him down with her, their legs tangled in blankets, lips meeting again with renewed hunger.
Jonas groaned against her throat. "Tell me what you want, Lina."
"You," she whispered. "Only you."
And this time, there was no fear. Only fire.