Every day was one of discovery, not just of the surrounding area, but of Ethan himself. He seemed like a different man here. Younger, more carefree. And he insisted on making love to her at every available chance, taking her everywhere, in every which way possible. Marking her indelibly. Tayla awoke on the fifth morning with a growing sense of doom. Today was the day the men were leaving to get supplies. One step closer to Alaska. And to the day when I have to go back home. The thought made her chest tighten and the air stick in her lungs. She wanted to make the most of every moment she had with him. Yes, when the time came, she'd let him go. But she wasn't ready to give him up just yet. "I'm going with you on the supply run," she blurted out over breakfast, before the thought had even fully formed. Ethan's expression grew weary. "Tayla, you should stay. I'll need to carry things back—" "I have to get some warm clothes for the trip to Alaska," she said, grasping at the first excuse she could think of.
