Chapter 20: Chapter 20: Distance

It’s been three days, and Victor feels weak and broken.

After talking with Stella at dinner Wednesday night, Victor has stayed as far away from Erin as possible. When Erin is working in the backyard, Victor will stay at the opposite end of the house in the library or training room – doors and windows clamped shut – so he doesn’t accidentally look at him. He’s also taken to burning vanilla candles and blasting music through earphones.

Yet ... it’s not enough.

He can feel Erin in the air. It’s like his presence is carved into every nook and cranny of the ranch, and Victor doesn’t have the strength to change the wood. He can torture himself by drowning Erin out, ignore him until he leaves to go back to New York, but that doesn’t stop the longing.

The vanilla scent of the candle makes him yearn for Erin’s scent of burnt wood and rain instead. The loud bass music reminds him of the childhood memory Erin shared with him about Natalie explaining how flowers liked singing too.