Point of No Return by N.R. Walker Page B

the dark."
    Sal signed something as we got into the car, and Kira snorted. When we'd pulled out onto the street, I asked him what his dad said. "He said 'have some pity on me, I live with her'."
    I laughed, and Kira turned to me, unable to help but laugh too.
    "Hey, babe?" I asked.
    "Yeah?"
    "Your parents are good people."

    110
    Point of No Return
    NR Walker

    * * * *

    We headed out on Highway 2, following signs to Wrightwood. It was dark, and the lights of LA got fewer and farther between. The highway seemed to get smaller with more twists and turns as we got farther into the mountains, and the night seemed to somehow get darker.
    Kira talked so easily, about his work, about my work, about his family, and about mine. And I knew, although it hadn't been said, this weekend was a test for us.
    Maybe even make or break for us. I didn't know what that meant exactly, or where it left us either way.
    But I was hoping like all hell we were on the 'make it' side of the line come Sunday night.
    As we reached the township of Wrightwood, Kira navigated through the streets easily. And when he pulled up in front of a two-story house and parked the car, I ask him why we'd stopped there.
    He replied simply. "This is it."
    "Here?" I asked, confused. "You said camping… in a cabin… in the wilderness." I could see lights of other houses. This was hardly the wilderness.
    Kira laughed and grabbed some bags out of the car.
    I followed him with my arms full, and once he'd unlocked

    111
    Point of No Return
    NR Walker

    the door and turned the lights on, I couldn't believe my eyes.
    It was a wooden cabin all right, but it was decked-out with a kitchenette, sofa, rugs and stairs, which I presumed led to an upstairs bedroom. I mean, it was by no means extravagant, but it was homey. There was even a fireplace.
    Kira smiled at my expression. "What were you expecting?"
    "A wooden shack," I answered honestly. "In the wilderness."
    He laughed. "This was my grandparents'," he said, putting the bags at the foot of the stairs. "It used to be a small cabin, but Mom and Dad spend a lot of time here and have done it up over the years. We used to come up here all the time when I was a kid. In the summer, I'd camp in a tent out back." He walked through, flipping on lights as he went. "We've always called it 'the cabin', and we joke about our type of camping."
    I put the box of food on the kitchen counter, taking in the room around me. The walls were a reddish timber, and there were photographs placed sporadically along them. There was a large, comfy-looking sofa, a lamp on the side table and a small, round dining table. The windows were blackened by the night outside them, and there was

    112
    Point of No Return
    NR Walker

    something else… something that took me a little while to put my finger on…
    Silence.
    Complete and utter silence.
    "It's perfect."
    Kira grinned at me. "It sure is."
    We put the few food items away in the kitchen, then Kira showed me upstairs. It was an open loft-style space with timber paneled walls, raked ceiling, a wall of curtains at one end, and a bed at the other.
    "Bathroom through there," he told me, pointing to a door. "It's only small and basic."
    "Considering I thought I'd need to dig a hole to use the bathroom, babe, I think this is the Hilton," I told him.
    "Actually, this kind of camping, I could get used to."
    He laughed at me and walked toward the wall of curtains, pulling them back to reveal large glass doors.
    "Come on," he said, still smiling. "Take a look out here."
    I followed him out onto what I realized was a
    balcony, only it was more like a large decking area. It faced the back of the house and was shrouded in darkness. He pointed to some neighboring house lights not too far off.
    "See? Not complete wilderness," he said, sliding his arms around me from behind. "I didn't bring you into the absolute middle of nowhere."

    113
    Point of No Return
    NR Walker

    He gave me general directions, like the way we came,