Mistaken Doors

The rattle of the door jolted Renee’s breath short. She clutched the sheet against her chest, watching Jake move in silence toward the entry. His body was tense, every step calculated, the soft glow of candlelight casting sharp lines across his shoulders. The door handle turned again. Renee’s heart thundered in her ears. Jake gripped the handle first and yanked it open. Instead of danger, laughter spilled inside. A woman nearly toppled forward, clutching at the frame for balance while a man leaned against her, both reeking of alcohol. “Oh,” the woman slurred with a bright giggle, “this isn’t our room.”

Renee exhaled all at once, her pulse still racing. Jake’s expression stayed hard a beat longer before softening with realization. “You’ve got the wrong cabin,” he said evenly, though his voice carried a sharp edge. The man squinted past him at Renee, who sat on the bed wide-eyed. He gave a sheepish grin. “Sorry, man. Honeymoon, you know how it is. Too much champagne. Well, we’ll find our own bed.” The woman laughed again, tugging him away down the porch. “Happy honeymoon!” she called, her voice trailing as they stumbled into the night. Jake closed the door firmly, turning the lock this time. He leaned his forehead against the wood for a moment, jaw tight. Renee slipped out of bed, wrapping the sheet around her as she crossed to him.

“Not exactly the romance I had in mind,” she murmured, trying to ease the tension in his shoulders with a touch. Jake turned to her then, his expression softening. “For a second I thought,” He shook his head. “Never mind. We’re not letting anyone ruin this. Not here.” Renee nodded, pressing her forehead to his chest. The solid beat of his heart steadied her. The fear ebbed, replaced again by the warmth of being in his arms. “You know what I want now?” Jake whispered against her ear. Renee tilted her head back with a teasing smile. “Another round of champagne?” He gave a low laugh. “No. You.” Her laughter softened into something breathless as he lifted her easily, carrying her back toward the bed. The sheet slipped from her shoulders and pooled onto the floor as he laid her down, his body lowering to cover hers. His kiss was deeper this time, driven not only by desire but by the need to reclaim what almost slipped away in those tense few minutes.

Renee threaded her fingers through his hair, pulling him closer. The heat between them grew quickly, each touch sparking a hunger that had been building since the ceremony. Jake’s lips trailed to her neck, slow and lingering, until she arched against him, giving herself over to the rhythm of his hands and mouth. He paused long enough to look at her, eyes dark with both tenderness and fire. “Do you know how much I love you?” Her voice shook with truth. “Enough to make me forget anyone else exists.” That was all it took. He kissed her again, his hands moving lower as hers explored him in return. They lost themselves to the kind of passion only newlyweds could know, giving themselves completely to each other without hesitation. Every gasp, every shiver, every whispered word tied them closer together, binding the night into something neither of them would ever forget. When it was finally too much to hold back, Jake slowed, keeping her close as they reached that final breaking point together. Renee clung to him, her breath catching against his shoulder, the sound of the waves outside crashing in time with the rush inside her veins.

Afterward, they lay tangled in the sheets, their skin warm, their bodies still humming from the closeness they had shared. Jake brushed a hand over her cheek, pressing a tender kiss to her lips. “Best mistake of my life,” he murmured. She laughed softly. “What mistake?”
“Letting you walk into my heart and never leave.” Her chest tightened with joy. She kissed him again, then tucked herself against his side. Sleep pulled at her, sweet and heavy, and Jake’s arms kept her safe until the morning light crept in. When Renee woke, she blinked at the sunlight flooding their cabin. The ocean stretched endless outside the window, glittering like something out of a dream. Jake was still asleep beside her, his arm heavy around her waist, his hair messy from the night. She smiled, tracing her finger lightly along his jaw.

But as peaceful as it seemed, the memory of the couple barging in left a whisper of unease in her chest. Wrong cabin or not, it had been a reminder. Their little bubble could burst at any moment. Renee swallowed the thought, burying it for now. Today was their day. Their honeymoon had only just begun, and she would not let fear steal it from her. She leaned in and kissed Jake awake. His arms tightened around her instantly, as if even in sleep he knew she belonged there. “Morning, wife,” he said with a sleepy grin. Her heart fluttered, and for the moment, that was enough. Renee stretched beside Jake, her smile lingering as he kissed her forehead. The sunlight poured across the bed, golden and warm, making the whole cabin feel like paradise. For the first time in years, she could almost believe she was safe, untouchable.

They moved through the morning lazily, still buzzing from the night before. Jake brewed coffee in the tiny kitchen, his shirt half-buttoned, while Renee leaned against the counter, wearing only his discarded dress shirt from last night. He looked at her as though she was the only thing that mattered. “You know,” she teased, sipping from her mug, “I could get used to this. Waking up to you. Coffee by the ocean. No interruptions.” Jake’s grin was boyish, the kind she didn’t see often enough. “Exactly why I brought you here. Just us. No ghosts, no past. Only now.” She reached for him, tugging at his shirt until he leaned down to kiss her. Coffee and salt air mingled in the taste of his lips, and for a moment, she forgot everything else.

Later, they wandered hand in hand down the beach, the sand warm beneath their feet. Other honeymooners strolled past, laughing and wrapped up in each other, but Jake and Renee stayed in their own world. They collected shells, splashed in the surf, stole kisses in the sunlight. For a while, it felt like they really could leave everything behind. By evening, they returned to the cabin with sunburnt noses and tangled hair. Jake lit the candles again, and the two of them curled on the bed, listening to the waves. Renee’s head rested on his chest, her fingers absently tracing the lines of his scars, each one a reminder of everything they had survived to get here. She whispered into the quiet, “I don’t ever want this to end.”

Jake kissed her hair, tightening his arms around her. “Then it won’t. I’ll make sure of it.” The conviction in his voice soothed her. She let her eyes close, lulled by the rhythm of his heartbeat beneath her ear. The night deepened around them. Somewhere far off, music drifted from another cabin. The ocean was steady, endless. Renee began to drift when a sound cut through the peace, sharp, unnatural. A faint click. Her eyes snapped open. She lifted her head slightly, listening. Jake stirred at the change in her breathing.

“What is it?” he murmured, still half-asleep. Another sound. Metal against wood. The door. Renee’s blood chilled. “Jake.” Before he could move, the front door creaked open.

A figure slipped inside. Not drunk laughter this time. No giggles. Just silence. A shadowed silhouette, steady, deliberate. Jake was on his feet in an instant, shoving Renee behind him. His body tensed, ready to fight. The intruder stepped into the glow of candlelight, dark clothes, a hood pulled low, something glinting in his hand. Renee’s breath caught. This wasn’t a mistake. This was intentional.