“Still a ball buster, Lise.” Something about the way he says my family’s nickname for me has butterflies taking flight in my stomach. I fight them, taking a sip of my coffee, hoping it’ll act like bug spray on the unwanted insects.
Everyone calls me Anna. It started in grade school, and I never stopped anyone. I hated my name growing up. Annalise is such a long name and not the easiest for kids to pronounce. My family has always called me Lise. Very few people know the nickname, and the way Sebastian says it pulls me right back to the night here in this cabin eight years ago.
That’s enough to have me putting my fork down and turning to Sebastian to say, “Well, thanks for cleaning the fireplace, but it’s really time for you to go now.”
He stares at me, shocked. I don’t say anything. After a few seconds, he seems to gather himself, and he says, “What about firewood? You don’t have any, and I didn’t see any on the porch when I got here. I should cut some so you can start a fire.”
“I’m good.”
He looks at me like he’s fighting for his life. “It’s supposed to get cold in the next few days, and you never know if the power’s gonna get knocked out. You should have wood so you can stay warm, and you might need to use it to cook.”
I want to stomp my feet and shake my fists and yell at him to leave. I want to throw a tantrum like a child and tell SebastianI don’t want him here, but of course, the man has to be fucking logical.
While I know I’m perfectly capable of cleaning the fireplace and chopping wood—Dad taught Walker and me when we were younger—the thought of having someone else do it is so appealing. It doesn’t help that he’s basically begging to do it.
I open my mouth to say no, but something about the look in his eyes has my shoulders slumping and me saying, “Fine.”
He perks up almost immediately and slips back into his boots and jacket. He grins at me as he reaches for the door. “How about one of those when I get back in?” he asks, pointing to my omelette.
I roll my eyes, and he heads outside while I finish my breakfast.
FOUR
SEBASTIAN
Iforgot what a workout it is to chop wood. That combined with the snow and slight breeze has me dead on my feet by the time I’ve chopped enough that I think it can last Annalise a couple of weeks. I wish I could be here with her the entire time, but it’s been like pulling teeth trying to get her to let me stay as long as I have.
I stack the last of the wood and wipe at the sweat on my forehead and head inside. The smell of eggs and bacon hits me the second I open the door. I find Annalise standing over the stove flipping a piece of bacon, and my mouth instantly waters. I’m not sure if it’s more from the smell of food and the way my stomach groans for me to feed it, or the sight of Annalise’s leggings hugging her ass in a way that has me wanting to go over and slap it just so I can watch the way it’ll bounce.
I quickly avert my eyes, because the last thing I need is for her to catch me staring at her ass, even if she was checking me out earlier. She may have denied it, but I caught her well before I said anything.
She places a few pieces of bacon on a plate and then an omelette and sets the plate in front of me. I know better than topoke at her right now, so I say, “Thank you,” and grab a fork and dig in.
She leans against the counter and bites into a piece of bacon.
“I was saving this for later in the week, you know. I didn’t want to break the good stuff out too early.”
I grin at her, the thought that she made me something she considers special warming my belly. “Thank you, Lise.”
I watch the way she fights her blush when I call her that. She did it earlier, too, before her entire mood shifted and she was doing her best to kick me out. She turns around and works on cleaning up and doing everything she can to ignore me. I smile to myself as I watch her hand wash the pans before setting them on the counter to dry. She looks everywhere but at me.
When I finish my food, I take my plate to the sink and wash it, watching her as I do. When I’m done, I lean against the counter, taking her in.
Annalise has always been gorgeous, but these last few years have done nothing but amazing things for her. Her nearly black hair has a slight curl to it and lands halfway down her back. Her leggings hug her every curve, and even though she’s practically swimming in the hoodie she’s wearing, I can see the shape of her chest underneath. I know I’m not supposed to be lusting after my best friend’s sister, but this girl has had me wrapped around her finger since I was seventeen.
Walker and I were in the same grade in school. We bonded over our love of the same music and became fast friends. I felt like an ass the first time he brought me over to their place and I found myself nearly drooling over his younger sister. She was this sassy thing that always had the perfect retort, and I was enthralled, although Annalise would never know it.
Annalise turns around and crosses her arms in front of her, pushing up her chest, and I hold back a groan.
“Like what you see?” she mocks.
And I can’t help it. I run a hand down my face and say, “Yes.”
The tips of her ears turn pink, and she ducks her head, looking at her feet as she toes the edge of the kitchen counter.
“You should probably get on the road so you can make it home before it’s too late.”
Disappointment rushes through me. I’m not ready to leave when I’ve only been here a few hours. I’m not ready to leave her when I’m just now getting to see her again.
