Despite trying to trick myself into believing that I’ve been annoyed with his nosy behavior, when I have all of his attention on me all at once, I lose feeling in my legs. Feels like I’m stepping on air.
I’m so gone, I haven’t even realized the dangers surrounding me. My neighbor, a man I have held enough conversations to count on one hand, has dragged me into his home. Shouldn’t I be thinking about going back home?
I want to curl up and stay.
“I’ll take a look at it.” Unaware of the turmoil happening in my head, he turns and gives me his broad back to stare at. “You’re going to get yourself killed if you stay out there trying to fix it yourself.”
A little dramatic, but I nod anyway.
My hair loses its stiffness, growing damp against my cheeks once more. Stepping closer to the blazing fire with crackling logs, I watch as he throws his coat around his shoulders.
Instead of asking for something in return, he just leaves me where I’m standing, leaving the warmth of his cabin to help someone he should consider a stranger. No questions asked.
4
Mason
I don’t think twice about stepping out into the snow. It’s the strangest thing, seeing Nova’s home swallowed up by darkness. As frustrating as her decorations are, they don’t leave such an unsettling feeling.
I knew something was wrong the moment I heard her music shut off. Behind my curtains, the lights had gone out too. By the time I worked myself up into getting my boots on, there was a knock at my door.
Nova came for my help.
I’m still vibrating from that. It’s what’s keeping me warm in this hellish weather.
Following the trail she left behind in the snow, I find her generator. Hunching over it, I go into problem-solving mode. I’ve worked on my own over the years, but her model is newer. Foreign. Still, I want to be able to return with an answer to her problem.
The stench of gasoline hits my nose, and I immediately shine my light on the side of the generator. Seeing frost building up on the fuel line, I brush away the snow and see the icy crystals clinging to the surface. Giving it a slight pinch, my nose scrunches at the crack along the frost.
Easy fix. However, it’s not a quick one. Hell, I wouldn’t be able to get my hands on one until after the holidays. Does she have someone to stay with?
Greedily, I want to offer up my own home and see what she says. For one year, I could enjoy the holidays. How long has it been since I had someone next to me?Too long.
Dusting the snow off of me, I grunt at the memory of a distant relationship that turned sour right at this time, only a handful of years ago. Shaking my head, it’s like I can knock the thoughts right out. Too bad it doesn’t work that way.
Fucking cold out. Can’t believe she stepped out in all this without freezing to death. Especially with her hair wet, of all things. Doesn’t she realize how easy it is to get sick? She’s got no one to take care of her if that happens. What then? All I want to do is scold her for what she’s done. Once more, she finds herself in trouble without even trying.
Returning to my cabin, I don’t find Nova hovering over the fireplace like I want her to. Instead, she’s stripped herself of her white coat and kicked off her boots. Now, she’s curled up in my recliner, looking so comfortable in her pajamas, watching the flames flicker.
She’s a fan of pink. The two-piece fits her as well as the fabric does against her curves. With the reflection of the flames flickering against her pale skin, she looks breathtaking.
Once more, I catch myself in complete awe. Every time I look her way, she continues to surprise me. Continues to make me want something so far out of my reach.
She must feel a draft because she straightens up and looks at me like a doe caught in headlights. Moving to stand, I stop her mid-jerk.
“Can’t fix your generator tonight.” I shrug off my coat, feeling the weight of her gaze following every movement, but I know it’s my imagination. A woman like her—all bright eyes and effortless grace—doesn’t look twice at a man like me. A man whose shirt is a little too snug and whose hair is already streaked with premature gray. “You have somewhere to go? Friends? Family? Just ‘til I can get the parts.”
The way she glows, she probably has the whole damn town on speed dial. Of course she does.
Nova just tucks herself deeper into my worn armchair, hugging her knees to her chest. A slow shake of her head is her only answer.
“No?” The word escapes, rough with surprise. Oh.
I was braced for a cheerful “yes.” I had the whole script in my head—a stiff nod, a grunted “take care,” the hollow ache of watching her leave. I never prepared for this. The air in my lungs feels suddenly thin.
“I can go back home,” she offers, not moving a muscle. “I’ll sleep by the fire. Who needs electricity or hot water, anyway? Can’t move up here without embracing a little rustic hardship, right?” A sarcastic little laugh escapes her as she untucks her legs and makes a futile reach for her boots, placed just beyond her grasp.
I watch the struggle, my own hands twitching at my sides. Is she doing this on purpose? Her eyes finally flick up to mine, and a flush blooms on her cheeks, the same soft pink as her pajamas.
