His fingers trail lazily down my spine. My cheek rests against his chest, rising and falling with the rhythm of his breath.
Outside the window, snow falls in slow, silent flurries. Inside, it’s nothing but warmth and the sound of hearts settling.
I close my eyes.
He brushes a strand of hair from my forehead. Kisses crown the top of it. His hand stays there, just holding.
Minutes pass, maybe more.
Then, finally, he exhales.
"Willa," he whispers.
"Hm?"
"I'm scared now," he admits.
"Of what?"
"Of losing you."
His confession lands between us, heavier than the silence that follows.
"You’re not gonna lose me," I say, low but steady. "I’m not going anywhere."
He swallows hard. "I don’t deserve this."
"What do you deserve, then?" I ask gently.
"Solitude," he says. "Quiet. To be left alone with my ghosts."
"Ghosts don’t keep you warm at night," I point out. "And I’m pretty sure they’re terrible at making coffee in the morning. Or cinnamon rolls."
The corner of his mouth twitches. "You’ve got me there."
I shift closer, until our foreheads touch. "Then stay with me. Where it’s warm."
"Willa…"
"Let me be your something good, Sebastian. Let me stay by your side."
He closes his eyes. Takes a slow breath. Then opens them again, and something in them has shifted. Softened.
"Okay," he whispers. "Okay."
In the morning, I wake before him. The fire’s down to glowing embers, casting long shadows across the walls. For a moment, I watch him sleep. His face relaxed in a way I haven’t seen before, the weight he always carries momentarily gone.
I slip out of bed quietly and pull on one of his flannel shirts. The fabric is soft, worn. Smells like pine and smoke and him.
I crack the bedroom door, tiptoe through the hallway, and just make it to the front entry—
“Leaving so soon?”
I yelp and whirl around.
Loretta leans against the wall near the kitchen, arms crossed, an unlit cinnamon stick dangling from the corner of her mouth like a cigar. She’s wearing a bright red cardigan, slippers with pom-poms, and the world’s most knowing smirk.
I open my mouth. Close it.
