“What?”
“Just trust me,” I say, grabbing her coat off the hook by the door. “We can make the best of this.”
I hear her grumble something from behind, but I don’t pay her words much mind. In fact, I like the sarcasm. It’s her, and deep down, I know Tess is just protecting herself.
Thing is, I think I want to protect her too.
Chapter Three
Tess
We’ve barely stepped outside into the blustering cold when Cole tosses himself into the snow like a kid about to make snow angels. “Come on, get down here with me.”
“I’ll get all wet.”
“And then you’ll dry.” He waves his hand toward me. “Come on. You’ve been up in the mountains for almost a year. Have you made snow angels yet?”
No, I haven’t made snow angels yet, though I’m not sure it was on my list of things to do. My list had more prominent things written out, like finding a man, falling in love, getting married.
Snow falls heavily around us, and the air is cold, though we’re blocked from the wind on both sides because of surrounding buildings. Usually, at this time of day, there’s a buzz in town from people shopping on Main Street behind us. But right now, the roads are quiet, and there’s a stillness that’s a little bit eerie.
Cole stares up at me, his dark brown eyes wide and begging as though he really wants me in the snow with him.
Why do I believe it? Why is it so nice to feel wanted?
My chest tightens.
What am I about to do?
I lean back on my ass and lay next to Cole. The cold is everywhere. On my back, my legs, in my hair. I’m sure I’ll regret every second of this moment when I’m inside tonight with no dry clothes, shivering for heat. Right now, though, it’s kind of peaceful.
He stares at the sky, his arm close enough that it brushes against mine. “What do you think?”
“What do you mean?” I ask, watching him as snowflakes fall and melt against his nose.
“About this? The snow falling.”
A sweet girl would probably have some adorable sentiment to share here. I have more defensive sarcasm. “I thought we already decided that was awful. It’s what’s trapping us here.”
“Outside of that, though.” His big hand brushes mine, and though I know he probably doesn’t have the same fantasies about me as I have about him, I still wonder if the brush is intentional. “What do you think of the sky right now? Let everything else go. It’s just you and the universe. What do you think?”
I really don’t want to feel anything. Cole is a walking red flag. The kind of guy every article on the internet warns you about… and yet, my chest fills with more and more warmth with every word he speaks.
Ugh… I swore I’d never be this simple.
“I don’t know,” I say, still staring up as frozen flakes melt against my cheeks. “It’s cloudy.”
“But how does it feel?”
“Since when do men care about how something feels?” I snap without thinking, feeling a little bad afterward. “Sorry.”
What the hell is wrong with me? Why can’t I put my guard down for even a second?
He doesn’t flinch, but his gaze lingers on me with a patience I haven’t yet learned how to give. “That’s okay.” He smiles and shrugs. “I figure most men don’t ask about feelings because they’re afraid of the answers. But I guess… I want to know you more than I’m afraid of getting hurt. So, how does it feel when you look up there? What does it make you think about?”
How in the hell is this the same guy that wandered into the bookstore earlier with nothing on but fireman pants and suspenders?I didn’t imagine him to also be the introspective type. Maybe all that smoke inhalation messed with his brain. I mean, did he just say hewantsto know me? I make a mental note to ask him about his brain injuries later. For now, I stare up at the gray expanse above as flakes drift down quickly, trying to decide to laugh, run, or believe he means what he says.
“I guess… I guess it feels heavy,” I say, my chest tightening with every word. “Like the weight of everything is piling on top of me.”
