What the hell? Did they make it snow?
Pack dashes between my legs, jumps on the couch with Blaze and North, and rattles them awake with nips on their hands and face licks. They both jerk awake, North nearly falling off the couch as Blaze sits up straight.
“Oh, fuck me,” North mutters, catching himself. “Hi, Pack.”
“Shit—What—Oh.” Blaze runs his hands through Pack’s fur behind her ears and gives her a scratch, though the dog is so ready for her walk that she jumps down and lunges at me instead.
“Ow. I have got to cut your nails—Calm down. We’re going in a minute,” I tell her.
By the time I straighten, Blaze is leaning over his knees staring at me. Pack runs at them again, jumping straight into North’s chest as he tries to stretch his arms over his head. I have to bite my lip to keep from laughing, still trying to keep an annoyed face with them.
It’s breaking quicker than I thought it would.
“Hi, angel,” Blaze rasps.
“Was this you?” I ask, nodding toward the snow blanketing the yard.
He twists to look behind him, and as he sees it, he mutters, “Fuck.”
North’s eyes widen. “You made it snowall night,” North says, standing. “I wonder if it’s the entire island.”
Blaze peers toward the sky as if he’s looking at the trees. “Looks like I’m not the only one in a state,” he says, slapping North on the stomach. “Check the trees.”
I push on the screen door and try to squint through the misty haze so I can see what he’s looking at. Christmas lights reflect off of something hanging from the limbs, and I realize it’s icicles.
“This is what happens when you two are… what?” I ask.
“Overcome. Barely able to control ourselves,” North says.
“Scared,” Blaze adds simply.
The way Blaze’s eyes drag over me make me shift. I toss the red leggings in my hands at North, and he catches them with ease.
“We’re leaving for the jetty in ten,” I say, turning around.
“Juniper—”
Blaze is on his feet and at my side before I can go back inside. He starts to reach for my face, but hesitates.
I consider his touch, chest burning. “Let’s take a walk first,” I tell him.
He nods even though I can see it taking every ounce of restraint he has not to at least touch my hair, my face.
“Happy birthday,” he says quietly.
Oh fucking hell, this hurts.
“Thanks.”
If I stare at him any longer, we won’t make it to the jetty. I’ll collapse in front of them right here, begging them to turn me into whatever they want, so long as it means we’re together.
Neither says another word as we go inside. I throw them a couple of my sweatshirts and find my own warm clothes. I have to search for my warm rainboots, hoping like hell they aren’t buried too deep in the back of my closet because I never wear them.
I can feel their eyes on me every time I make a move. Blaze gets Pack’s leash on her as North feeds Oreo, and when I’m ready with a fleece toboggan on my head, we exit the house together.
The island is covered in snow and icicles.
Blaze melts any ice on the roads and sidewalks as we make our way out to the main road and the beach after. It isn’t often I get to smell both the ocean and snow all at once, and I’m savoring it.
