“Guess so.”
Aiden’s eyes were glittering like a cut stone, reflecting the hundreds of tiny lights he’d strung up, and for a moment we were the only two people in the world. Everything else—the snow outside, Dad and Trent watching, going back to work next week, my life and all the things I was worried about fell away, and the only thing that mattered was that I was dancing with Aiden, and we were both having fun.
A wave of something I couldn’t quite name washed over me as Aiden grinned, sopleasedwith me that I wanted to bottle that feeling and keep a reserve of it forever.
“You’re doing great,” he said. “Proud of you.”
Right. He was proud of me even when there wasn’t anyone to show me off in front of, because I wasn’t an accessory to Aiden. He treated me like a real human being with feelings.
And he made me feel like I could let him see what my feelings were and he’d never tell a soul if I didn’t want him to.
Thatwas the difference between him and everyone else I’d dated. Aiden was on my side.
It was such a relief to have someone on my side for once.
“Thank you,” I said softly, still following him as we swept slowly around the dance floor, moving like we were made to work together like this. Maybe I’d never be able to ice skate, but Icoulddance.
I could’ve danced with Aiden until the sun exploded and died happy.
Just as I thought that, my phone went off in my pocket.
“Dammit,” I swore, grabbing for the phone and giving Aiden a look that I hoped saidplease forgive me.
A message from… Hallie?
Hallie:are you guys still in the barn?
Yeah, why?
Hallie:look outside
What?
I strode over to the window and stopped dead a few feet away from it, realizing what I was looking at.
The snow was piled six inches up over the ledge and still falling.
It was piled that high as far as I could see, which to be fair, wasn’t all that far.
“Uh. Guys?” I turned to look at Dad, Aiden, and Trent, beckoning them over to the window.
“That’s… suboptimal,” Trent said as he came to stand beside me.
Aiden crossed over to the door on the other side, tugging it open and spilling a mound of snow inside along with a blast of cold air.
“Great,” he sighed as Dad went over to him, the two of them pushing on the door until it closed again.
A shiver ran down my spine. We were trapped in here.
Hallie:don’t panic
Hadn’t quite gotten to panic yet
Yetbeing the key word.
I waved a hand in front of a nearby heating vent to confirm it was still working and breathed a sigh of relief when I felt warm air coming out of it. Okay. So, not nearly as critical as it could’ve been.
Hallie:the owners say there’s a radio in the kitchen. The whole town’s under at least four feet of snow, more in some places. It just all came down at once, I guess you guys were too busy working to notice. Sorry.
