Jolene:
All I hear is the wind. I can’t believe you live out here. There’s no traffic at all.
Adam:
Jolene?
Jolene:
Yes?
Adam:
Are you standing in my backyard?
Jolene:
I’m standing in A backyard, but since I haven’t heard any foghorns, it’s somewhat debatable whether or not I’m in yours.
I looked up at the big white farmhouse and saw the curtains move aside in one of the upstairs windows. I took a gamble that it was Adam’s room, and not his mom’s, and waved. I couldn’t see if he waved back, but the curtain fell closed.
Adam:
Give me a minute. Are you freezing?
Jolene:
Yes.
Freezing had long since come and gone. I was impressed with myself for still being able to text legibly and not go allThe Abysson him. It was starting to snow, and the soft white flakes were no longer melting on my skin when they landed on me. The drift I was standing in was over my ankles. But it was worth it. Less than a minute later, the back door opened and Adam came out. He was wearing red-and-black plaid pajamas with his thick, fleece-collared coat hanging open as he jogged toward me. He didn’t stop until his warm breath fogged with mine.
“You’re nuts.”
“What I am is freezing.” And happy. I couldn’t stop smiling up at him.
Adam turned his head back and forth, looking around. “How did you get here?”
“Remember that whole conversation we had about hot-wiring my mom’s car? Turns out it’s super hard, so I took her keys instead.”
I’d been fully prepared to pay for an Uber or hitchhike if necessary, but ever since my mom had broken up with Tom, she’d been going to bed earlier. Or at least going to her room and shutting the door.
“I can’t believe you’re here.” His gaze roved all over me and the chill fled wherever he looked.
“I am, but you’re about to end up with the solid block of ice version of me if you don’t get me somewhere warm.” I’d already been outside way longer than I’d intended, because I’d had the brilliant idea to park down the block in case Adam’s mom heard my car pulling up. Only it turned out Adam didn’t live on a block. The road I’d trudged up had turned into rocks, which had turned into dirt long before his house finally came into view. The snow was letting up, but the temperature felt somewhere close to two degrees, and the wind was kicking up.Too cold.My teeth were chattering.
Adam took my hand and flinched. He felt like toasty heaven, so I added my other hand and let him lead us to a big red barn a few hundred feet from his house.
“Do you have cows and pigs and stuff?” I asked in a chill-laced voice.
“No, it’s empty. Come on.”
“You realize that your house looks like a Norman Rockwell painting whereas mine looks like it could be the film set of aReal Housewivesseries.”
The barn was moderately warmer than outside. I couldn’t see our breath anymore, but I didn’t have time to think about that before Adam took off his coat, still heated from his body, and wrapped it around me.
“Better?”
“Mmm,” I said, snuggling into the warmth.
