Page 55 of Abdominal Snowman

The microwave whirred behind him, the timer counting down on the popcorn and what felt like their time together.

She fluffed the pillows on the couch, waved the blanket, and spread it over the cushions. Then she stepped back, paused, and rearranged some things before stepping away again. Finally seemingly happy with the pillow placement, she plopped down on the couch, facing his direction.

The satisfied look on her face glowing in the firelight made Soren’s heart give way, like the softening layer of melting ice.

He never wanted her to leave. Maybe Soren should just—his lips parted, a confession on the tip of his tongue—but her gaze shifted, finding him, and a smile curled across her lips as she spread her arms wide in triumph to show off the couch.

Soren snapped his mouth closed, his lips tipping into a soft grin.

Tomorrow.

He’d tell her tomorrow.

The microwave ding intruded, and he turned away from Sage’s antics to the empty bowl, calling over his shoulder. “You should go get changed, I’ll get a movie queued up.”

She hummed an agreement and then her feet padded up the stairs. Soren dumped the steamy bag’s contents into a ceramic bowl and steeled himself.

He’d tell her. However she chose to react, even if it meant leaving, he’d accept it.

He was falling fast, and while he didn’t want her to leave… he’d let her go.

It might be her safest option.

With a sigh, he made a point to clear his mind as he walked toward the living room. When he sat the bowl down, he noticed a movie already queued up on the screen. A period piece, clearly. Two actors stared at each other with stars in their eyes in the paused preview.

“I’m coming, I’m coming,” Sage called from upstairs. Soren stripped off his sweater, leaving him in a white tee and jeans, and plopped down onto the couch.

The stairs creaked as she floated down them, and something soft smacked him in the back of the head.

“Picked you something sexy,” she teased.

Soren lifted his head to the ceiling and asked the skies for patience. “I’m afraid.”

“Oh, don’t be a chicken. You said get comfy.”

He pulled the fabric off the back of the couch and recognized a pair of sweatpants. “Oh,” he said simply, surprised that it wasn’t a thong or something equally ridiculous.

“I can be nice,” she pointed out.

“Did you put itching powder in them?” he teased, standing and walking around the couch. Not that it offered a lot of coverage, but hell, they’d seen everything of each other at this point. “What did you pick?” he asked, distracting her with a nod at the television.

“This one looked good.” As Soren stripped off his jeans and drew her shameless stare once again, he saw the conniving gleam in her eye. Did she plan to bore him to death?

Hm. Little did Sage know, he’d watched this one twice.

After tugging the sweats up his legs, he folded his jeans over the back of the recliner and took a seat next to Sage. She was cute in her comfy shorts and giant tee. Smooth, tan thighs were on full display, and the memory of their softness cradling his cheeks filled his memory.

Clearing his throat, he turned his attention back to the movie. Swelling orchestral music filtered through the cabin, and Sage snuggled into Soren’s side as the opening credits rolled.

And even though Soren loved this romance, his mind returned to thoughts of anything but a happy ending.

Various scenarios ran through his mind, all of them ending with Sage’s absence.

Did it really matter that he’d done it not only for his safety, but hers? Any attachment to a story like this would turn her whole world upside down with the media frenzy.

Soren regretted it.

But he… he couldn’t have just trusted a stranger. Not at the time. Not when he didn’t know her like he does now.

He’d only been trying to make sure she couldn’t rat him out to the nearest tabloid. It wasn’t until they spent more time together in the days of the artificial storm that he realized he never had anything to fear.

Sage’s heart was too kind and too big for her own good, if Gabi was to be believed. Tied to a tree in protest of climate change inaction? Soren groaned internally.

Sage never would have sold his story. Soren knew that now.

He just hoped she’d see it the same way.