Page 59 of Abdominal Snowman

Curiosity Killed the Cat

As soon as Gabi asked her what was wrong, Sage froze. She didn’t know where to start. It wasn’t like she could tell Gabi everything that was going on.

Hey, the guy who saved my life and seduced me is an abominable snow monster, and he created a storm to keep me from leaving.

Even knowing that Soren had lied to her, she still didn’t even consider exposing his secret, but now what did she do?

“Do you want me to come get you?” Gabi asked. “Or come stay? I’m overdue for a vacation.”

How could she explain to Gabi what had happened without telling her exactly what happened? “He lied to me,” Sage began. “He told me… He told me the snowstorm had done so much damage that there was no way for me to get back down the mountain.”

“But?” Gabi prompted.

“But, like you saw on the forecast, that wasn’t true. It only snowed for a day!”

Gabi shuffled over the line. “Babe, I’m confused. You didn’t think to look out the window?”

Sage groaned, annoyed at having to explain herself when she just wanted to know she wasn’t crazy!

“I’m not stupid! He said the storm had… uhm, moved south and was battering the town. I never questioned it. Everything made perfect sense until now.” Gabi was going to think she was an idiot.

More rustling. “Oh, honey. That sounds like some Stockholm syndrome shit. Let me come get you. I can leave tonight. I bet there’s a flight from…”

As Gabi planned her rescue, all Sage could imagine was Gabi meeting Soren for the first time.

Jealous, much?

No! Sage hushed her inner voice. It wasn’t that she was jealous. It was just… Gabi read very graphic books, and often talked Sage’s ear off about each plot and all the characters and the new… kinks her friend discovered along the way. Some of which weren’t totally human, which made Sage’s situation practically a dream come true. For her.

And sure… okay fine, that was all in fiction and from the pages of books but… what if?

What if Gabi learned who Soren really was and…

And what, Sage?

Liked him?

A pit of something she didn’t want to look too closely at opened in her stomach. She groaned aloud and paced on the porch.

“Sage? Is everything okay?” Gabi asked, and Sage shook her head.

“Sorry, yes. What were you saying?” she asked.

“I found a flight that leaves at 11:15. I could be there by morning.”

Sage’s breath caught. Seeing Gabi again? She’d love that.

But part of her wanted to figure this out by herself.

She was a big girl. A reporter, even. She knew a fuckin’ thing or two.

And the first rule of reportering was to collect all the facts. From all parties involved.

Internally, she groaned.

It wasn’t like Soren had barred the door. She could have requested to leave. Hell… the SnowBnB host had offered to put her up in town, and instead… she’d wanted to stay with Soren.

Sage’s cheeks heated. She still had a right to be angry, and she was. But maybe… just maybe she could have let Soren explain a little.