Page 30 of Wynter

He still seems to hesitate for a few seconds, but then he opens the door and jumps in.

The moment the door’s shut and his seatbelt’s firmly in place, I signal and get back on the road. I only get a couple of feet before Xavi starts hyperventilating.

“Are you okay?” I ask, taking him in. His cheeks are flushed, his eyes are filled with panic, and he’s gripping his seat so tight his knuckles are turning white.

“You need to pull over.”

“No shit.” I put on my hazard lights and start to slow down.

“Now!” Xavi’s breathing gets more erratic, and he looks around wildly. “I don’t have much time.”

“Time for what?” I ask, pulling the van to a stop.

Xavi doesn’t reply. He leaps out of the van and breaks into a run. But he only manages a few steps before he shifts. Into a block of ice.

“What the hell?” I race out of the van after him.

Ice Block Xavi is perfectly square, perfectly chiseled, and perfectly inanimate. As in, he’s literally just a perfectly formed, ginormous ice cube. I’d put him at seven feet tall, and equally wide, taking up the entire sidewalk as well as some of the snowbanks on both sides.

The sun glints off his surface, and questions race through my mind. Does he melt? Can he see me? Is he as cold as he looks?

“Can I touch you?” I ask. And even though he’s literally a block of ice, it sounds dirty somehow. Like I’m propositioning an ice block. “I was just curious what you feel like.” Shit, that’s even dirtier. “I don’t mean like that. I just wanted a quick touch.”

I bury my face in my hands because every word leaving my mouth sounds worse and worse. Can I possibly make a bigger fool of myself?

Get over yourself, Zoe. He probably can’t even hear you. Which is a fair point.

I peek through my fingers at Ice Block Xavi. He just sits on the sidewalk, exactly where he was a second ago.

I take off my driving gloves, reach out, and run a finger along his side. “Shit, that’s cold.”

Xavi shifts back. “Ice blocks are cold,” he says, rubbing the back of his neck.

“You could hear me?” I flush.

“Yeah.” He grins. But not knowingly, the way Leith did last night. And he doesn’t use it against me, the way I know Ghost would. “Thanks, Zoe.”

“For what?”

“The stuff you said.” Suddenly, his cheeks flush scarlet. “Obviously, I know you didn’t mean it like that. The innuendos and stuff. But they were funny. And they put me at ease.”

“They did?” I don’t know if I should say you’re welcome, or feel embarrassed, or both.

“I always freak out when I ice block. And I can’t shift back until I relax. But you made me laugh.”

“Ice blocks can laugh?”

“On the inside.”

“Is that why you don’t dress for winter?” I ask.

“I’m almost always too hot.” He grins. “I’m like a Yeti in that way.”

I shiver. “I’m actually kind of jealous.”

“You should get in the van,” Xavi suggests. “And I should walk. You know, in case I feel the need to shift. I don’t think I’d fit in your van.”

“Is that why you panicked?”