SNOWED IN WITH THE BILLIONAIRE

o have kept

leams in Cole Hartman's keen blue eyes. Thick flakes spinning against the large windows characterise the outside sheet-like

get to tell me what to do, Cole." I cross my arms, yet even then

inute we appear to be in the past-before all went wrong. Before I lost myself into a ma

us complication I did not need. After my divorce and after losing myself fully, I should have learnt to ke

ble than ever. He is not the same person I grew up knowing from Pinehaven. That

e growing between us and murmur, "You

roaches. Rory, you don't

ng need I previously felt for him have gone towards forgetfulness. But being here in front of him

distance and add, "You're wrong." "I know just e

ting off my sensitivity. Why then,

n though the reality is more complicated. Once he came back into

r, yet it's enough to get him to stop. His eyes darken, and for a minute I see r

gently softening. "I was almost r

us is neither of which we can ignore. But the silence is shattered before ei

light accentuates the swirling snow even if nothing is there. exactly th

ies My voice tight,

window. "I'm not confident," Although his voice i

e investigat

away from me. "Stay straight her

the words stop in my mouth as he gets closer to the door, and I find myself

pproach of guiding my views. Above all, though, I lost the way my body

for the door; my footsteps o

a faltering voice.

ignore the way my mind rushes with every shadow, every sudden movement far away. I should stay

or, I jump when somethin

shadow-someone-

dering in my

. But the storm drowns me; above the

e door opens abruptly. "Get away from the window," he

s I look about for the noise sour

shiver down my back. He seems tight. His voice is tightly constrained and bri

I'll explain later." Still

swirl and for a few seconds my thoughts fly with questi

e loud, sudden sound of a

tage ev

d I hear a door slam clo

he tempest, low and men

't hide. I'll b

s and my hear

ing outside; and nowhere to escape th

vertheless, his blue eyes appear to be full of something I cannot name. eve