Chapter 14
CHAPTER 14
JESSAMY
F uck, it’s cold.
Warmer than in there, though.
Unable to stand still, I step off the porch, my shoes sinking into the snow with a muted crunch. The icy wetness creeps in, numbing my toes almost instantly. I wiggle them in my shoes, shimmy my knees, trying to generate even a flicker of warmth. The cold bites at my skin, but the crisp air feels good, clean. It works to quiet the simmering rage beneath my surface, though the anger is already slipping, softening into a familiar ache of sadness.
Yes. I believe you, Beau.
Of course you didn’t tell me.
It’s painfully clear how I’d react, what I’d do with that knowledge. Of course, you’ve carried it all on your shoulders, quietly, stubbornly, working so hard to secure a future for us. A future without them.
Because that’s you. That’s always been you. Taking care of me. Holding us together.
And I’m?—
So. Fucking. Cold.
“Fuck,” I whisper aloud, the word leaving me in a sharp plume of white.
The sun is sinking low behind Tall Mountain, draping the snow in a soft orange glow. Light bounces off the surface, glinting like embers frozen in ice. The beauty tugs at something deep inside me, an itch I haven’t scratched in so long. My fingers ache for a paintbrush, for the chance to capture this moment. This place. Our little adventure.
I wander further, letting the cold seep in, punishing myself with its unyielding sting. I deserve it, after all.
In the distance, I spot a woodshed, its roof heavy with snow. I trudge toward it, imagining hiding inside, letting the solitude swallow me whole. I could sulk in the shadows until my body screams for warmth, until I finally drag myself back inside. Beau will forgive me. He’ll give me that quiet, tender smile. He’ll hold me and tell me it’s all right.
Even when it’s not.
I blink hard, banishing the thought. When I look up again, I realize I’ve wandered away from the woodshed. I’m halfway down a short slope now, standing at the edge of a pristine stretch of snow. Untouched. Pure.
I stop, staring.
The blank sheet of white stretches out before me, glowing in the fading light. It’s mesmerizing. Breathtaking in its stillness.
Kiss County.
I really do love it here. Beau could, too—I know he could. We just need the chance.
I close my eyes; the cold stinging my lashes, freezing the tears begging to fall. I hold my breath, standing still in the quiet, dark world behind my eyelids. When I finally open them, the snow is even more dazzling. I want to stay, to witness the masterpiece a little longer, but the chill grazes my bones.
I turn back toward the cabin.
And something catches my eye.
A flicker of gold against the white. Barely there, but enough to pull me forward. I step closer, squinting, and the faint shimmer appears again. A glint of something, lying just beyond reach.
I hate to disturb the snow—it’s so perfect—but I can’t help myself. My shoes crunch as I go, drawn forward by something I can’t name.
I crouch, the icy chill biting through my jeans, and extend a hand. My fingertips skim the frozen surface, brushing against metal.
A necklace.
I lift it, letting the fine gold chain spill across my palm. The pendant is heart-shaped, small and delicate, with an engraving on its face. The letter K.
And suddenly, carried to my nose by the icy wind, the scent of lavender.
Where did this come from?
The thought barely forms before a crack slices through the air, sharp and sudden.
My heart stops.
The sound comes again, louder this time—a deep, resonant snap . Not the gentle breaking of twigs under snow. Something else. Something worse.
The ground shifts under my weight.
No.
Not the ground.
The ice .
“Shit,” I whisper, panic surging hot through my veins.
Another deafening crack splits the air, and the world beneath me gives way. I scream, my arms flailing as the ice crumbles, dragging me down.
There’s nowhere to go but down. Down.
Down.