Chapter 3
CHAPTER THREE
EMMARIE
E mmarie’s phone buzzed insistently on the nightstand, pulling her from sleep. She squinted at the screen, seeing her mom’s name flash across it. With a groan, she reached out, fingers stiff with the morning chill. “Hey mom,” she said, voice muffled as she pulled her comforter up to her chin.
“Are you alright?” Her mother’s voice was tight, the kind of anxious she only used when something was really wrong.
Emmarie’s brow furrowed. “Yeah, mom. Why?”
“They’re calling it the ‘blizzard of the decade’ on the news,” her mother continued. “Are you safe? Do you have electricity?”
Swinging her legs over the side of the bed Emmarie brushed her hair out of her eyes as she crossed the room to her window. She raised the blinds and gasped. Outside, the world was transformed into a frozen landscape. Snow piled high against the buildings, reaching halfway up the first-floor windows. The trees the lined the paths between the dorms were bowed low under the weight of the snow, their branches stiff and still in the frigid air. A thick unbroken blanket of white stretched across the campus, erasing sidewalks and hiding all but the tops of benches. In the parking lot below, Emmarie’s car was nothing more than a vague silver mound, barely visible in the sea of snow.
“Oh wow,” she whispered, her breath fogging the glass. “Yeah, it’s…it’s pretty bad out there.”
There was a long pause on the other end, then her mom’s voice, quiet and tinged with disappointment. “I was really hoping the weatherman had it wrong. It won’t be the same without you here for Christmas.”
Emmarie pressed her forehead against the window, staring out at the frozen wasteland. “I know mom, but there’s no way my car’s getting through this.”
“I know.” Her mom let out a soft sigh, the kind that tugged at Emmarie’s heart. “I know. Stay safe okay? Call if you need anything.”
After they hung up, Emmarie stood there for a moment, just watching the snow swirl outside. She’d prayed for snow, and her prayers were answered. No messy Christmas with Kyle and his creepy mom. It also meant no Christmas with her mom too, though.
She went through her morning routine slowly, feeling the quiet weight of her mother’s disappointment. She threw on thick socks, her warmest leggings, and her favorite sweater, pulling herself together. She had just started braiding her hair when a knock sounded at her door.
“Coming!” she called, hastily wrapping a hair band around the end of her braid and smiling a little as she went to open the door.
Miles stood there, bundled up in a thick coat, his cheeks red from the cold and dusted with a few stray flakes. He grinned when he saw her, stomping snow off his feet before stepping inside. “Morning,” he greeted. “Did you see outside?”
“Yeah, just got an earful from my mom,” Emmarie said, closing the door quickly. The hallways were always at least twenty degrees cooler than the rooms. No way she was letting out anymore of her precious heat than necessary. “She was hoping I’d make it for Christmas but there's no way.”
Mile’s gaze softened. “I’m sorry.”
Wrapping her arms around her middle, Emmarie shrugged and glanced toward the window. “She sounded so disappointed. Which makes me feel guilty for being relieved that I don’t have to go, you know?”
He nodded, moving toward the window and looking out over the snow-covered campus. The wind howled softly, rattling the glass. “Yeah, this isn’t going anywhere anytime soon,” he said, his tone thoughtful. “But hey, we’re all stocked up. We’ll be fine.”
Emmarie chewed her lower lip, glancing at him. “Maybe you’re stocked up but all Taylor and I keep in here are cereal bars and water. What if this lasts longer than we think?” Panic started to seep in, squeezing her chest. “We don’t know when the roads will be cleared.”
Miles gave her a reassuring smile, but she could see the flicker of hesitation in his eyes as he looked back out the window. “I was actually thinking about taking the Jeep to the store,” he said slowly. “Just to stock up on a few extra things in case this really sticks around.”
“Are they even open?” Emmarie asked, trying to keep her anxiety in check.
“Allmart is. I called before I came by. Not sure how much longer they’ll be open though.”
Exhaling slowly, Emmarie glanced outside. The snow was still coming down, thick and steady. Venturing out would be risky, but then being snowed in with not enough supplies was riskier. She looked back at him, uncertainty in her eyes. “Do you think it’s a good idea? I mean, what if we get stuck out there?”
Miles shrugged, a faint grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. “The Jeep can handle it. I wouldn’t even think about it if I thought we’d get stuck. But…I don’t want to leave you here alone, just in case.”
Her gaze shifting from the window back to him, Emmarie hesitated before nodding. “Alright. Let’s do it. Better safe than sorry, right?”
“Right,” he said, reaching for his hood and tugging it over his head. “Bundle up, though. The wind out there is no joke.”
Emmarie grabbed her puffer jacket, pulled it on and wrapped her scarf snugly around her neck. She slipped on her gloves, turning back to find him watching her with a smile. “What?” she asked, arching a brow.
“Nothing. Just glad to have you along for the adventure,” he replied, pulling on his gloves.