Chapter 12
As Nora stared at the sketch in her hand, her annoyance grew. She looked at the floor and noticed another drawing, this one of the walrus. Again, there were lots of measurements and notes, and it looked like the paper had been folded up. Everett must have taken it with him to the park.
He’d lied to her. Just like Samuel.
She shook her head. This wasn’t the same. But she still felt like Everett should have told her. They’d seen many of the sculptures together—why had he gone in the first place? To observe people’s reactions? And hadn’t she asked who he thought was behind it?
It wasn’t the same as lying to steal from her, but she was pissed nonetheless. It felt like a big lie by omission when their entire “relationship” had centered around those sculptures.
It’s okay, she told herself. You were prepared for the worst. That’s why you never intended to have anything lasting with him.
Except, if she was honest with herself, some part of her had wanted more. She’d tried to deny it, but it was true.
God, she couldn’t handle this. She’d get dressed, hurry back to her apartment, and call Aimee. She couldn’t—
“Nora?”
Shit.
She whirled around. Everett was sitting up in bed.
“What are you doing?” he asked as he put on his glasses.
“You lied to me,” she said before she could think better of it. She held up the drawings.
He shut his eyes and looked pained. He didn’t refute it.
Ha! She felt a spark of triumph that quickly deflated.
“You’re one of the people behind the snow sculptures,” she continued, trying to ignore the empty ache inside her.
“It’s not what you think,” he said.
She gave him an incredulous look. “Oh really. These are just drawings you did after you saw them? Then why the measurements?”
“I’m not one of the people responsible. I’m the person. The only person.”
“Yeah, right. It’s impossible for a single person to make one of those sculptures overnight.”
“It’s possible,” he assured her.
“How?”
“Magic.”
She snorted…and then she realized he was serious. At least, he was seriously trying to convince her that it was magic. There was no teasing smile on his face.
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” She dropped the drawings and strode to the bedroom door.
“Nora. Wait.”
Against her better judgment, she hesitated.
Everett sighed in relief when Nora gingerly sat on the edge of his bed. He wanted to pull her into his arms and hold her while he explained, but he knew she wouldn’t like that, so he didn’t.
God, if only he’d been more careful while looking for the condoms last night. But he’d been desperate to get inside her, and he hadn’t been thinking.
She crossed her arms over her chest. “This ought to be good.”
She seemed so far away. He’d thought they were getting closer, and now, it felt like that had all meant nothing.
“I can move snow without touching it,” he said.
She snorted again. “Then show me.”
“I can’t. Nobody else can watch while I do it, like there’s a protective shield around me.”
“How convenient.”
This was such a mess, but he pressed on. “It takes a lot out of me. I have to eat a ton beforehand. The night I collapsed in the hallway? I’d pushed myself too far. Hadn’t eaten enough, even though I’d consumed the better part of two pizzas.”
There was a flicker of something in her eyes, but then her face hardened.
If only he could turn back the clock and stuff those drawings in the drawer before she found them. Then maybe he could be holding her right now and pressing kisses to her neck.
Alas, that wasn’t the kind of magic he could do. He could only work with snow, not time.
“What’s next?” she asked. “You gonna claim you’re Santa Claus?”
“I’m not Santa Claus.”
“There we go. Finally, something true.”
This wasn’t Nora, not the Nora he knew. His Nora might be a little tough on the outside, but she was delighted by…
Wait. Why was he thinking of her as his?
“I was a fool before,” she said. “I believed a man’s lies, but I won’t do that again.”
“It’s the truth, I swear. I didn’t tell you earlier because I’d never told anyone. I knew no one would believe me.” And clearly, he’d been right.
But why did this have to happen with Nora?
She sighed. “Look. I don’t know what’s happening with you, but I can’t do this. I can’t get involved. I was only planning on spending a night or two with you anyway. Turn around while I get changed, and don’t stop me from leaving.”
He turned away from her, his shoulders slumped, and forced himself to keep breathing.
It was a blow to know that even before the last five minutes, she’d never thought this could last. He’d wanted to walk around the city together in the winter and then the spring, her hand in his, and find new ways to make her smile.
Had she never thought of such things? Or perhaps she had, but it had distressed her because of whatever had happened in her past.
“You can look now,” she said.
She stood at the door to his bedroom. She was going to walk out and never talk to him again, aside from a perfunctory greeting, and he couldn’t stand it.
He had to do something. Convince her that he wasn’t a liar, at the very least. He refused to be lumped in the same category as her ex, and he wanted—needed—her to believe that there was honesty in the world.
“What if I try to show you?” he asked.