6. Six
SIX
ALDEN
I was covered in ice, but I knew that if I went back inside and Stella huddled up to me again, I’d be in a different kind of trouble.
She was too close. Too close and too tempting. It was easier to freeze outside than to burn in her presence.
I’d chopped way more firewood than I needed when my phone rang, bringing me out of my thoughts. At first, I thought it was Nick again. Maybe he remembered that he needed to tell me to stay away from Stella.
Instead, it was a number that I didn’t recognize.
I didn’t answer.
But then a text came through.
Unknown Number
Alden Canes. Answer the fucking phone. It’s Winnie .
I had to stare at it for a few seconds. How the fuck did Stella’s best friend have my number?
Then my phone rang again and I knew I would be in mortal danger if it really was Winnie and I continued ignoring her. “Hello?”
“Finally.” Her tinny voice was laced with irritation. “What is with our generation and not answering the phone?”
“Scam calls.”
“Then you yell at them like a normal person. God.”
“How do you have my number?”
“I called fucking Nick , of all people. If that’s not dedication to my best friend, I don’t know what is.”
I blinked in shock. She called Nick? The man she hated?
The world around me might have frozen over, but I didn’t know Hell had too.
“Why did you need my number?”
“Because you’re stuck with my best friend, that’s why. Nick tried to tell me it would be fine, but I knew I needed to make sure you know a few things if you’re going to be stuck with her.”
“Hang on, Nick tried to tell you it would be fine?”
She huffed out a breath. “Yes, he did. Something about how you won’t hurt her or something. I stopped listening about halfway through, as I usually do. But I’m not calling to talk about him. I’m talking about Stella.”
I scrubbed a hand over my face. “What about her?”
“You know I’d murder for her, right? That woman is the light of my world, and her stupid ex dulled her shine. I am not about to let you continue that trend.”
“I’m not trying to make her feel worse?—”
“Sure, yeah. You don’t like her, and you’ve got your reasons for it. I don’t care about those. She’s scared. She’s newly single, and this will be her first Christmas without her family. Think about that for a second.”
I closed my eyes as the words hit me. Winnie was right. This was Stella’s favorite holiday, and the timing of this storm hadn’t fully come together in my mind. I’d made peace with the fact that the holiday this year was a bust some time ago. I doubted she’d done the same.
A war was happening inside of me. I needed to stay away from her. But I didn’t want to. She’d still been one of my best friends until I broke her heart, and she was hurting right now.
Nick wasn’t here this time to police me, and as much as I should have been scared of what he would say, I found that I was more worried about Stella.
“I know this is gonna be tough for her.”
“So, are you going to make it tough? Are you going to act pained to see her, or are you going to put away your stupidity and be her friend again?”
I was silent. I didn’t know how to be friends with Stella. I only knew how to want more.
“Oh my God,” Winnie said. I could hear the eye roll in her voice. “Is it this hard for you? You used to hang around her all the time, and after you had sex with her, you left. You’re no better than the kids who made fun of her for wearing colors.”
“Excuse me?” I snapped. “I’ve never said that was the problem.”
“Struck a nerve, did I? I’ve got news for you, buddy. You made her feel like they did. It doesn’t matter what justification you tell yourself—you left. By never talking to her, she got the message loud and clear. Are you going to continue that trend?”
I gritted my teeth, knowing going toe-to-toe with Winnie wasn’t in my best interest. I knew Stella didn’t like me, but I tried my best to believe that she’d kept her head high and never thought she was the problem when it came to our doomed one-night stand.
“No,” I said. “I’m not.”
“Good. Because if another man makes her feel like she’s not enough, I might go to jail. Get over whatever bullshit you’re feeling, Alden, and treat Stella like a queen like she deserves.”
She hung up without another word. I let out a sigh when she did. Winnie was a terrifying woman, but she managed to say the one thing that would throw my plan out the window.