Chapter Twenty Five
ASPEN
“Well… well… well… would you look at what we have here?” a voice all too familiar said.
Cole’s body went rigid under Aspen’s hands, and her heart began to race even faster. It couldn’t be him… could it? What terrible timing.
“I see how it is, Red.”
Chase turned to the pretty blonde hanging on his arm. “You leave your girlfriend alone for a couple of days, and she latches onto the first thing she sees.” His voice dripped with smugness as he flipped his hand toward Aspen.
Cole shielded Aspen from Chase’s view, her breaths coming short in her chest, the panic rising within her.
She could feel her heartbeat hammering in her ears.
She hadn’t done anything wrong, had she?
They weren’t together. She knew that. But then why did she feel like she had been caught in the act of something wrong when it had felt so right?
“What a little tramp you are, Red. I didn’t expect this from you, really. I didn’t know you had it in you.” He clicked his tongue.
“Don’t worry—I had a little fun of my own, if you know what I mean. We can call it even,” he whispered out of the side of his mouth, as though the woman on his arm couldn’t hear him.
Aspen heard the woman giggle, and her stomach twisted, bile rising in her throat.
Was that how he had treated her when they were together?
She thought back to all the times he had said crude things to her—or to another woman they were with.
Usually she brushed it off as a joke, chalking it up to that’s just how he is or it’s just his personality.
Now, though, she remembered the nights she cried quietly, not wanting him to see, the times she second-guessed herself, the pangs of jealousy that she had buried deep inside.
She could still feel the tight knot in her chest, the hollow ache in her stomach, the sting behind her eyes.
Her mind raced, and she clenched her jaw, forcing herself to breathe, trying to stay grounded as the memories threatened to overwhelm her.
Her hands trembled slightly, and she clenched them into fists to stop herself from shaking, trying to steady her racing thoughts.
Every memory of feeling small and unseen washed over her, as though she were reliving it all over again.
And now… Now, she felt sick, realizing he might not have been loyal to her at all. That perhaps she had only ever been a game to him.
Aspen was caught somewhere between a panic attack and subtle awareness when she felt the sleigh shift as Cole leapt from it in a blur of movement, the words “Screw it” leaving his lips.
Aspen cried out behind him, her hands grasping at the air as she tried to form the words to tell him to stop. But he didn’t. It was almost as though her words were unintelligible to him—and maybe they were. She wasn’t even sure she was forming words. Maybe it was just all sound.
She watched in utter shock as everything moved in slow motion. His fist slammed into the side of Chase’s face, twisting that smug smile upside down in an instant.
Instead of fear or dread over what might come later, she felt… excitement. A rush, a thrill, a taste of victory at last. Her panic eased as something she couldn’t quite put a name to rose within her.
Cole had only punched him once, but it was enough.
The damage had been done. Chase teetered backward and fell into the snow on his butt, his hand covering his cheek.
He sat there, dazed and confused, as Cole watched, fists still clenched, ready to defend Aspen again.
He glanced back at her, and when their eyes met, he gave her a sly wink.
Aspen’s heart skipped a beat, and a smile spread across her face, further unraveling the tension in her chest.
But apparently, there was no need to defend her further, because the sound that followed—from a grown man, of all things—had her biting her lips to keep from laughing.
She knew she shouldn’t laugh at someone crying; it wasn’t kind.
Still, the blubbering she was hearing now was utterly ridiculous, especially as he sat in the snow, clutching his cheek and looking completely helpless.
Cole just stood there, gaping at him, confusion written across his face, his fists relaxed as he—and Aspen—tried to make sense of the situation.
The woman on his arm crouched in front of him, cooing “baby” and “sweetheart,” asking what she could do for him as she cradled his head and kissed him while he wept.
“Ew,” Aspen whispered, watching the pitiful display unfold before her eyes.
That’s who she had dated all those years?
She had never seen him cry before. She had barely seen him show any emotion, other than cockiness and arrogance.
What had she ever seen in him? She almost felt bad for him—if it weren’t for all the horrible things he had said to her over the years, the things that had sown insecurity and doubt.
Cole turned his back to the scene and shrugged at Aspen, who returned a grimace, before he helped her from the sled.
They quickly made their way to the table where all the ingredients for s’mores were laid out.
The smell of pine needles and smoke from the fire filled the crisp evening air, mingling with the sweet aroma of chocolate and marshmallows.
Aspen inhaled deeply, letting it all wash over her as Cole’s arm wrapped around her shoulders, keeping her steady as they walked.
Aspen felt a delicious warmth at their closeness and instinctively wrapped her arm behind his back, memories of the second night at the resort flooding back—how she had sought out his warmth then, feeling drawn to him without fully understanding why.
After loading their arms, they found a fire pit—one of many—to roast their treats, far away from where Chase now stood with his female friend and from anyone else who might bother them.
Hopefully this would be the end of anything involving Chase, Aspen thought.
She also hoped he wouldn’t say anything about it and would chalk the black eye he was sure to have up to a fall on a jump.
One thing she did know about Chase: he was far too proud, far too arrogant, to admit that someone had messed up his perfect face—without any proof that he had done damage in return.
Only time would tell. But for now, she would try to enjoy her time with Cole. He moved two Adirondack chairs around the fire closer together, one in front of the other but angled slightly so the fire was still visible from both seats.
Aspen, confused, went to sit in the chair facing away from the fire, when Cole scooped her up into his arms, making her squeal, and settled into the other chair with her on his lap. He gently guided her leg onto the chair beside them.
She relaxed against him, but a sudden thought of Chase tugged her smile down. He’d never been this considerate—never noticed her comfort, never paused to take care of her. Romantic gestures weren’t his thing… unless she counted the one time he’d bought her flowers.
“Why the frown, Snow?” Cole kissed her on the cheek, resting his chin on her shoulder as they both watched the fire crackle and pop.
“Just thinking about Chase,” she murmured. Cole let out a low growl from his chest, and Aspen turned her face to find him scowling.
“Not in the way you think.” she continued, trying not to smile as she inched closer. “I was just wondering why I stayed with him so long and why I didn’t realize what a horrible person he is.” She held his gaze, the firelight dancing in his baby-blue eyes as she studied his handsome face.
He reached up and moved her hair out of her eyes, resting his hand on the side of her face.
“People can only realize their worth when there’s someone there to show them, Snow.
He never saw you for who you truly are. And that…
” He threaded his fingers behind her neck, sending goosebumps along her skin and a burning sensation through her chest as moisture welled in her eyes.
He continued, “…is what I plan to do. For the rest of the time you’re here, and after that, if you’ll let me.
” He kissed her sweetly, and she kissed him back, not caring who saw their tender moment.
She didn’t have an answer for him yet—not right now—but she would.
She just needed to figure a few things out first. One thing was certain: she really liked the man kissing her.
She loved who she was with him and the person she was learning to be again.
They spent the rest of the evening making s’mores together, discovering that kissing while eating sticky marshmallows and chocolate was perhaps one of Aspen’s favorite treats to date.