NEVA
Chapter One
Bette doesn’t give me time to say anything and rings off.
That’s not surprising - she probably hasn’t even left the house yet. My sister’s one of those girls who has to have everything looking perfect before she steps out the door, in case she bumps into her latest crush.
That being said, it is snowing heavily so maybe she’s telling the truth? I’ve been standing at the train station waiting for ten minutes and I’m getting seriously cold.
I don’t know who it was that said you can never come home again; they were wrong.
You definitely can. Particularly if you’ve been fired from your job, couldn’t pay the rent on your apartment and had your no-good boyfriend of six months eyes wander….all the way to the waiting arms of his new work colleague.
Who he then moves in with. In the first week of December.
Happy Christmas to me.
It doesn’t help that my family home is situated in the cute little town of Snowflake Falls.
It’s one of those picture perfect places that people drive for miles to get the perfect selfie in front of the iconic giant snowman, or admire the ice sculptures outside the town hall or pose in front of the big Christmas tree in the square.
Usually I love all the holiday fun, but this year I just wasn’t feeling it. If there was a human embodiment of the sad-faced emoji, I’d be it.
Every time I started to get more positive about one aspect of my terrible situation, I’d remember something like my boss laying off the whole design team, my ex-boyfriend Tony’s text to tell me it was over, or packing everything in boxes from my apartment to move back home.
Luckily my family was ready to welcome me a bit earlier than usual this year.
With a last name like Bells and seven of us in total, the whole family were pretty well known in the local area.
Four daughters, one son, two quirky but loving parents and a menagerie of animals in a sprawling, slightly dilapidated house.
There’s just a place to buy tickets and a covered area in the station, which is where I’m sheltering.
The snow has been falling pretty consistently and my breath is forming dusty white clouds in the freezing air.
My warm coat is in one of the boxes I sent forward to my parents’ house so I’m wearing a light jacket over a sweater and I’m freezing my butt off. If I cry, my tears will freeze.
Another train pulls into the station from the other direction. Only one passenger gets off, a man who climbs the steps to the small footbridge to cross over the platforms.
He’s tall, well over six feet, with ruffled brown hair with a sprinkling of silver, cropped short at the sides and longer on the top. He has long legs clad in jeans and work boots that are striding directly towards me. My eyes track up past broad shoulders to his face.
“Neva?” He raises his eyebrows, staring down at me as he slows his pace.
I stare into a pair of familiar brown eyes as my brain tries to process his perfectly chiseled jaw, stubble and the buff-as-hell body I glimpse where his parka coat is unzipped. He looks even better than I remember.
“Elden? Is that you?” I don’t know what I’m saying. Of course it’s him.
He’s beyond gorgeous. And always has been. Elden’s lived next door to my family most of my life. I went to school with his younger brother Tannen but I haven’t seen him since I went to college and he went overseas. Maybe 10 years or so now.
He stops in front of me, staring down from his lofty height. “It’s me. What are you doing here?”
It’s hard not to stare at him - he’s such an awesome package.
Oh, except there’s one little problem. He’s looking back at me with a cold stare.
We have history. He asked me out when I was a senior at high school, I got the days mixed up on our third date, he refused to let me explain and I don’t think he’s ever forgiven me.
My temper can be a little sharp when I feel there’s injustice going on and he’s always been the gruff and distant type - well he was a decade ago.
Judging by the way he’s eyeballing me, he still is.
I try to turn on the charm. “Wow Elden, look at you! I didn’t recognise you for a second there. Looking great! How are your folks? Have they put Rudy the big inflatable reindeer on the lawn yet?”
I’m babbling. There’s some snow on the arm of his jacket so I reach forward and brush it off.
“Yes, they have. They’re fine. Like I said, what are you doing here?” He’s frowning.
Okay, scratch that. Charm isn’t going to work. He’s still looking at me like I’ve committed some kind of crime for dawdling at the train station.
I sigh. “I’m waiting for Bette to collect me. She’s having car trouble.”
“No, I mean why are you back in Snowflake Falls?” He looks me up and down. My jacket is wildly inappropriate for this cold weather and I’m shivering.
I cross my arms across my chest and rub my arms to try and retain some warmth. Then I stamp my feet. I’m not looking at him but Elden’s waiting for an answer. Those deep brown eyes are locked onto my baby blues.
“I lost my job. Cuts. And then my apartment.” I say. He doesn’t need to know the tragic story about losing the boyfriend too. He definitely doesn’t seem like the most sympathetic shoulder to cry on right now.
Elden just stares at me. There’s a blush rising on my cheeks. Does he know I was thinking about what his strong, muscular thighs feel like under those blue jeans?
“I’ll give you a ride home.” He points at a glossy black Jeep, which is parked in the car park. At least that should be able to make it through the snow.
“It’s okay, I’ll wait and see if my sister shows up.” I smile weakly.
He shrugs. “Suit yourself,” he says and walks off, gets in his car and starts up the engine.
Now I’m jobless, apartmentless, boyfriendless and about to freeze to death. Before Christmas.
Not sure my year can get any better.