Chapter 15
Chapter Fifteen
CHLOE
By the time I finish teaching lessons today, leave the rink, and tug off my skates, the storm inside my chest has finally settled.
I don’t have all the answers, but the fog has lifted just enough for me to see where I want to go next.
I’m not pretending anymore with my feelings.
Now, I just have to figure out what to say to Drew.
But first, I need to get through the rest of today.
The afternoon sun filters weakly through a blanket of gray clouds as I step into the room near the fireside lounge.
Long folding tables line the space. Each one contains stacks of bins with craft supplies for the ornament-decorating event.
There are wooden sticks, glitter glue, pipe cleaners, buttons, yarn, and lots of sequins.
The room smells like popcorn, cinnamon, and glue.
A volunteer in a red “Mynt to Make a Difference” sweatshirt waves me over. “Hey there, are you one of the athletes checking in?”
“Yes, I’m Chloe,” I say, offering a smile.
She scans the list and beams. “Perfect timing. We’ve got about twenty people signed up today, and they’re already trickling in. I hope you don’t mind going home covered in glitter.”
“I’ll take my chances.” I laugh as I slide into a seat at the nearest table.
There are two other athletes here. I recognize Michelle, the golfer from the other day, and one of the guys I met at the rink, Robert the speedskater.
I wave to both of them. So far, getting to know the other athletes during lunch hasn’t been too bad.
They’ve been relatively down-to-earth. I still feel like a fish out of water, but a lot better than I did a few days ago.
Across from me, a gap-toothed girl with sparkly barrettes in her braids is enthusiastically gluing rhinestones to a felt Christmas tree. “Hi,” I say, “I’m Chloe.”
“I’m Sofie.” She proudly holds up her work like it belongs in a museum.
“You’re doing an amazing job.” I help her attach a gold ribbon to the top of her tree, and the way her whole face lights up warms my heart.
Her joy is why I’m here at the resort. Not just to skate or fulfill my obligations to Mr. Mynt’s company, but to give back and be a part of something that matters.
However, despite trying to focus on helping Sofie glue sequins and tie ribbons, part of my mind keeps drifting back to Drew.
I can’t get that kiss out of my head. His voice was so soft and tender.
His fingers gently brushed across my cheeks.
And when his lips met mine, it was like the fireworks show at Disneyland.
You turn up early to find a good spot. The anticipation builds and you wait for it to begin.
Then finally, when the music starts, it sends chills through your bones, and the whole thing culminates in an explosion of color.
That’s exactly how I felt last night. His kiss was everything I’d been waiting for and more. I just wish it had lasted longer.
I finish tying a bow onto another ornament and exhale slowly. When the hour is up, I brush stray glitter off my sweater, thank the volunteer coordinator, and step back into the hallway.
I need to find Drew. I don’t have a speech ready, but I know I have to talk to him. This time, I’m not waiting for something to happen—I’m going after it.
I head for the lobby, my gut insisting he’ll be close. When I push open the door to the courtyard, cold air brushes my cheeks, and then I see him.
He’s sitting beneath the pergola strung with holly, red ribbon, and twinkling lights.
Snow dusts his hair, and there’s a furrow between his brows as he types something on his phone.
He looks thoughtful and hard at work on something.
He also looks exhausted. I hope it’s not my fault for keeping him out late.
I know he has to get up early to help at the shop.
He glances up from his coffee mid-sip and sees me. For half a second, surprise flickers across his face, followed by a wide smile.
I cross the patio quickly. My nerves flutter like snowflakes caught in a breeze. “Hey,” I say.
“Hey,” he says, setting his phone aside. “Where did you come from? You’re, uh, covered in glitter.”
I glance down at my blue sweater and grimace, brushing off the sleeves and bottom. “Ugh, I thought I got it all.”
“It’s a good look for you.” He laughs softly, as he stands. The sound warm and familiar, and it sends my heart racing.
I tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. “I just came from an ornament-decorating event.”
“Gotcha.” He’s still watching me, eyes softer now, like he’s seeing something he hadn’t noticed before.
Silence fills the space. His hand lifts and his fingertips graze over the edge of my sleeve, brushing away a few stray pieces of glitter. He doesn’t pull away. Instead, his fingers trail lightly along my wrist, then stop just shy of my hand. He pulls me closer toward him.
My breath catches. I don’t move, and neither does he. Our eyes meet. The snow, the lights, the distant sound of laughter—they all fade into a muffled hush. All I can hear is the rush of my own heartbeat.
He leans in a fraction. So do I. He’s right there. My lips part, just slightly, just in case . . . but then he blinks and quickly looks away.
Darn it. I was really, really hoping for . . . well, never mind. It’s not going to happen.
Drew clears his throat and glances away, like the moment caught him off guard too. Like he wasn’t sure if he imagined it—or if I did. He gestures to where he was sitting on the bench. “Care to join me?”
“Sure.” I sit and stare out across the snowy path. It looks so different out here in the daytime.
“What are you working on?” I ask, looking for a way to start the conversation.
“Oh, something for Mr. Mynt. He has an aquarium he wanted designed. And he wants me to do it.”
“Drew, that’s fantastic.” I clap my hands together. “I want to hear all about it!”
“I’m not sure if I can share anything about it yet . . .” He hesitates. “I need to clear it with Mr. Mynt’s office first.”
I nod in understanding. We sit in silence for another moment. Then I take a deep breath. “I’ve been thinking about last night,” I say at the same time he says, “About last night.”
We share a chuckle.
His eyes find mine. “Go ahead. What were you going to say?”
I twist my fingers together inside the sleeves of my sweater, then look down at my lap.
“I’ve always liked you, Drew.” My voice catches slightly.
“More than I probably should. To the point where sometimes it hurt since I knew you’d never notice me.
” I take a shaky breath and lift my gaze to his, my throat tightening.
“But when we kissed last night, it was like a dream. Like someone flipped on the lights in a room I didn’t realize I’d been standing in the dark in. ”
He still doesn’t say anything. He watches me with a deep, unreadable look that makes me feel like I’m both coming undone and finally being seen. “Chloe—” he starts.
I interrupt, losing my nerve. “It’s okay if you don’t feel the same way as me. I just . . . I couldn’t keep it in anymore. And if that means you want to end our friendship, I . . . I’ll understand.”
“Chloe.” He shifts on the bench. He places his hand under my chin and lifts it gently, his eyes searching mine. “Can I say something now?”
I nod, unable to speak around the knot in my throat.
“I’ve never seen you as just Emma’s friend,” he says, his voice quieter now. “Not even close.” He takes a deep breath. “You’ve always been one of the most beautiful, thoughtful people I’ve ever known. And the most grounded. Honestly, that scared me a little.”
I blink, caught off guard by the rawness in his voice. He releases my chin.
“I always thought you were way out of my league,” he admits.
I tilt my head to the side and blink in disbelief. “You thought I was out of your league?”
He gives a small, sheepish smile. “I was the guy who took the first job he got and hoped it would be enough. You’re the woman who’s always had this drive and determination and knows exactly what she wants.”
I almost laugh because if that were true, I would’ve gone for him four years ago, not waited this long!
He exhales, a puff of breath curling in the crisp air. “I think that’s part of why I never said anything. Not because I didn’t notice you, Chloe, but because I thought you’d shoot me down.”
My chest tightens. Every word he says feels like it’s peeling back a layer of bubble wrap I’ve carefully kept over my heart.
He shakes his head, almost like he still can’t believe this is happening. “But last night . . . I felt something between us change. And I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you. About us.”
His hand finds mine. The contact sends a warm current up my arm. “I want to take a chance and see where this thing between us goes,” he says.
Suddenly there’s no chatter, no laughter from the lounge, or wind blowing through the pergola. It’s only the two of us.
I lick my lips. There are a dozen snowflakes caught in a gust fluttering inside my stomach.
Drew’s gaze dips to my mouth, then slowly lifts again.
His eyes lock onto mine with an intensity that sends another shiver down my spine.
He’s not just looking at me. He’s seeing me—all of me.
And for once, I don’t want to look away.
There’s no formal invitation. Just a magnetic pull between us, louder than any words urging us together. Time slows as we lean in toward one another. Our lips meet in a soft, gentle kiss. He tastes like peppermint and cinnamon.
His hand slides up to cup my cheek, his thumb sweeping gently across my skin, and I melt into him. My fingers find the front of his jacket, clutching it lightly to anchor myself, because I swear the ground beneath me doesn’t feel steady anymore.
It’s not a dramatic kiss. There are no fireworks. But it’s something better. It’s steady, warm, and deep, like coming home after a long, cold day and wrapping yourself up in a plush, heated blanket.