Chapter Ten
Eventually, we coax ourselves out of our little sex nest, stumbling down the corridor on aching legs before collapsing into bed.
I lie there, in the middle again, my mind restlessly recounting every moment, every kiss, every touch.
I revel in the euphoria while fighting my exhaustion. I am well and truly spent.
When Juniper rolls away and begins softly snoring, I turn to find Ethan still awake.
I rub my nose against his, and he smiles, his features bathed in the soft moonlight filtering through the window.
We still haven’t closed those curtains. It’s as if none of us can bear to shut out the wonderful snowy wilderness. Maybe we need that reminder—that this darkness isn’t the same darkness as back home? This night is different because we’re here.
“Can you believe we actually did that?” I whisper, breaking the silence, my heart racing with both excitement and a tinge of uncertainty.
“I can, actually,” Ethan replies softly, his voice low and warm. “It felt … right.”
I grin at him sheepishly. “So, what do we do now?” I ask, keeping my voice low.
“Oh, I am way too tired to do that again.” He chuckles and I give him that, “Don’t you dare wake her up!” look, which quickly settles him back down.
“That’s not what I meant,” I chastise him, beaming all the while.
“Well …” He reaches to tuck an errant hair behind my ear, caressing my face as he does so. “What do you want to do now?”
I look down then slowly bring my gaze back up to meet his. “I want to stay here forever,” I confess, and he lets out a soft sigh.
“Don’t we all.”
We sleep through most of the day again then wake up, all three of us ravenously hungry.
“You know what I fancy?” I muse as we stand in the kitchen, debating what to eat for breakfast, despite it being way past lunch time.
“What?” Ethan asks. “Do you need more chocolate? Because I don’t think they’re gonna sell your precious Dairy Milk bars down the local shop.”
“Oh, no.” Juniper scoffs.
“What? You think they would?” Ethan asks, his eyebrows raised.
Juniper giggles, shaking her head. “No, I mean, there is no local shop!” She over-enunciates the word ‘shop,’ clearly delighted by the funny little Britishisms we keep forgetting are just that. “The closest store is actually in Holly Hill. And we’d have to drive to get there.”
“Right,” I say, only slightly disappointed. “No, I was actually gonna say porridge.”
“Mmmm,” Ethan agrees. “I could totally go for some of that.”
“Count me in,” Juniper says. “I definitely need something warm inside me.” Her eyes widen as she clocks what she said, and Ethan and I fall about laughing.
“Oh, ha ha. Very funny.” She rolls her eyes, pretending to scold us both. “Honestly, you two always have to make everything about sex.”
My cheeks heat as we all get the giggles. Then Juniper opens one of the cupboards, smugly produces a box of “oatmeal” and claps it down on the countertop with a flourish. “Tadah!”
“You’re incredible,” I tell her with complete sincerity.
“I know, right?” She dances over to the fridge. “Huh …” She pulls out the milk carton then walks back over to us with a puzzled expression.
“What?” I take the carton from her and give it sniff. “Smells fine to me?”
She nods but doesn’t take it back from me. Instead she turns the dial on the stove, and— “Fuck.”
“What?” Ethan asks.
Juniper heaves a sigh. “Power’s out.”
“Oh.” I grimace. “Guess that means no porridge for us.”
Ethan shakes his head. “Not unless you wanna eat it cold …”
“We could go out?” Juniper suggests, throwing a quick glance out the window to confirm that we are, in fact, still able to do so.
I shrug. “I’m up for it.”
This time it’s Ethan and Juniper’s turn to giggle.
“Okay, you two.” I shake my head, smiling.
“So?” Juniper faces me. “Wanna go for a little road trip?”
“Sure.” I shrug. “Why the fuck not?”
We layer up, bundling ourselves in coats and hats and gloves, then pile into our dinky little hire car. God, I hope it starts.
With only a small bout of encouragement, the engine murmurs to life, and I smile with relief. Despite all this snow, the silly little car I picked still has at least a little bit of get-up-and-go.
Juniper sits next to me up front, navigating sporadically—and much more haphazardly than my phone, even with its spotty GPS. Meanwhile, Ethan, bless him, is crammed in the backseat, silent, his knees practically up by his ears. But he can’t complain: the driver makes the rules, after all.
As we make our way down the mountain, the scenery whizzes by—a winter wonderland of glistening trees and untouched snow, begging to be turned into another stage for an epic snowball fight.
I relax, this time knowing, somewhat vaguely, where we’re going. More importantly, we don’t have a hecking great snowstorm to contend with.
Who knew all this beauty was here all along?
And yet …
As we coast around each bend, drawing closer to Holly Hill, it occurs to me that we left the cabin and this is the real world. We’re not in that little cosy living room anymore, sharing the fur rug and all our deep conversations and even deeper kisses …
We’re peeling out of the woods and into the open, and I’ve never done this before. I’ve been with Ethan, and only Ethan, for what feels like a lifetime, and now I’m what? Part of a trio? A triad? A … a … fuck. We still haven’t even worked out what we are.
My mind wanders as my body seems to take directions of its own accord. Then, without even realising, we’re somehow on a street, and there’re people, and shops, and I don’t know how to be in a three around people and shops …
“We’re here!” Juniper sings, directing me to park across from Snowcap Café.
I pull into the space, and once again my muscle memory from years of being the number one driver takes over, allowing me to simultaneously park the car while continuing my small internal meltdown. Multitasking like a pro. Yay.
I stop the car, and we all file out.
Then Ethan takes my hand and leans in to say, “Would you look at this place.”
I manage to blink away my rising fears and attempt to take in the view. I breathe in then exhale a cloud of white, and when it clears, I feel better. I’m okay. We’re okay.
Ethan and I marvel at the landscape, which is absolutely picturesque from every single angle.
Then Juniper takes my other hand. “Come on.” She steers us towards the cafe. “We’ll get a seat by the window. Promise.”
I nod. I can do this. “Okay.”
String lights twinkle in the windows, confirming they still have power.
And we all walk in together, one behind the other, hand in hand in hand.
“Fucking hell,” I say under my breath as I take in the room. Wood panelled walls. A huge open fireplace. Cute Christmassy decor!
Juniper drops my hand, bounding over to greet the barista, and for a second I’m lost without her, but then I spot a pile of blankets by the seats at the front window.
I squeeze Ethan’s hand and point. “They have blankets!”
He smirks.
“It’s so cosy!” I put a hand over my heart. I think I might actually be in love.
And it’s fine. We made it out of the cabin. We made it here. And the spell hasn’t broken. I blink back tears. Bloody hell. I have never felt so much at once.
“What do you guys want?” Juniper hollers to us, as if, unlike me, she doesn’t have a care in the world.
I grin back at her. “Something festive!” I look to Ethan and catch the very end of an eyeroll. Sure. He can try and play it cool, but I know he’s loving this place as much as I am.
We join Juniper at the wooden counter, and the barista, Alice—as per her name badge—smiles cheerily back at us. Hmm… I bet she can tell we’re tourists from a snowy mountain mile away.
“Peppermint mocha?” She raises an eyebrow, and I nod enthusiastically. She’s teeny, and blonde, and suspiciously elf-like, and maybe I am dreaming after all? Maybe I bumped my head and ended up in Santa’s workshop, where all my Christmas wishes are coming true …
She nods, turning to Ethan next. “And for you?”
He clears his throat. “I’ll have um …” He gazes at the chalkboard behind her, perusing the menu in all its sweet, swirling calligraphy.
Juniper nudges him, and it gives me butterflies seeing them together like this. Comfortable. Free. She reaches up to whisper in his ear, and I’m not even jealous. I’m … hot for them both.
I like this dream. A lot.
He nods. “I’ll have the um … dirty chai latte?”
Alice grins at him. “Two dirty chais and a peppermint mocha, coming up!”
“Thanks, Al.” Juniper slaps a few bills down then pushes them across the counter.
“Juniper!” I turn to Ethan, then back to her again. “We—”
“It’s fine.” She winks at me and I go weak at the knees. “My treat.”
I heave a sigh. “We owe you one.”
Juniper gives a nod to the barista then turns back to me. “Oh, I’m sure you can make it up to me somehow.”
Alice swiftly spins around to face the coffee machine but doesn’t quite manage to stifle her smile as she does so.
“You”—I lower my voice, frowning in mock outrage—“are a cheeky sausage.”
Juniper cackles. “Now, that is the most English thing anyone has ever called me!”
I march over to the table by the front window. Juniper slides in beside me, and Ethan takes the seat opposite.
We all look over as the door springs open once more and a man strolls in with an insanely beautiful and insanely massive Saint Bernard.
“That’s it.” I roll up my sleeve and lay my bare arm across the table. “Pinch me. I am definitely dreaming.”
Alice brings over our coffees, and we melt into our seats as we sip.
Perfection.
“So …” Juniper sips her latte, and I cannot stop staring at her mouth. Damn. “Mia?”
I blink. “Huh?”
She laughs. “I asked what you do for work.”
“Oh!” My eyebrows rise, and my cheeks heat. “I er …” I can’t believe this hasn’t come up sooner?
“Mia is a super clever database designer,” Ethan says, beaming with pride.
I shrug, looking down. “I’m just a programmer.”
I look up again to find Juniper’s blank stare.
“I.T. stuff,” I clarify.
“Oh.” Juniper pastes on a fake smile. “Cool.”