Thirty-Two #2
I can practically hear him squinting. “I don’t know—are you in danger?”
Of losing my mind? Yes.
But I’ve never felt more certain.
“I’m fine,” I assure him. “I just—” I force down the panic rising in my throat. “Can I borrow your car?”
“My…car?” He’s understandably stunned. “You don’t drive.”
“No, I don’t. That doesn’t mean I can’t. And tonight…I need to.”
“It’s almost midnight. A blizzard is coming, you hate my car with a passion, and—” There’s a muffled rustle on the other end of the line like maybe he’s stepping outside. “Where the hell are you going?”
“To Theo.”
He swears softly before engaging a video call.
As soon as I accept, his flushed, frowning face appears on the screen. “Isla—he’s four hours away. It’s not a casual drive.”
“I can’t wait until morning. If I do, I’ll talk myself out of it. Again. And I can’t. I won’t. ”
I shut my eyes. If I don’t say it now, I never will.
“Do you know what it’s like to lose everything?
To wake up and realize you have no one left?
No backup plan? No safety net?” My voice catches.
“When my parents died, that was me. My only worldly possessions? Two urns of ashes. I spent years thinking I was a burden on others. Too sad. Too needy. Too much.”
I’m shaking now, but I can’t stop. “I convinced myself I didn’t deserve happiness.
That wanting more would only lead to losing more.
So, I stopped asking—for love, for safety, even a future.
Well…except that one time I asked for Theo.
When I was nineteen and still naive enough to allow my heart to break.
He said no, and I took that answer and turned it into a rule to live by. ”
“Oh, Isla.”
“I’ m done living in fear of pain. Because I want him, Ash. Not need— want . Pure, selfish, burning want.”
“That sounds—”
“ Scary . If I let myself have this only to lose it, I don’t know how I’ll survive that kind of grief again. But I’m even more afraid of not trying. Of giving up and losing on the maybe .”
As I pause to wipe away a rogue tear, there’s a soft crunch of snow behind me.
Asher’s gaze shifts. “Thank fuck.”
“Deer or fairy?” I whisper.
“A fairy that’s about to save me from having to offer you a ride,” he says.
“I really want to see the fireworks. The ones the town is putting on. Not whatever you two are about to create. I respectfully bow out of that soft-core reunion scene. Happy New Year, Ginger Snap.” He winks, then hangs up before I can reply.
“Hey! I thought we were done with the stupid nicknames!” I yell at the screen. “Also—what the hell? I still need your car!”
A gust of wind rushes through the trees, lifting the hem of my coat and scattering my breath.
I shove my phone into my pocket, still reeling.
And then I hear the sound again.
Closer this time, matching the rhythm of familiar, steady footsteps.
I know it’s him before I even finish turning around.
Theo emerges from the fog like some ethereal apparition. Or maybe a perfume ad model.
He’s wearing a long charcoal coat, its collar flipped up against the wind. Underneath it is a slightly rumpled—though fashionably tailored—dark suit. The top buttons of his black dress shirt are undone. He appears to have started the night as a CEO and is ending it as a man on a mission .
“What are you doing here?” I ask when he stops in front of me.
“I came to give a speech.” A small smile touches his lips. “The big, sweeping, cinematic kind that transcends time and space. Complete with metaphors, memories, and a grand final line that ties everything together with a callback to fate.”
“And what does that final, fateful line say?”
He lets out a rough laugh. “That’s the thing—I have no fucking clue.”
“You came out here serving Theo Darcy, but didn’t think to consult Pride and Prejudice ?” I tease. If I don’t lighten the mood, I might cry.
“Oh, I curated an entire presentation full of inspiration. Classic and contemporary speeches from novels, plays, movies, and campaigns. Any and all remotely romantic lines. Even dug through my old swipe file. But none of it felt like us.”
He holds out his hands in front of him, palms up. “I’m here without a pitch, Sunshine. For the first time in my life, I don’t have a plan. The only thing I’m certain of is that I can’t stand being without you.”
Leaning down, he presses his forehead to mine, one palm cupping my face, the other gently curling around my neck.
“I want you, Isla. Even if we have to build our relationship one day at a time. Even if it takes us forever to figure it out.” His thumb strokes along my jawline as his gaze brands me.
“I’ll gladly take any and every version of the future—as long as you’re in it. ”
He’s giving me a How am I doing? look, and my entire body seizes up.
“You know, this could’ve been a text. You didn’t have to drive four hours in a blizz—”
“ Six hours with the weather and holiday traffic,” he deadpans. “Also, deflect all you want, but you were about to drive my way tonight. To Theo , was the direct quote you told Ash, I believe.”
“Only because…” I wanted to hug you and never let go. “My thing couldn’t fit into a text.”
He arches a brow. “File too big?”
I stop short of laughing. He’s right—I’m sabotaging the moment.
Before fear can take over again, I let the truth spill free. “I also have no pitch or plan. But I want to try. Whatever it takes. However it looks.”
Headfirst into the unknown.
Theo threads his fingers through my hair, both arms firm against my back, crushing me closer to him.
His heartbeat echoes the speed and intensity of mine.
The scent of pine and mint clings to his clothes, blending perfectly with the crisp air around us.
It feels like it belongs here—in the woods, in the quiet night.
I inhale deeply, realizing I’ve missed him in ways I can’t even put into words.
After I’ve had my fill, I pull back to look at him. His eyes are clear and focused, a stark contrast to the hazy, dream-like quality of everything else around us. For once, we’re both fully present in the same instant at the same time.
No more running. No more hiding.
I reach up and touch his face, partly to make sure he’s real, partly because I simply can .
“Hi,” I whisper. After an avalanche of feelings, a lone syllable is all I can manage.
His smile is so real and so bright it crinkles the corners of his eyes. “Hi.”
Without another thought, I lift on my tiptoes and press my mouth to his grin. What follows isn’t a scene from some perfect romance, but the union of two people who have wasted enough time not being together.
At first, his lips are cold, but everything about him heats up as our kiss deepens.
His hands find my waist, strong and certain.
I melt into him, arms wrapping around his neck as he lifts me off my feet.
The move is so natural—my legs instinctively locking around his waist, his grip tightening—that it feels like we’ve done this a thousand times before.
He carries me the few steps to the railing and sets me down, his hold never loosening. Even with the added height, he barely needs to adjust to keep his mouth locked against mine—which works perfectly, since I never want him to stop.
The first firework startles us apart. A sharp crack splits the sky, followed by a spray of silver that reflects in Theo’s eyes as we both glance up. For a beat, we just stare. Then we dissolve into laughter, blissful puffs of breath shared in the space between us.
More fireworks ignite overhead, painting the night in shifting colors. The lights ripple across Theo’s face as he looks at me, managing to both smirk and appear completely sincere at once.
“It might not be a Starlight Summit Christmas Confession ,” he says, “but New Year’s Eve Fireworks at the Springs is not half bad for an impromptu declaration.”
“As long as you keep kissing me, I promise to rate it high on my scale of grand gestures.”
He obliges immediately, one hand moving to cradle the back of my head, steadying me on my perch. This kiss starts off slower, like we have all the time in the world.
Maybe we do.
When we break apart, I’m dizzy, but it has nothing to do with the height or the cold. I feel lighter. Like I’ve shed some of the armor I’ve been dragging around for years.
“Happy. New. Year. Isla,” Theo whispers between kisses .
I lean forward, brushing my lips over his, soaking in his warmth. “Happy New Year, Theo.”
For the first time in years, the future doesn’t scare me.