“We’re literally five minutes from the house. Can it wait?”
“No!” She throws her arm out and whacks me with it.
I make a disgruntled sound and then cotton on to her meaning and fake dry retching. “Oh, shit. I’m gonna be sick.”
Tommy growls. “What the fuck?”
“Pull over, man!” I clutch my stomach as if I’m in agony.
“I’m not having Gabe puke on me.” Lo shouts, adding to the fucking chaos in the vehicle. “I mean it, Tommy.”
He gives an exasperated sigh and veers off to the shoulder. Lo pushes on his seat in excitement. And as soon as the car has stopped, she climbs out and runs shrieking through the cold. We’re still in our damn southern Cali gear, light sweaters, and jeans. Definitely not snow approved. There’s barely any powder stuck to the ground, yet Lo flops down in the light dusting and starts making snow angels.
Mace and I laugh, but Tommy looks less than impressed with his arms folded over his chest, as he glares at me, and then at the woman on the ground. “I’ve seen more snow than that when Santa scratches his head.”
“I don’t care.” Lo shakes her head and then turns and draws a halo on the ground above her outline. “Look, I’m an angel.”
“Yeah, Freckles. You are.”
Mace’s head swivels in my direction. I meet his gaze, but he narrows his eyes on me and then stalks back to the car.
“It’s fucking freezing out here,” Tommy turns and calls over his shoulder. “If you’re not back in the car in one minute, you’re walking.”
“Get down here, Gabe.”
I smile and walk the few steps to her side, then I lie down on the cold ground, hoarfrost soaks through my layers of clothing, and I flinch, halfway between sitting and lying. Lo pulls me down and I gasp.
“You kind of go numb after a minute, and it doesn’t hurt so much anymore.”
“I don’t believe you. It’s fucking cold.”
“I’m serious. Just lie still. Just lie with me, Gabe.” She grabs my hand and pulls it to hers. Resting them against her chest.
I look at her face in the early evening light.
“Close your eyes, and just focus, after a bit the stinging stops. Do you feel it?”
I don’t feel numb. I feel anything but numb. Maybe it’s pain, or maybe realization, but I feel fucking everything. I made a huge, unforgivable mistake getting back with Annie, because I am head over heels in love with my best friend.
“Yeah, Freckles. I feel it all.”
Her eyes meet mine with a quizzical gaze and then I roll toward her, resigned and calmer than I’ve ever been. A horn blares from beside us and we both jump.
“Guess Tommy doesn’t appreciate snow angels.”
“Guess not,” I say. She gets to her feet and dusts herself off, but what little snow that might’ve clung to her clothing is completely melted. She holds a hand out to me and I take it and rise. We walk back to the car hand in hand, and neither of us say a word.
We’re all restless as we carry our bags into the house. Lo and I are the first ones up the stairs. She sets her things in one of the smaller rooms, but I drop my bags in the hall and pick hers up, carrying them into the master.
“You should take this one.”
“No, that’s crazy. You booked and paid for the house.”
“Come on, Lo. You really want to share a bathroom with Mace and Tommy?”
She cringes. “It’s not that big of a deal.”
“Yeah, it is. Mace has a fucking eight-step beauty regime at night.”