Page 53 of Queen of Ruin

He settles his eyes back on me. Noticing my scrutiny he asks with a bashful smile, “What?”

“I don’t know,” I shake my head. “You seemed worried about passing your exam, but with a memory like that, I don’t see how you wouldn’t.”

“Alistair said something similar yesterday.”

“Oh?” I laugh. “I’m not sure how I feel about having the same thoughts as Alistair,” I tease.

“I’m afraid being able to quote Emerson on a whim isn’t very useful in passing the Bar.”

“Then why aren’t you in there studying?” I scold him while rubbing my hands together for warmth.

He shrugs. “Do you not know how very distracting you are?”

“I think you find everything distracting when it’s something you don’t want to be doing.” I raise an eyebrow.

“You look like you’ve never seen snow before.”

“I lived in the desert my whole life.” Even though my breathing is back to normal, I find that I still sound breathless. Perhaps it’s the way Darren is looking at me.

“Never?”

“Once, when I was a kid,” I mention, the memory taking me back. “But it was nothing like this.” I hold my hands out, and snowflakes hit my palm and disappear.

“What was it like?” he surprises me by asking.

“Slush and snow piled everywhere. Plus, I was too cold to really enjoy it because I didn’t have a proper winter jacket,” I laugh. “Kinda turned me off to snow for a while,” I admit while looking up at the sky and sticking out my tongue to try and capture one.

“If you need pointers, stay away from the yellow snow.”

I shake my head and laugh at him.

“I’ve lived on the East coast my whole life,” Darren mentions. “Snow is like taxes – inevitable and abundant.”

“That’s very cynical.”

“I never liked the snow,” he shrugs, “but you make it feel kinda magical.”

“Maybe that’s because it is.” I step closer, running my hands around his waist and looking up at him. “You’re going to catch a cold out here without a jacket.” Looping my arm through his I lead him back to the house.

We walk up the steps and enter the door to the library. I shake the snow from my hair.

“How long do you think it will last?” I stare out the door and watch as the snowfall picks up speed.

“First snow of the year is always unpredictable,” I hear him say behind me, his voice sounding weary.

The library is warm, heat pouring from the vents in the floor. Unzipping my jacket, I pull it off and lay it over the back of one of the chairs before making my way across the room to the desk where Darren sits. There are a few boxes laying around that weren’t here before.

“I can see it wasn’t just me that was distracting you.” I run my finger along the edge of the cardboard before leaning against the desk.

“Just wanted to bring a few things back to Georgetown with us,” he explains.

“When is that?” I inquire, not sure that I’m ready to leave just yet.

Darren looks out the door, the snow starting to stick.

“Soon, before winter hits. I don’t want to be on the roads in a storm.”

I follow his gaze out the door. “Seems like winter is already here,” I sigh, turning back to Darren.

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