Page 10 of Next to You

I took it with a smile, letting the heat of his big, warm palm infuse me with some of his strength. A tingle shot through me as his thumb stroked the back of my hand in a soothing motion.

“I won’t let anything happen to you either, Spencer. Team Snowbound, that’s us.”

His gaze seared me with intent and promise. “I like it. Team Snowbound.”

My stomach growled. “Smashed tacos and no porridge. What are we going to do? At least there are no bears. Or bats, oh my god.”

“I’ll grab what we need from the kitchen.” He took the bag from the dresser. “You’re not going to starve on my watch.

“All I can think of now is burying myself under one million blankets. I’m so cold.”

“About that.” Eyes filled with concern met mine. “We used to have bunk beds in the loft, but all that’s up there now is the air mattress I used last time I was here, and it has a hole in it. We never stay here all together anymore, so my dad got rid of them. He’s going to buy a bed for up there but hasn’t gotten around to it. I thought we could grab all the blankets and pillows and pull the sofa bed out.”

He reached out, almost touching my face with the back of his hand, but he pulled away before making contact. “I don’t like how pale you are. It looks like your bones are about to shiver right out of your body. You don’t look so good, Lucy. I’m worried about you.”

“I don’t feel that good. And I agree. I’m going to steal every bit of body heat that comes out of you, Spencer. You’re about to have a Lucy-shaped barnacle attached to you all night. I hope that’s okay.”

“It’s totally okay. You’re going to be fine.” He let out a relieved sigh. “You can trust me. I swear?—”

I put a hand on his arm, needing the contact. “I know I can, and I do, and I appreciate you saying it again.”

He reached around me and grabbed a pair of pink and black striped thermal pajamas from the open top drawer. “These are Charlotte’s. They should fit you.”

“Thanks.” I took them and watched as he dug out a T-shirt and a pair of gray sweatpants for himself.

What was hotter?Skin-tight wet jeans or gray sweats? Maybe I was the one not to be trusted tonight.

“Go into the bathroom and get changed. I’ll take care of everything out here. There should be towels to dry your hair,new toothbrushes in the drawer, whatever you need. But I’m not sure about hot water.” He pointed to a door next to the stairs that led up to the loft space. “Wait a second, here you go, take this.” He gave me his lantern. “There should also be one on a hook by the door.”

I took it in my trembling hand. “Okay. Thanks.”

I set the lantern from Spencer on the counter and switched on the one on. My face in the mirror spooked me. I looked terrible. I was pale, with dark circles beneath my eyes. I wasn’t wearing much makeup since my date was a last-minute thing, and I hadn’t had time to go all out, so at least I didn’t have huge streaks of mascara and eyeliner to deal with. I wiped what remained with the hem of my shirt and cringed at my reflection. It’s true, I was tired, but this was ridiculous. I turned on the tap, crossing my fingers that there would be hot water, but there was none to be had.

I sat on the toilet seat to peel off my jeans, staring longingly at the massive old-fashioned cast-iron tub. I would do anything for a steaming hot bath right now, and this one was just like my mother’s. It was longer than I was, so I could fit head to toe if I wanted to.

Hurriedly, I stripped off the rest of my wet clothes and hung them over the shower curtain rod to dry. Looking around, I found a towel on a hook by the shower. It smelled clean, like fabric softener and fresh air. The pajamas smelled good, too. He must have been joking about the mothballs, thank goodness. I dried my damp body, slipped into his sister Charlotte’s PJs, and then wrapped my hair in the towel.

When I returned to the main living space, I found him with an armful of blankets. He had pulled out the couch bed and lined the top and sides with pillows, creating a cozy nest in front of the fireplace. My heart melted, even though my body was still ascold as ice. He quickly added the last few blankets to the top and waved me over.

“Come on. Let’s get you warm.”

“That looks so cozy.” I stepped toward him, then hesitated, nervously twisting the hem of my pajama top between my trembling fingers.

I, Lucy Darlington, was effectively living out my lifelong dream, and I could hardly believe it.

Snowed in inside of a romantic rustic cabin, about to be nestled down in a cozy blanket fort beside a roaring fireplace…

With Spencer freaking Cassidy.

Chapter 4

Lucy

The reality of our situation hit me as I took everything in—his earnest smile, the blazing fire. He had taken care of me tonight. What would have happened if he hadn’t spotted me?

Immediately, I burst into tears as delayed panic shot through my body. “Oh my god, Spencer. I could be dead in my car right now. You saved my life.”

“Hey.” He threw back the covers and beckoned me closer. “Shh, come on. It’s going to be okay. Let’s get warm. We’re inside, and we’re safe. We have a fire, a stack of blankets, and tacos.” He gestured to a bowl on the end table beside the couch. “I also have these.” He held out a pair of fluffy pink socks, dangling them between us. A half-grin slid across his face as he tried to cheer me up.

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