Page 8 of Lost in the Light

I knew it was ridiculous to drag them all out there to build a damned snowman when there was so much chaos going on around us, but I needed a break from it, and from the turmoil in my head. I suspected Ash and Eli did too. Even Jordan and Adam looked exhausted and stressed with worry for all of us. We just needed a time out from all of the mess and pain.

I had considered an outing, but Asher was never relaxed when we left the property, always worried about a threat and everyone’s safety. At least there, in his own yard with security surrounding us, he could relax and have fun. We all could, or at least try to.

“I’m in!” Jordan agreed eagerly, and I sent him a grateful smile.

“Me too, but you need to tell us if you get too cold, and we’ll take a break and make hot chocolate, yeah?” Adam reluctantly offered.

“Never gonna turn down hot chocolate,” I agreed happily, then I looked to Eli.

“You know I’m in. I can never say no to you,” Eli sighed. “But Adam’s right. You need to tell us when you’re too cold.”

“I have some calls I need to make,” Asher spoke up. “They really can’t wait,” he added when I gave him puppy dog eyes.

“Come on, bud. A couple of hours won’t hurt. Let’s just all relax and have some fun.” Adam slapped a hand on Asher’s shoulder as he spoke.

“Please, Asher,” I begged when he looked to me with reluctance again. “I just want to forget for a little while. Please.”

“Okay,” he gave in with a single nod. “Where do we start?”

***

“It’s still not straight,” I told Adam and Asher. They’d just worked together to hoist the huge snowball Jordan, Eli, and I had rolled for the middle of the body. It was so heavy it had taken the both of them to get it on top of the other two balls we’d already built.

“Addy, it’s snow, not bricks. I don’t think you can get it straight, honey,” Adam chuckled while Asher just shook his head. He was trying to remain stoic, but I’d seen him smiling earlier when we were all working together and laughing as we struggled through the deep snow. He was relaxed and it was everything I had wanted for him that morning.

“Come on, princess. Let’s start working on the head. The others can make the last part of the body,” Jordan said as he linked his arm through mine and led me to an area of undisturbed snow.

We were all wrapped up in coats, hats, and gloves, since it was a bitterly cold morning, but I hardly felt it. My cheeks were heated and I had barely stopped smiling since we started. I was having more fun than I ever remembered and it was a perfect calm in the eye of the storm we were all in the midst of.

I glanced behind me and saw Asher directing Eli and Adam as they crawled through the snow like kids, rolling another huge ball. Asher was pointing and telling them how they should do it. He couldn’t hide his smirk though, in fact all three of them were smiling, and after the events of the night before, it was a gift.

“Hey! I thought you were helping with this?” Jordan called playfully from where he was starting to roll a ball too, also on his knees in the deep snow.

“I’m coming. Don’t get your panties in a twist,” I teased as I dropped down beside him.

“My panties?” he repeated with a playful scowl.

“How do I know what you wear? You seem like a guy who’d like the feel of lace on his bare butt,” I shrugged playfully, barely holding in my giggle.

“That’s it!” he declared as he abandoned what he’d been doing and scooped up a handful of snow.

“No, Jordan. Don’t you dare!” I got to my feet and moved to run just as the impact of the cold snowball hit the back of my head. I turned to him with my mouth agape and he was just grinning brightly.

“You did not just start a snowball fight with me!” I sent him a glare, the best I could muster.

“I went there, princess. What’re you gonna do about it?” he asked as he rose to his feet in one elegant movement, and opened his arms wide in invitation.

“It’s on now. You better start running,” I teased as I bent down and grabbed as much snow as I could. I rolled a snowball, but it was pretty tiny compared to the huge one he’d thrown at me. Still I looked up, and found him stood watching me with so much glee and mischief in his eyes. I launched my ball hitting him in the middle of his chest, and he just laughed. The impact was pretty pathetic, I had to admit.

“Maybe you should start running now, babe,” he told me as he started on his next snowball which looked huge.

I was laughing so hard I could barely run as I started taking wide, fast strides through the deep snow.

“Back up!” I cried with a giggle. “I need back up!” I ran towards the others who had all gotten to their feet to see what was going on.

“They can’t save you now, beautiful,” Jordan chuckled, just as the huge snowball landed on the side of my head.

“Oh, little brother. You just declared war,” Adam called, and Jordan just laughed already working on more snowballs.

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