Page 68 of Icebound Hearts

We get into my car, and I adjust the aux cord so it’s queued. The moment I turn the ignition, “Sweet” by Cigarettes After Sex comes on.

She stills.

“You didn’t—” I keep driving. Still don’t say a word.

“Oh my god,” she whispers, her voice cracking with emotion. “Aiden.”

I glance over—just long enough to see her eyes go wide, like her heart leaps into her throat. “You didn’t.”

“I did.”

She covers her face with both hands, then pulls them away just as fast. “Wait—seriously? You got tickets?”

“Yep.”

“Cigarettes After Sex?”

“Yes, Kat.”

“Tonight?”

I laugh, can’t stop smiling. “We’re gonna be late if you don’t buckle in.”

She lets out a squeal that bounces around the car, pure joy vibrating from her. “You didn’t even like them when I first played them for you!”

“I never said I didn’t like them. I said they were slow.”

“They are slow.”

“They’re sad, too.”

“Yeah, but it’s the kind of sad that makes you feel good.”

I nod. “I get it now.”

She doesn’t speak for the next ten minutes—just sits there with her hand in mine, a dazed look on her face like she can’t believe this is real. Every so often, she squeezes my fingers or glances over and smiles like she’s taking mental pictures of every second.

That alone makes every dollar worth it.

The venue is packed.

Lights buzz overhead as people shuffle in from every direction. It smells like popcorn, perfume, and rain—the kind of summer night you don’t forget.

Kat’s practically bouncing. “We’re really here.”

I reach into my jacket and hand her the hoodie I stashed.

She blinks, then gasps, pulling it from the bag. “This is the one I said I wanted last month.”

“I remember.”

She holds it to her chest, grinning so wide it makes her nose scrunch. “I don’t know how to explain this, but this… this means so much.”

I lean in, brushing my lips against her temple. “I’m glad.”

She slips it on immediately—even though it’s still warm—and pulls the hood over her head with a smug little smile like the luckiest girl in the world. She looks cozy. And a little like trouble.

God help me.

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