Page 90 of Holly Ever After

Every so often, I catch him sneaking peeks at me, and the few times our hands brush, sparks fly. Literal sparks because of the static. Damn cold.

It's disorienting. We take several wrong turns, ending up at dead ends or looping back to where we started. At some point, it's clear we're lost, but neither of us wants to admit it.

“We're going in circles,” I say, hands on my hips. “I recognize that weird-looking snowman.”

“No shit.”

The narrow pathways of the maze seem to close in around us, and with every wrong turn, the frustration grows.

“It's this way,” I insist, pointing to the left.

He rolls his eyes, his patience clearly wearing thin. “You said that ten minutes ago, and guess what? We ended up at the same damn spot.”

“Well, maybe if you'd stop trying to lead and listen for once, we wouldn't be lost!”

In his next breath, he steps closer, cutting off my retreat and trapping me against a cold hedge wall. “You don't want to be here with me, Squirt?”

His use of that nickname hits a raw nerve. “No,” I snarl, trying to push past him.

He doesn't budge.

“Because you hate me, right?” His voice is low and challenging.

“Yes,” I spit out, glaring up at him.

A tense silence spreads over the maze as our heavy breathing fills the air. His face tightens, rage burning in his midnight gaze.

I take a deep breath, my fingers twitching at my sides. “What's your problem?”

He leans down, crowding me. “You’re my problem.”

I tip my chin up “I wasn’t aware.”

“Good for you,” he almost snarls. “Because you’re all I’ve been aware of since you came back.”

His body presses firmly against mine. It feels like an invitation, or a dare, and I can't help but consider it, despite how wrong it may be. The heat of my frustration mixing with the proximity to him is overwhelming and my head becomes muddled. I should shove him away, tell him this was a mistake, yet my feet remain glued to the ground and my eyes are locked on his as if entranced by some unseen force. His lips are so close they almost brush over mine and added to the frozen air is now his warm breath on my skin. My heart thuds wildly in my chest, and I'm unable to steady myself enough to focus on anything else except for him.

In one swift move, his lips are on mine, and all coherent thought goes out the window. His kiss is demanding and fierce just like I remember, but there’s anger, frustration, and something else that makes me melt against him mixed in now too.

Walk away, Holly. You can still walk away.

Suddenly, with a surge of clarity, I wrench away, pushing him off me. The cold hedge brushes against my back as I put distance between us. My breath comes in ragged gasps, my chest heaving as tears sting my eyes.

“Stop. Just stop.”

“Holly...”

“You told me there was nothing between us. You made it clear. So why? Why do this now?”

He runs a hand through his hair, clearly at a loss for words. The Sean I know always has an answer, always has a snarky remark at the ready. But now, he's silent.

“You can't keep doing this. Pulling me in and then pushing me away.”

He doesn't say a word.

Nothing.

His silence is loud enough.

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