Page 40 of Chilled and Thrilled

This is going to work out.

Biting back a smile, I take another bite of cinnamon roll and prop my chin on my hand, gazing out the kitchen window at the gently falling snow.

At the sound of Bram’s footsteps, I turn. He’s reentering the kitchen, shoving his phone back into his pocket, and the carefree expression he was wearing as he left is nowhere to be found.

“What’s wrong?” I demand, heart in my throat as he returns to his seat.

Bram stares at me, his expression tight. “Leni just asked if I have feelings for you.”

Horror washes over me. Someone telling Honor about me and Bram before I can is the very worst way this could unfold. It’s one thing to confess, it’s a whole other to becaught. If I have any hope at all of keeping my best friend in my life, this needs to come from me.

There is no air in my lungs, and it seems to take an inordinate amount of time to regain the ability to breathe. At last, once I’m confident I’m not going to keel over, I swallow. “What… What did you say?”

I wouldn’t blame him if he lied. We hadn’t even discussed what telling Honor and Leni would entail, but I’m positive neither of us expected this. My strange interaction with Lenora before I left for work the morning of the storm was driven completely from my mind in the wake of the chaos that unfolded later. At the time, I was worried she was suspicious, but for her to ask Bram directly about his feelings, Leni must have pieced together a lot more than I realized.

Bram reaches out to touch my hand, echoing the gesture I made a few minutes ago, and I realize I’ve been clutching my fork so hard that my knuckles have turned white.

His warm eyes search my face, his trepidation obvious. “I told her I was in love with you.”

16

BRAM

This isn’t how I expected the day to go.

As I strung lights, made paper chains, and cut dozens of snowflakes, I imagined a quiet, romantic day with Sophie. There was nothing I could do about getting her a gift now—though I certainly intend to spoil her beyond reason the moment the roads open—but I could make today something she’ll remember forever.

We were safe, insulated from the real world by several feet of snow and a national holiday. Tomorrow would be complicated, jam-packed with too many worries to count, but I was determined we would enjoy today.

I hadn’t counted on our happy holiday bubble bursting before we’d taken a single bite of breakfast.

“Do you have feelings for Sophie?” Leni hadn’t sounded angry or even accusatory, only curious, but her question still knocked the wind out of me.

It’s one thing to keep my very new, complicated relationship from my daughters. It’s another thing entirely to lie to them about it. The thought of denying my feelings for thewoman I’m in love with even one more time made me sick. So, I didn’t.

“Yeah, Len. I do.”

This confirmation was met only with a weary sigh. “Yeah, I guessed as much. Do me a favor and tell Honor. Like… today. She needs to know.”

I stared out at the snowy yard, heart pounding against my ribcage. “It’s Christmas, Leni. I’m not sure if you’ve talked to her or not, but she’s going through some stuff. I don’t want to add to it.”

“You mean Riley? Don’t worry, she’s over it. Please tell her, Dad. You don’t know everything that’s happened, and believe it or not, hearing about you and Sophie will help.” She paused then, letting out an uncomfortable laugh. “There is a you and Sophie, right? Like, you’re together now?”

I scrubbed a hand over my face, struggling to wrap my head around her reaction, replaying what she’d just said in search of hidden anger. In the countless times I’ve now thought about telling Leni and Honor about my feelings for Honor’s best friend, simple acceptance seemed the most unrealistic of possibilities.

“Yes,” I finally admitted, my voice strained. “Yes, there’s a me and Sophie. It’s new, but I’m serious about it—about her. I’m in love with her, Len.”

“Tell Honor,” Leni repeated, her tone more firm.

“She went through a breakup two days ago, Len. I don’t want to put this on her right now.”

“Please, Dad. This is a one-time offer. I swear, I will give you zero grief for the twenty-four-year-old girlfriend if you guys come clean to Honor. Just trust me.”

It’s hard to imagine a universe where telling Honor about my relationship with Sophie could be a good thing, but I found myself agreeing anyway.

Of course, it’s not just my secret to tell, and it’s not just me who will be affected by the fallout.

“You can’t,” Sophie blurts out the moment I’ve finished explaining, eyes round, her face pale. “This is, like, the worst possible day to do it, Bram! She’s currently having her first Christmas with her girlfriend’s family. We can’t ruin that with our stuff!”

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