Page 18 of Winter Ends
“Well, fuck.”
“What’s wrong?”
Daniel’s sudden question startled me. “They said it wasn’t supposed to snow.”
Daniel squinted out the windshield before sinking deeper into his seat. “Maybe it won’t be so bad. It just started. For all we know, it’ll dump like this for a few minutes and then stop.”
He had a point, but the longer we drove, the feeling that this was about to get a whole lot worse didn’t let up.
When we finally arrived at the cabin, the snow was piling up on the ground and coming down thicker and thicker. It was a good thing we made it when we had, because if it continued, I wouldn’t have felt safe driving.
“This is bullshit,” Daniel cursed, knocking on the trunk of the car, waiting for me to open it so that he could get his stuff out. It popped open the second I hit the button on my key fob and we both rushed to get our bags and the groceries we’d bought inside.
“I swear to God I double checked the weather.”
Daniel’s laugh was derisive as he pulled his bag behind him through the house. “I don’t give a fuck. What room is mine? I need some space after that drive.”
I frowned. I’d done well to respect his wishes for the drive, so there was no need for him to be rude now.
When I didn’t answer, Daniel rolled his eyes and disappeared into one of the bedrooms. It didn’t matter which one he chose, there was enough space for everyone and he would have his own room, no matter what.
Silence fell over the cabin as the bedroom door clicked shut and I stared at the mountain of groceries on the counter. A feeling of unease settled in when I looked out the window and the snow was now coming down so thick that I couldn’t see my car in the driveway. Would I be stuck up here with Daniel?
Worrying about it right now wouldn’t do anyone any good. I busied myself by putting groceries into the fridge and the other food in the pantry. As suspected, there were still a bunch of non-perishables from the last time my family had been here.
Once everything was put away, my mind wandered. To distract myself, I grabbed a beer from the fridge and popped the cap. Taking a swig of the cool, hoppy beverage, I collapsed onto the couch and reached for the TV remote, flipping it on. The news was what I landed on as they were already talking about the unexpected snow that had blown in. I wanted to laugh.No shit, Sherlock.
“With winds shifting from the northeast, we have unexpected flurries in the passes.”
That had my attention. Flurries? The last I checked, what I had just come in from was more blizzard type conditions than a small dusting of snow.
“We’ll keep an eye through the evening, but Snoqualmie Pass is already reporting backups and requiring snow tires.”
And there it was. The news that I was dreading. If they were already requiring snow tires, it was only a matter of time before the pass closed completely. If that happened, no one wouldmake it up here tomorrow. That meant that it would be just me and Daniel. Until whenever people could get through again.
Chapter 11
Daniel
Even with my earbuds blaring music in my ears, things seemed a little too calm.
We got here three hours ago. Where the fuck was everyone else? They couldn’t have been that far behind. A peek out my window revealed that the landscape was now blanketed in a thick layer of white. The green tops of the pines were only barely showing through in some places in the distance.
Something felt off about the entire situation.
I yanked my earbuds out and dropped them on the bed next to my phone. Still, the silence of the cabin greeted me. If it weren’t for the fact I knew Shawn was here, it would be borderline creepy.
“Shawn,” I yelled, as I yanked open the door. He jolted from his spot on the couch and turned to look at me. “What the hell is going on? Where is everyone?”
He gnawed at his bottom lip, and my eyes watched as the plump flesh passed between his teeth. Jesus fucking Christ. I had no business looking at him like that.
“What do you mean?”
The laugh that escaped me was on the verge of being hysterical. “I didn’t come up here to spend time with you. Where the fuck is everyone?”
When an answer didn’t come, my agitation grew. I needed to move. My hands carded through my hair as I paced the room, waiting for his response.
“They—they might not be coming?”
