Page 66 of Frost
I remember everything.
“Luka,” he says in a breathless tone, tears streaming down his cheeks. “My little light.”
I choke on a sob before crushing him to my chest, pressing my face into his soft hair. It’s not the same as it used to be, no frost in the strands. His ears aren’t pointed.
But he’s still my Jack.
“How is this possible?” I ask, my body trembling. “We’re not supposed to be able to remember, right?”
“I don’t know.” Jack cups my cheek. “My head’s spinning right now.”
“Mine too.” A raspy laugh rumbles in my chest before our mouths slam back together. We kiss beneath the glow of the lights.
“I told you I’d find you again,” Jack whispers against my lips.
“Yeah, you did.” Tears slip from my eyes, and I rest my forehead on his. “And you’re really mortal.”
“Think you’ll still love me when I’m old and gray?” he asks, gripping my coat like he can’t get me close enough.
“I’ve loved you my whole life,” I say, tracing the edge of his mouth. “Each time I looked at the snow, every time I felt a nip at my nose. And I’ll continue to love you long after we both leave this world.”
Another tear falls from his eye before he lays his head on my shoulder. “Take me home, Luka.”
I wrap my arms around him and kiss the side of his head before we leave the Christmas village and head back to the bookstore to get my car. Once at my house, we fall into each other’s arms again, discarding clothes on our way to the bedroom.
“I love you,” he says as we fall into bed.
“I love you too.” I kiss his neck, then down his smooth chest. “I can’t believe you’re really here.”
“What do we do now?” Jack grins up at me as I settle between his legs.
“First, I’m going to make love to you so good your toes will curl.” I drop a kiss to the edge of his mouth.
“And then?”
I move aside his bangs and smile down at him. “And then we live happily ever after.”
“Sounds perfect,” he says as his eyes glisten.
My heart feels whole again.
My missing piece has found its way home.
Epilogue
One Year Later
“Look at that view,” Jack says, cuddled against my side as we sit on the back porch of our new home. Snow covers every inch of the grass and weighs down the tree branches. “I never want to leave this spot.”
I rest my cheek on the top of his hair and look at the same amazing view. Not nearly as amazing as the man beside me, though.
So much happened this year. After regaining our memories last December, Jack moved in with me, and we’ve been attached at the hip ever since. He met my parents for Christmas, and they welcomed him into the family like he’d been part of it for years. Mom pulled me aside and said Jack was adorable and sweet, and Dad said he saw how happy Jack made me. That made him happy in turn.
The two of them bonded over fishing, and—much to my amusement—Jack tried to teach Dad how to fish with a spear. Without his ice powers, it was a lot different than when he and I did it, but powers or not, Jack was still a badass.
We got married in October.
The wedding was outside, the landscape colored in red, orange, and yellow with all the changing leaves on the trees. I was a total sap and cried as I said my vows to love him until death do us part, and he got a little choked up too when he repeated the words back to me.
