Page 120 of Snowed In
“Only because Andrew’s paid for all this stuff.”
“And he’s not going to be using it.” Plus, I’ll just pay him back, anyway. Now that the idea is in my head, it feels too good to let go. “Come on. You’re telling me you don’t want to try the hot tub?”
She crosses her arms even as she starts to smile. “I feel like you’re one step away from giving me puppy-dog eyes.”
“I’m not above them,” I say. “But it’s up to you, Meg.”
Her expression softens at the nickname, and I know I’ve got her. “How are you okay with this?” she asks. “You wanted Christmas dinner with your family. I was going to big you up, remember?”
“Nah,” I say. “What I wanted was to have a good Christmas.”
And I have a feeling that’s exactly what I’ve gotten.
TWENTY-SIX
MEGAN
“Let me get this straight,” Frankie says. “You’re trapped in a luxury romantic cabin for Christmas with your pretend boyfriend who has made it clear that he is one hundred percent attracted to you.”
“Yes.”
“And this is the same guy as before we’re talking about.”
“Yes.”
“The super-hot one.”
“Yes,” I hiss, drawing the curtains closed.
“The super-hot guy you’re trapped in a cabin with wants to bone you and you want to bone him, but instead of either of you doing that, you’re hiding in your room and on the phone to me and are all likeoh no, my reasons.”
I pause. “Well, when you say it like that…”
Frankie groans. “Megan—”
“I know.”
“Get your head out of your—”
“Iknow,” I say, turning on the light. I woke to darkness five minutes ago after a much-needed nap and the first thing I did was call her. I’m beginning to regret it. She always did have a habit of getting straight to the point of things. “It’s more complicated than it sounds.”
“Only because you’re complicating it.”
“It was clearer before. We had rules.” And now he said the rules have gone out the window, meaning I have no idea where we stand. “We still have to get through another week of this,” I say. “I don’t want to make it awkward.”
“You’re making it awkward right now,” she tells me. “Just go for it. If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work. Whatever. You move on. You cut your hair short and buy a bunch of books you’re never going to read.C’est la vie.”
“I read at least two of those books last time.”
“Megan, come on. Look at where you are right now. Where he is. You just brought him back from the brink of death! That’s romantic.”
“He had a migraine and I brought him water.”
“And you still couldn’t leave his side. It would be different if he’d kept his distance, but he hasn’t. Do you want to explore this or not?”
I fall silent, sitting on the end of the mattress. “Maybe.”
“Well, I guess that’s a start,” she says, sounding tired.
