Page 136 of Snowed In
“She knows. Or guessed at least.”
“But then why…” I trail off, looking at the rigid hold of her shoulders, at her head turned firmly to the side window. If she’s guessed what Andrew was planning, she doesn’t look very happy about it.
Andrew seems to think so too. He can’t stop glancing at her. Nor can he stop tapping his fingers against the steering wheel, a nervous gesture that I doubt he’s even aware of. But even if he wanted to, he can’t do anything with Christian and me in the car.
He can only wait and wonder and probably think the worst.
“You couldn’t have locked the front door?” I mutter, and Christian’s lips twitch as his hand finds mine, holding it for the rest of the ride.
By the time we get to my house, things have gotten so awkward that I wouldn’t be surprised if Christian asks to get out as well, but Andrew straightens halfway up the drive, his voice just a littletoocheerful as he attempts to break the tension.
“Looks like you have guests!”
I lean forward as he slows to a halt, trying to see who it is and if I can avoid them. “Mam probably invited some…oh myGod.”
There are two unknown cars parked in front of my house. Two cars and three people. One is Sophie, who stands on the porch with her hand over her mouth, and the other two are Aidan and Isaac.
Who are currently in the middle of a fight.
They wrestle together on what should be the grass but is now just a thick lump of snow, something which severely hampers both their efforts, making the whole thing more ridiculous than it is violent, seeing as how they keep falling over their own feet.
Sophie’s eyes widen when she sees us, and she hurries over as Andrew stops the car, and I scramble out.
“This is my fault,” she says. “I’m so sorry, Megan.”
“What are you talking about?Hey!” I shout, as the other two rush at each other. Aidan disappears briefly into the snow before getting back up again. “Break it up!”
Neither of them hear me.
“Aidan and I were talking,” Sophie explains. “And then Isaac showed up and he wouldn’t leave until he spoke with you, and I got angry at him and then he got angry at me and then Aidan gotreallyangry and now they’re fighting. They’ve been at it for ages. I don’t know what to do.”
“Would you call that fighting?” Andrew says mildly as they both fall again.
“Aidan!” I yell, finally getting his attention. “What the hell are you doing? Mam’s going to kill you!”
I don’t expect an answer, but what I really don’t expect is for him to get distracted and look over just in time to catch a punch to the face.
Okay, it’s not really a punch. More like a flailing hand that manages to make contact, but still. He rears back, clutching his jaw, and I give up.
“Don’t just stand there,” I say, gesturing at them as Christian does just that. “Do something.”
“Like what?”
“Likehelp.”
He looks surprised. “Aidan’s holding his own.”
Oh, for the love of— “I don’t mean helphim, I mean helpme. We need to break them apart.”
“They’ll tire themselves out eventually,” he says, only to sigh when I glare at him. “You could have at least waited until Aidan got a few hits in.”
Neither man notices Christian’s approach, and he examines them only briefly before diving in, grabbing Isaac by the back of his coat and hauling him back. Isaac immediately loses his footing and lands with a hard thump in the snow, but Christian pays him no heed as he reaches out a hand and helps Aidan up.
Aidan who has a split lip.
Sophie gasps beside me at the sight of blood, but it doesn’t seem to bother my brother, who immediately tries to go after Isaac again. This time Christian’s there, standing between them, and with a firm shove, keeps him away.
“We should probably go,” Andrew says behind me. “Unless you need us to—”
