Page 30 of Mr. Winter
I keep the kiss sweet and light because if I get too into it, I’ll break the promise to myself and fuck her where she stands. She withdraws from the kiss but slides her hands in my hair, playing with the strands like she always does. It’s one of the things I remember from when we were teens she picked back up like she never stopped.
“What’s your favorite Christmas memory?”
“Too many to name,” I deflect.
“Pick one. The first one that comes to mind.”
My jaw tenses, and I relax it to look unbothered. She doesn’t know she’s on a sensitive subject.
“What’s yours?”
Arden looks at me for a moment like she can read my brain if she tries hard enough then opts to answer me.
“I like the ones we were able to spend together, but as an adult, one of my favorites was a few years ago. My parents were here and Old Man—”
“You know, let’s do this later,” I suggest. “I’m ready to go inside.”
I’m not ready to hear memories that I missed with my grandfather because I was too damn scared to take on this responsibility. Another thing that’s not her fault. I don’t want to snap at her.
Although I stand, Arden doesn’t move. “What’s wrong, Jack?”
“Nothing. I just don’t want to talk about Christmas right now.”
“Understandable, but it’s not ‘nothing.’ What’s really bothering you.”
“And if I told you I didn’t want to talk about it?” I challenge her as she continues to stand her ground.
“I’d tell you whatever you’re bottling up will cause issues and more blizzards later.”
Even if her words are a bitter truth, the concern on her face doesn’t allow me to lash out; instead, it breaks me. I sink back down and drop my head on her chest. It still hurts and my attempts to numb the loss haven’t worked for me yet.
“It hurts too fucking much to think about the holiday my grandfather loved the most. Every single great memory involved him until I ran from my legacy. I knew he had to be here; it was rare that he’d leave, yet I never returned like I should’ve. I missed important time with him, running from something I ended up doing anyway. I’m here any-fucking-way, and I could have seen him and made new memories. Instead, I’m lost and alone.”
“But you’re not alone. You have staff that is like family, your parents are a phone call away, I’m here with you, and those other assholes care. You have to let us in, Jack.”
I look up at her, and she wipes a tear I didn’t know fell. “It’s not that easy. Our family duty can get people hurt if they’re too close. I can’t let you get hurt.”
“How? Are y’all mafia? You mean to tell me Old Man Winters was picking people off in a Christmas sweater?”
I snort at the absurdity of what she said. A smile sneaks out before I realize it.
“No, crazy woman. We protect Fairhope from other unsavory beings.”
She looks around momentarily alarmed. “Wait, why am I surprised? You caused a blizzard in a country not prone to snow, of course, you wouldn’t be the only one. There’s just one thing, Jack. That’s a risk I’m willing to take. I just can’t shut of feelings because you deemed them unsafe.”
“It’s necessary,” I argue.
Losing my grandfather hurt, losing anyone else, especially due to negligence on my part, would be unacceptable. It’d kill me if I let Arden get hurt or killed. She holds up a finger as she thinks.
“Quick question. How is the ‘gift’ passed down?”
“The power goes to every male heir.”
“So your magic is sexist.”
I laugh this time. “Shut up. No, it’s something about the XY chromosome combination. The X cancels the other out. I didn’t listen that well. The point is my grandfather had daughters, so I got it. My aunt had daughters and my parents only have me, so I’m the heir who inherits it all.”
“You know what I hear?”
