Chapter 5

Chapter Five

SLOAN

H olly Grove is cute, but the people here are vile. It’s abundantly clear that the people here identify me as an outsider, and even more clear that they heard about what happened last night. I’ve done a decent job at avoiding eye contact with anyone I pass by, but the few times I’ve looked up, I’ve been met with a variety of faces. Some filled with pity, others with disgust. I don’t really understand how people can be so judgmental when they weren’t even there firsthand to see what happened. There were some people around us when we were fighting, but not that many.

Aside from the people, this town is really cute. The buildings are all older, but they’re been taken care of and kept up quite well. Several of the paths that twist between businesses are cobblestone, adding to the holiday charm of this place. Green garland wrapped in twinkling white lights lines the front of each business downtown where the good shopping is.

Throughout the day, Alex has been sending me cryptic little messages, making me think he’s watching me from afar. His note said he had a few things to take care of today, but I get the feeling I’m being watched. Every time I’ve turned around, fully expecting to see Alex lurking in the shadows, I’m met by nothing, which gets my excitement rising even more than when I first read his note this morning.

I spent all day shopping and exploring. I looked up the address to the church Alex gave me, and it’s on the other side of town. During my venture through downtown I mentally mapped out which route I want to take when it gets dark. Without a car, it’ll take me twenty five minutes to walk from here to the church. As much as I’d like to shave some of that time off by running, I don’t think that’s what these boots were made for, or what I was made for. I’ve never been a runner, and I don’t know that I’ll start tonight. Stealth will be my strategy. Plus there’s snow and ice covering the entire town. The town workers did a decent job removing snow from the roads and sidewalks, but it’s been snowing off and on all day, and they can’t keep up with it.

“Here’s your receipt,” the slim, blonde cashier says from the other side of the check-out counter as she holds out the piece of paper for me to take. “Have a good evening.”

“Thank you,” I nod, taking the paper from her thin hand. “You, too.”

Stuffing the diminished wad of cash back into my pocket, I pick up my bags and stride for the door, heading in the direction of the café I stopped at this morning. Earlier in the day I decided I’d go back for a hot chocolate before Alex and I start our game. I have a little time left to kill anyway, so this is perfect.

The icy breeze blasts my face as I step onto the snow-covered sidewalk and into the dimming daylight. My phone chimes as soon as I begin walking, prompting a grin to spread across my lips.

Alex. It has to be him.

Shuffling the bags around in my hands, I reach into my pocket for my phone. My smile widens further when I see the message on the screen.

Need some help with your bags?

I glance up from the screen, looking around the entire area. The streets are mostly empty now. Everyone has gone home to get ready for the midnight mass service. I don’t know how Alex got us out of going to it tonight, but I’m fucking grateful. The thought of sitting through three hours of Alex’s dad talking about shit he doesn’t live by doesn’t exactly appeal to me.

My fingers are hurt from the cold air as I text him back.

Yes. Are you here?

It only takes a few seconds for him to respond.

Finishing up taking care of a few things. I’m sending a car to take your bags back to the cabin. See you soon.

Shoving my phone back into my pocket, I smile to myself as I walk toward the café. The sun is on the horizon now and the temperature is dropping quickly. This game is so unlike Alex, but it suddenly feels like he’s trying. Between the money, the texts throughout the day, and the fact that he put actual thought into an activity for us to do together… I feel seen. Maybe he does feel bad about what happened last night and is doing all of this because he doesn’t want to lose me. Maybe it was one fuck up and won’t happen again.

When I reach the café there’s a black SUV waiting in front of the entrance, and there’s a man dressed in a black suit patiently waiting for me.

“Miss Sloan?” he asks, his voice delightfully professional.

“Yes,” I nod. “You’re here for my bags?”

“I am,” the man responds. “Let me take those for you. They’ll be waiting for you in the cabin.”

He stretches his arms out, gently taking the load of bags off my arms. The relief from the loss of all that weight is instant, making me roll my shoulders and neck around.

“Thank you,” I smile as he loads them into the SUV.

“Is there anything else I can assist you with before I leave, Miss Sloan?” he inquires, turning to fully face me with his hands clasped behind his back.

“No,” I shake my head. “You’re done more than enough. I think I’ll warm up in the café before meeting with Alex.”

“Have a good evening,” the man smiles before getting back into the SUV and driving off with my bags.

Turning back toward the café, I feel weirdly taken care of. I didn’t even have to tell Alex that I had too many bags and didn’t want to walk around with them all night. He just knew what I needed and acted on it. It’s a different side of him, and I’m hoping it’s here to stay.

Several unfamiliar faces turn to stare at me as I enter the café, but I ignore them as I quickly find an empty table. A waitress wastes little time approaching my table.

“What can I get for you?” she asks as she smacks a piece of gum between her teeth. She doesn’t look up at me as she waits for my response, holding a pen and paper between her fingers.

“Just a hot chocolate, please,” I smile up at her.

Her eyes flick to mine, annoyance clear in them. “That all?”

“Yes,” I nod, tapping my fingers on the top of the table. “I won’t be staying long.”

“Alright,” she sighs, shoving the pen and paper back in her apron before she disappears into the kitchen.

I risk a glance around the café to find multiple people still staring at me. They’re not even trying to hide it, and I think that’s what annoys me most. If my best friend Cara were here, she’d be telling them to go fuck themselves. She’d scare the shit out of them enough to make sure they didn’t so much as think about looking in my direction.

Rolling my eyes, I force myself to carry on and shove them to the back of my mind.

The church is on the other side of town and so many of the streets look similar, especially when the entire town is covered in snow. Pulling up my map on my phone again, I try to memorize the route I’m going to take. I tried to throw a few weird twists in there, something to throw Alex off and give me more time before he finds me.

Although, I’m definitely hoping he does catch me. But I don’t want to play easy to get. This is going to be the sexiest game of cat and mouse anyone has ever played, and I can’t think of a more taboo place to play it. If anyone catches us, word will spread through the town like wildfire, ten times faster than what they saw last night.

Alex’s parents would have a fucking heart attack. They’d never let us live it down. We’d probably be shunned from Holly Grove forever. Then again, that may not be the worst thing in the world.

The impatient waitress returns to my table with a steaming mug of hot chocolate, topped with whipped cream and a pinch of peppermint flakes. I give it a minute to cool down before bringing it to my lips, and when I do, I melt into the mug instantly. The warmth fills me, heating me to my core. This is exactly what I needed before I take off into the night, fleeing for the church.

Tights might not have been the smartest choice on such a cold night, but I know it’ll heat things up quickly when Alex tears through them to gain access to my body.

I sip my hot chocolate until it’s completely dark outside, and then I throw a one hundred dollar bill onto the table as I stand to leave. The waitress certainly doesn’t deserve it because of her attitude, but it is Christmas Eve and I’m sure she can use it. It’s not my money anyway, so it feels like the right thing to do.

Pulling my overcoat tightly around my body, I step through the café doors and into the snowy night, excited and already feeling the pulsing heat as it builds between my thighs.