(Jackie’s POV)
Chris’s head snapped toward the door again — the footsteps were closer now. Too close.
Before I could ask what was happening, he was at my side, pulling me up gently but quickly. “We need to get upstairs. Now.”
“But—my ankle—”
“I’ve got you,” he said, and then I was in his arms, pressed against his chest as he carried me up the stairs to the loft. His steps were silent, but my heartbeat was deafening.
The loft closet was barely big enough for both of us, but he eased us inside, closing the door until we were in complete darkness. I could hear his breathing, steady but low, like he was forcing himself to stay calm for me.
He pulled out his phone, screen dimmed, and pressed it to his ear.
No bars.
I saw his jaw clench. He tried again. Still nothing.
Minutes dragged by, every creak in the cabin making my chest tighten more. Then — one bar.
He didn’t waste a second, dialing 911 and whispering our location. I couldn’t hear what the dispatcher said, but I caught the words “stay hidden” before he ended the call.
My whole body shook. My breaths came too fast, too shallow. I pressed my hands to my face to muffle the sound.
“Hey, hey,” Chris whispered, one arm curling around me. “It’s okay, you’re okay. Breathe with me.”
I tried. I really did. But my chest still felt like it was caving in.
When he lifted me into his lap, my panic mixed with another thought I couldn’t swallow down. “Chris… I’m heavy. You don’t have to—”
He froze. “What?”
“I’m fat,” I whispered. “I’m heavy. You don’t have to hold me like this.”
“Jackie,” he said, so firmly it startled me. “You’re not heavy to me. I don’t care about numbers or sizes. I care that you’re safe. And right now, that means I hold you, no matter what.”
The lump in my throat grew, but before I could respond—
Crash.
Downstairs.
The front door.
Chris’s arm tightened around me instantly, his other hand clamping gently over my mouth in warning. His eyes met mine in the dark, telling me without words to stay silent.
We weren’t alone in the cabin anymore.
YOU ARE READING
Snowed In With You.
RomanceWhen a blizzard strands Jackie at a remote ski lodge, she ends up snowed in with Chris Sturniolo. What starts as awkward small talk quickly turns into late-night conversations, shared laughter, and a spark neither of them saw coming. ⚠️ I'M SORRY FO...
