As Snow Falls

4

"Throw me to the wolves and I'll return leading the pack"
-author unknown

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Humid air surrounds me as water falls from the shower head- a steady stream of warmth. Where the air touches the cold grey shower curtain water droplets form, racing each other to the bottom. I can't recall how long I've been here for, doing nothing. Long enough for my fingers to wrinkle and my hair to hang heavy around my shoulders and neck. But I'm finally warm again.

It had taken the shower three minutes to warm up. Three aching minutes of avoiding direct eye contact with Nathan and trying to come up with pleasant conversations. Three minutes full of deathly awkward silence. Three minutes that stretched into oblivion.

Nathan, being Nathan, seemed unaffected by any of this. He simply went about his business, wearing his signature half smile. He had held true on his statement about a hot drink and made me a nice big cup of tea, or what passed for tea. The taste of the motel brand tea was horrid but it did its job and warmed me to the core. Finally, ridding me of my constant shivers.

The heat from the shower was rapidly starting to decrease along with its pressure, going from a hot waterfall to a warm lake. Letting out a gentle sigh, I turn off the water and step out of the shower. The cold air of the white bathroom causes goosebumps to rise on my skin but it is nothing compared to outside.

Quickly grabbing the nearest towel, I dry myself and throw on the clothes Nathan had given me.  His white teeshirt hangs just above my knees while his grey sweatpants look like they have swallowed my legs. I frown at the ridiculous outfit that once would have made me laugh.

The small bathroom has no mirror so I have no way to assess the damage done to my face. Considering the lack of sleep I've had in the past twenty four hours and how my unruly hair always curled after a shower, I'm far from a runway model. Throwing my wet hair up into a bun, I turn to open the door.

I freeze.

The last time I saw Nathan before tonight, was the day he dropped my heart, wholly and truly breaking it. He never said why, just that it would never work between us and he couldn't do this to himself again. Whatever this was.

Later that same week, after five tubs of ice cream and a drunken night out with my friends, I made the biggest decision of my life and moved from the chilly Alaskan air to the clear skies of Australia. I was only supposed to be gone for three months but those three months stretched into three years.

Come on, Lee. You can do this. I mutter to myself. What's the worst that can happen?
Taking in a deep breath, I open the door slowly. Stepping quietly out, I find Nathan where I left him, sitting on an old tattered armchair reading a book. He raises his forest eyes to meet mine for a brief second before returning them back to his leather bound book.

Looking around the small room, I'm at a loss of what to do. There is no TV and the only chair available is taken up by Nathan's tall frame. There is one bed in the corner of the room barely big enough to hold two people but beside that the room is empty, not even a side table. It's not like I could play a game on my phone since it had died in my car...my car.

Oh no.
The shock of seeing Nathan again had momentarily made me forget the reason why I had spent most of the night walking.... and the party. My mother is going to kill me.

"Can I borrow your phone?" I ask, maybe a little too loud in my panicked state.
Nathan jumps at the sound of my voice, suddenly filling the silence.

"Please," I add for good measure.

Raising his eyes to meet mine again, he digs his hand into his trouser pocket. A few seconds late his phone appears in his grip.

"Sure," he says holding it out for me.

"Thank you," I say rushing to his side and snatching the phone out of his hand a little to quickly. If he notices he doesn't say anything, instead returning to read his book. Pacing around the room I stare at the top corner of the phones screen until a little white bar appears announcing I have found signal. Dialling in the number I know off by heart, I hold my breathe as the phone rings. Then rings again. On the third ring she picks up.

"Hello?" Asks a sweet voice hesitantly.

"Ellie, it's me Alex."

"Oh my god! Lee, are you alright!?" She practically screams down the phone, "Where have you been? The party started hours ago. Mam is fit to kill you!"

"El relax, I'm fine. My car just crashed is all, no biggie. Seems I've forgotten how icy the mountain roads can be." I say with a little laugh trying to calm my sister down. I hear Nathan snort at my comment. I turn to glare at him but his eyes are still glued to his book.

"No biggie!" Ellie exclaims, my comment having the opposite effect than what I intended. There is a slight pass before she says, "Please don't tell me you were driving the Bently."

My silence is the only answer she needed. "Alex! How many times have I told you that thing wasn't fit for these roads? It's also been left unused for three years in a garage! But nooo, of course you wouldn't listen to me. You know we were going sent out a search party. If it wasn't for the fact that Syn Ridge was snowed in, blocking our way to the main road, we would have!"

"Ellie," I say exasperated "I'm fine, I promise."

Finally coming down from her rant, she speaks in her usual tone, "You better be. You had me worried. If it wasn't for all those years you spent camping with dad I would have gone out to look for you myself. You owe me." I can hear the pout in her voice.

"I'll buy you the biggest slice of chocolate brownie Ms.Margo has in her bakery" I promise knowing sugary desserts were Ellie's weakness especially the hand made desserts made in our local bakery. Even at twenty four, Ellie could still act like a child.

"I'll hold you to it!" Ellie remarks. "You know I'm going to have to give you over to Mam and warning, she's not in her best mood."

"El don't you dar-" I begin to say but it's too late.

Mam's voice came over the line and I have to pull the phone away from my ear to prevent myself going deaf. I try to tune her out but my efforts are in vain. Why was I late to her party? Where am I? Why didn't I call her first? Why did I crash the car? Was I wearing a red or blue dress? Was I alright?

After five minutes of this, I decide to try bring her rant to an end, "Mam, I'm alright. I promise."

"I know but I worry, dear. Especially after what happened to the Wrightman family a few years ago and so close to our home too! It was a tragedy! Have you been talking to Nathan, dear? The poor chap, the only one to survive. How is he? You two always got on so well. I know you broke up but he was such a nice you-"

"Mam," I interrupt, before she can start on another one of her rants. "I'm fine but I'm wrecked so.."

"Alright dear, you get some rest. But you better call me first thing tomorrow morning! Promise me, Alex," she warns.

"I promise, Mam."

"Well goodnight then," And with that she hangs up.

I run a hand down my face and let out an exasperated groan. I hear a quiet chuckle behind me and turn around to face the owner of the voice. His eyes sparkle with laughter and his lips were pulled in a tight line, trying his hardest not to grin.

He failed. Miserably.