Frostbitten Past

X V I I

Andorra cast a look towards Lila, and then towards the door where Kyle was getting them punch. She turned back to Noah, deciding a chat wouldn't be the end of the world. But, over his shoulder, she could see Shaniah watching them, her face pulled back into a sneer.

"Sure, but not in here."

Noah took that answer and wrapped his arm around her lower back, pulling her from the crowd. She didn't question why he wanted to talk, or why he had suddenly approached her. Part of her wanted to think it was because he wasn't all that horrible, but another part of her felt as though it was because for once, she was beautiful and the center of attention. As soon as Shaniah wasn't, he was moving on.

She didn't want to believe that about him, even though he was a rude jerk, but a part of her wanted to think he was a decent guy. Yeah, right. Keep dreaming.

He pulled her through the double doors, out of the gym and into the hallway, but he didn't stop there. He continued to pull her through the hallway, and then he turned down another corredor, coming to the door at the end of the hallway. His pace was brisk, like he was nervous someone was following them, and then he yanked them out of the school.

The biting cold instantly made Andorra reel back, flinching in the weather. She was suddenly aware of her bare arms and her bare legs, and suddenly the constant chill that lived in her bones was ignited, and she felt the scramble to get back inside.

Noah pulled her closer to him, still outside. She turned to face him, anger in her eyes. "It's freezing out here! Are you crazy?"

She knew he was. That first day they met, he'd told her that he'd come from some place further north than the north pole, and it was clear that he was acclimated to the weather, unlike she was.

He shrugged off his suit jacket and draped it over her shoulders without saying a word. She wanted to tell him that a little jacket wouldn't make a difference, but she found herself threading her arms through the sleeves, wrapping it around her like a blanket.

She immediately noticed how it smelled like Noah. It smelled like the winter air, like balsam trees and a hint of spice. She didn't want to dig her nose into the fabric at the base of her neck, but the urge was so strong she found herself doing so anyway.

He wasn't even watching her. He was looking out towards the football field, his body rigid and still, like he wasn't sure what to do now that they were both outside, alone. From where they were standing, Andorra couldn't even hear the music from inside, like they were in their own little world.

When he turned to her, his eyes were so white that she let out a gasp, and then her eyebrows dug together in anger. "How do you do that with your eyes? It isn't natural that you can control your eye color."

Noah blinked, and in an instant, his eyes were blue again. He cocked his head to the side and regarded her silently, but his face was still and bare, absolutely nothing in his expression that would tell her what he was thinking.

And then he reached for her, his fingers wrapping around a strand of her hair. "Andorra, we need to talk about something important."

She felt her breath hitch in her throat at the sight of him reaching towards her, his fingers in her hair, his face close to hers. She blinked once, then twice, then looked down at her feet. Her heart was thrumming in her chest at a pace that was far too fast, and she was beginning to wonder why it was Noah she had the reaction to.

"About what?" She wanted to press her question about his eyes, those damn eyes, but she didn't. She looked at him, trying to piece everything together because there was something about him that wasn't like anyone else she knew. When he looked at her, he looked years older than a simple high school student. He looked wiser, stronger, more mature. His confidence surpassed all the boys that went to her high school, and then some.