Don't Go In Alone

THURSDAY DECEMBER 19

I hate winter. It's the worst season because everything is frozen and there's snow which can be worse than rain because it sticks to your clothes and piles up and then melts and you're left freezing and shaking from the cold. It's made worse by the fact that you have, yet again, forgotten your key in the house and all the doors are locked.

I'm starting to think I need to get a lanyard to keep my key on and wear it around my neck at all times. Or have the keyring pierced onto my body somewhere so I'd never forget it. My fingers are stiff as I try to unlock the screen on my phone without taking my gloves off, but they're too cold and the touch screen won't recognize the fact that I'm swiping to unlock it.

Zach won't be out of school for another couple of hours and while I'm not jumping for joy at the idea of hanging out on my porch until I have to go get him, I also don't want to go with the alternative option and go next door to see if I can wait inside over there.

I still don't want to talk to Carson. I don't want to listen to his excuses. It can't be a coincidence that after I said those things to him on Monday, I haven't seen the figure standing around. I mean, it's nice that he's stopped with whatever it was he was trying to do. I still look for him around in the shadows though. I still haven't been able to shake the on edge feeling from the back of my mind.

But despite everything, I find myself crossing the lawns, boots crunching in the snow. I knock on Carson's door and it takes him longer than usual to answer. When he does, his face is flushed and his hair is stuck to his temples with sweat. I raise an eyebrow at him.

"H-hey, kitten." He runs his fingers through his hair, tries to steady his breathing without making it obvious. He fails.

"Did I interrupt something?"

"No, uh, I was just out back. Splitting logs."

"It's snowing right now."

"Yeah, I know."

"Why would you be splitting logs in the snow?"

"Because everyone needs firewood in the winter. Look, did you need something or...?" He drags the word out, his breathing finally back to normal though the flush on his face is still there.

"I forgot my key again." I drop my eyes, chew on my lip. "I know we aren't really on the best terms right now, but," I gesture behind me, at the backdrop of white. "it's snowing."

"Bad terms or not, I'll always let you in, kitten." He grins, blocks me when I go to take a step through the doorway. "But today, there's a catch. I'll only let you come in on one condition."

Something in my chest eases at the thought of him still acting the same even though I've been so rude to him lately. "I'm not going to purr for you, Carson."

"I wasn't going to ask you to." He crosses his arms, taps his fingers against his bicep. "If I let you in, you have to hear me out about the other night. No more running away or ignoring me."

I fidget, unsure if I want to go through with this anymore. I don't want to hear his excuses, his explanations. But it's so cold outside. "Fine," I'm saying before I can think better of it.

"Come on in then." He steps aside, fingers gripping high up on the door so I'm forced to duck under his arm in order to slip into the house. He shuts the door behind me. "Are you hungry or anything?"

"No, just cold."

"You're in luck then, because I've got the fire going." He hovers around behind me while I hang my coat up and take my boots off.

"Feel free to start explaining at any time," I tell him as I walk to the living room. The heat from the fire has the room feeling at least ten degrees warmer than outside and my muscles start to relax almost immediately.