She Should've Known Better
Fresh from the slopes, her cheeks were flushed, kissed pink by the cold wind. Snow clung to the cuffs of her leggings as she trudged across the parking lot, skis slung over one shoulder and her boots thudding against the slush-covered asphalt. She was exhausted, the kind of tired that settles in your bones, and all she wanted was to get warm. Maybe listen to some music. Maybe cry a little. It had been that kind of day.
She fumbled with her phone in gloved hands, trying to remotely start her car. Nothing. No click. No engine rumble. Not even a flicker of hope. Confused, she quickened her pace, snow crunching beneath her feet.
When she reached the driver's side, she leaned in and saw it.
A dim interior light.
Faint. Dying.
"Of course," she muttered bitterly. "Of course I'd do that."
Leave a door light on and kill the battery—classic. And now here she was, stranded in a small, sleepy mountain town with the sun already beginning to disappear behind the trees. The air was thinning into that deep chill of early evening. Her breath floated in front of her like a ghost.
She stood there for a moment, biting the inside of her cheek. Who the hell could she even call?
Thomas.
That name came without hesitation. A guy she technically barely knew. They had exchanged texts and phone calls over a year ago, nothing more. She wouldn't even recognize him on the street. But still... there was something about him she trusted, something steady in his voice back then. Thoughtful. Kind. He made her laugh during a hard time in her life—and that counted for something.
Still, this wasn't how she pictured finally meeting him. Looking like a damp, stranded cliché in mismatched ski gear and runny mascara.
But she had no one else. Not really.
She inhaled and dialed his number.
One ring.
Two.
Three—
"Hello?" The voice on the other end was groggy, uncertain. "Mac?"
"Hey, Thomas!" she tried to sound cheerful, casual, like she wasn't desperate.
"What's up?"
"I... hate to be that person, but I'm kind of stranded. My car's dead and I don't know anyone else who lives up here. Can you pick me up?"
He paused. "Oh shit, you're in town?"
"Yeah," she laughed weakly. "My car broke down..."
The silence that followed felt heavy. She closed her eyes. Maybe this was stupid. Maybe she should—
"If you can't, I'll figure something out," she said quickly. "It's just... no one's answering and I'm about an hour away from—"
"You don't have to explain. I was just getting in my car anyway. Send me your location."
Relief crashed over her.
"God, thank you. I'll text it right now."
"I'll see you in a bit."
The call ended.
She sat back in her car, the silence returning like fog. She peeled off her ski pants, revealing black leggings underneath, and hugged her fleece sweater tighter around her torso. The cold air seeped through the windows, stinging her face.
