Page 9 of Flames of Desire

“That long, huh?” I chuckled, and she laughed back, her high cheekbones complimenting her smile.

“I’ve been so busy trying to get my store in order I completely forgot to just stop and make myself breakfast.”

“Whatever happened to stopping and smelling the roses?”

She simply shrugged. “Turns out it’s a lot harder than it looks.” Looking out the window at the raging snow outside.

Chapter five

CHAPTER FIVE - HEATED CONFESSIONS

The sound of Alex’s voice pulled my attention back from staring out the window. I blinked, focusing on him again. “What did you say?” I asked.

He half-smiled and repeated. “I said it’s been a while since I enjoyed such amazing pancakes.”

My cheeks began to flush slightly. “Thank you,” I replied quickly, standing up to gather the plates and take them back to the kitchen. As I walked back into the living room, I found Alex with his phone in hand, a small scowl on his face.

“Everything okay?” I asked, genuinely curious.

He glanced up, frustration evident in his eyes. “No service. Not even a single bar.”

I pulled out my own phone, hopeful for a brief moment, but my growing smile completely disappeared when I saw the same thing. “Same here,” I said, with a sigh. “I just checked.”

Alex sighed deeply, shoving his phone back into his pocket and standing up. “What now?” I asked, feeling a bit lost.

“We do the only thing we can do,” he said, walking back to the living room. He picked up the TV remote and held it up. “See what’s on TV.”

I mulled it over, realizing it wasn’t such a bad idea. Maybe watching a movie with Alex could be a good way to pass the time and distract ourselves from the tension. I noticed Alex had already settled on the couch and was about to grab my things to move when he looked at me, puzzled.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” he asked, eyebrows raised.

“I thought I’d move somewhere else so you could have the couch,” I explained, feeling a bit silly.

He shook his head. “No need for that. Just join me on the couch.”

My heart skipped a beat, and I hesitated. “I can’t…”

He looked at me, his expression softening. “If that’s the case, then how about we build a fort? That way we can both be comfortable.”

I stared at him in disbelief. “Are you serious?”

He grinned. “Absolutely. Come on, it’ll be fun.”

A part of me couldn’t believe what the infamous playboy of Greendale had just suggested, but another part of me was intrigued. “Alright,” I agreed sheepishly.

Alex’s grin widened, and he immediately got up from the couch, grabbing the blankets. Together, we started to build the fort. He draped the blankets over the couch and coffee table, securing them with pillows. I helped a bit, handing him the blankets and adjusting the corners.

When we were done, he looked down at me, and only then did I realize how close we were standing. “After you,” he said, gesturing to our makeshift fort.

I nodded sheepishly and crawled into the fort, the blankets creating a cozy little space. As I settled in, Alex slid in right beside me, his warmth radiating inches away from me, sending tingles through my body.

We sat in silence for a moment, only the crackling fire and the howling wind outside disturbing the quiet.

“You know,” Alex said quietly. “This kinda reminds me of the time I and Colt built that treehouse in your backyard. Remember?”

I smiled at the fleeting memory. “Yeah, I remember. You and my brother insisted on making it the coolest treehouse ever.”

“And you kept bringing us lemonade,” he added, his gaze softening. “Somehow, you were always there, even when we tried to keep you out.”

---