Page 40 of Jilted By Jack Frost

I take a long drink of coffee to avoid her piercing stare. The familiar taste grounds me in reality after the two weeks in Jack’s magical realm.

“Fine, keep your secrets.” She kicks my foot under the table. “But you owe me for covering your shifts.”

“I’ll buy you dinner for a month.”

“Make it two. And I want the fancy sushi place, not that cheap conveyor belt stuff.”

“Deal.” Relief floods through me. “How bad has it been here?”

“Fucking awful. Half the staff couldn’t make it in. Roads have been completely blocked. We had people sleeping in the waiting room because they couldn’t get home.”

“Jesus.”

God, how do I even begin to explain this?I take another sip of coffee, stalling.

Alana taps her fingers on the table. “Just spit it out. Whatever it is, can’t be that bad.”

“Promise not to have me committed?”

She snorts. “After the week we’ve had? I’d believe anything.”

I lean forward, lowering my voice. “Remember all those stories about Jack Frost?”

“The winter spirit thing? Like from Rise of the Guardians?”

“He’s real. And I’ve been in his realm.”

Alana blinks at me. Her coffee cup freezes halfway to her mouth.

“You’re right, I sound completely insane.” I rub my temples. “But I swear I’m not making this up. He’s tall, has white hair, blue skin, and can literally control ice and snow. His castle has these incredible ice gardens with flowers made of frost, and there are these magical fountains that—“

“Whoa, slow down.” She sets her cup down. “Are you saying you got kidnapped by some supernatural winter king?”

“Not exactly kidnapped. More like... accidentally transported?”

“During the blizzard?”

I nod. “Remember when I said I was walking home that night?”

“The night I told you that was a stupid idea?” She crosses her arms.

“Yeah, that one. Well, turns out you were right.”

Alana studies my face. “Vi, honey, are you sure you didn’t hit your head? Maybe got hypothermia and hallucinated?”

“I knew you wouldn’t believe me.”

“Okay.” She takes a deep breath. “Let’s say I believe you. You spent the last few weeks hanging out with Jack Frost in some magical ice kingdom?”

“Pretty much. Though ‘hanging out’ isn’t exactly how I’d describe it.”

Her eyes narrow. “What does that mean?”

How do I explain the whole fated mates thing without sounding even crazier?“It’s complicated.”

“Girl.” She kicks me under the table again. “You vanish during a freak blizzard, come back with weird marks, and tell me you’ve been in a magical realm with some winter spirit. And you’re being sketchy as hell.” She reaches across the table to squeeze my hand. “But I’m just glad you’re back safe. I was worried sick about you.”

Guilt twists in my stomach. “I’m sorry. I should have found a way to let you know I was okay.”

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