Page 18 of Jilted By Jack Frost

And then all at once he’s back. Standing in front of me like he never left, except for how disheveled he looks compared to this morning. His hair is all out of sorts, windswept every which way and sticking up in odd directions, the white spikes almost looking like they’re made of icicles now that they aren’t so carefully styled.

He exhales a long, exhausted-sounding breath and doesn’t spare me a glance before turning and heading for the door, snow falling from his boots with each step.

“That’s fine,” I deadpan. It stops Jack in his tracks. “Don’t acknowledge me. Don’t even try to explain what you did to me earlier. Or why you were gone for four hours and don’t even seem to care enough to even check to see if I am okay after that.”

He lifts his head to the sky, as if exasperated. Likehe’sthe one who’s spent half the day waiting for him to return.

Then he turns around and looks me in the eye. “I attempted to take you with me when I went back to Earth. My hope was that I could merely drop you off and go home. It didn’t work.”

“It felt like I left my body.”

“You likely did. Your mortal body isn’t meant to travel to and from realms like mine is. Actually, it’s a surprise to me you’re sitting here, arguing with me like usual. I expected profuse vomiting.”

“Well, you were gone a while.”

“Time moves differently here.”

“Thatdifferently? It was morning when you left. The moons are setting now.”

He groans. “Fine. There were…thingsI needed to tend to on your planet.”

“Oh? Little Jack Frost, do you have a fuck buddy?”

“Awhat? You know what—no. Don’t answer that.”

“It’s no strings attached fucking. Or do you prefer the termmaking love, you absolute prude?” I snicker.

“No. No, that’s enough out of you.”

“And notnearlyenough out ofyou. What’s going on with Earth?”

Jack stares at me for a long moment. I can see the conflict in his eyes. The debate. He doesn’t look away fromme once as he decides if he’s going to tell me the truth, or if he’s going to tell me to fuck off.

“Do you remember when I said my realm has been getting warmer as of late?”

“Yes,” I drawl. Though remembering how cold I felt when I first got here, I’m not sure how that’s possible.

“Yourrealm seems to be suffering the opposite effect.”

I frown. “Where’d you go?”

“I was attempting to take you home.”

“So Colorado? It’s winter there.”

He narrows his eyes at me, the blue in them turning colder than the first frost of winter. “I am the reason for your winters. I did not give youthat.” The way he emphasizes ‘that’ makes my skin prickle with unease.

My heart stills in my chest, and then it picks up again in overtime, hammering against my ribs like it’s trying to escape. Fuck. The implications of what he’s saying hit me like an avalanche.

“The blizzard? Is it still there?” I can barely get the words out, my throat tight with fear of his answer.

“I’m very much hoping that the ‘blizzard’ you were foolish enough to walk into was nowhere near as bad as the one they were fighting, or I might honestly have to send you to our alchemist for intelligence testing.” I open my mouth to speak, but Jack continues on. “That’s why I was there for so long. I was…diffusing it, if you will.”

I frown slightly. “That sounds… considerably less fun than fucking.”

His pale blue skin makes it easy to note the light blush that colors his cheeks. “Quite.”

Something about his boyish embarrassment is… endearing to me. Cute. So at odds with the usual harsh, regal side of him I am usually treated with.

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