Page 13 of When It Snows

I smile. “Pass.”

“Is this why you fled Smuggler’s Hideaway? To get away from your parents?”

I feel my cheeks warm. Fleeing sounds bad. As if I was accused of a crime and ran off before I could get convicted.

“I couldn’t stay here and be subjected to their judgmental views all the time. It’s sad since I could literally work from anywhere in the world. Assuming the internet is working.”

“The cell towers are still down?”

I nod. “It’s been more than twenty-four hours and they’re still not working.”

“More than twenty-four hours? How long did I sleep?”

“You’ve been asleep for a day.”

“Wow.” He throws off the blanket. “I should probably get to work on digging out the car.”

I motion to the window. “It’s been snowing the entire time. I doubt you’ll have much luck.”

“Crap. Guess I’m stuck here.”

“Be nice.” I wag my finger at him. “Or I’ll reduce your rations to bread and water.”

“Bread and water?” He rubs his stomach. “I’d settle for prison gruel at this point.”

“I guess I’ll eat the ramen soup I made for us and prepare you some gruel.”

“Ramen soup?” His nose wrinkles. “The stuff we ate in college?”

“You poor peasant. My ramen soup is not anywhere near to what you ate in college. It’s a culinary masterpiece.”

“Considering how good you made canned chicken noodle soup taste, I can’t wait. What can I do? Set the table? Do the dishes?”

“You’re going to help?” Dad doesn’t help Mom inside the house since it’s ‘women’s work’.

“Of course. You’ve been nursing me for the past day. It’s the least I can do.”

I wag a finger at him. “Don’t get any ideas. I’m not putting on some skimpy nurse’s outfit.”

“A man can hope, can’t he?”

I snort. As if a man like Weston Milton would ever be interested in the nerdy bookworm.

Chapter 6

Let’s get cozy.

Weston

Scarlett hands me two large bowls of noodle soup and I carry them to the table while she gathers spoons and chopsticks.

“Do you want tea or water?”

The idea of drinking her green tea again nearly has me gagging. “Water’s fine.”

“Not a fan of green tea?”

I shrug. “I tried.”

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