Page 55 of Snowy Secrets

"Stop, don't do that," I say, giving him a light shove. "I'm not all that."

"But you are." He grins sheepishly. "All that and more. How far along are you in the story?"

I roll my eyes, but I can't suppress the smile that tugs at my lips. "Well, if you must know, my intrepid heroine is currently knee-deep in a conspiracy that involves a shady corporation, a missing scientist, and a whole lot of environmental sabotage."

River leans in, his eyes gleaming with interest. "Sounds juicy. Any steamy love scenes yet?"

I chuckle at that, although my stomach is in knots. "You'll have to wait and see. Some things are best left to the imagination."

Unlike what I'm about to tell him.

He pulls me closer, his arm tightening around my waist. "True," he murmurs, his voice warm against my ear. "But I have a feeling reality is going to be even better than anything you could dream up."

"Do you?" I whisper too, but miserably.

"Yes," he confirms. "After what I've seen…"

A deep breath later, his eyes move to night deepening outside the bedroom window. "I've seen things," he starts, his voice barely above a whisper, "things no one should ever have to see. Children in pain, families torn apart by war. It messes with your head, you know? Makes you question everything."

His eyes are tormented. "There was this one time," he continues, his voice shaking, "we were in this village. We were supposed to secure the area. But it wasn't secure. There were kids everywhere, playing in the streets, just like any other day. But then the shooting started. Chaos erupted. I saw this little girl, couldn't have been more than six or seven. She was holding her brother's hand, trying to run, but they got separated. She was screaming, crying for him."

River's eyes glisten with unshed tears. "I tried to help her, but I couldn't get to her in time. She looked at me, and I could see the fear in her eyes. It's a look I'll never forget. She…she didn't make it. None of them did. The whole village was wiped out."

His voice breaks, and he buries his face in his hands. "I've always hoped to one day be a father," he confesses, his voice muffled, "to give so much joy to a child. I want to make up for all the pain I've seen, to create something beautiful out of all this horror."

My heart aches for him. I reach out, placing a hand on his shoulder, feeling the tension there. "River, I…" I start, but my words fail me. The guilt bubbles up inside me. He looks up, his eyes filled with a mixture of pain and longing. Without thinking, I lean in, my heart pounding in my chest. Our lips meet, and for a moment, the world fades away. The kiss is desperate, filled with unspoken emotions and years of pent-up feelings.

A strangled cry from the doorway breaks the moment. I pull back, my heart racing, and look toward the commotion. My father stands there, his eyes wide with shock, holding Ginny inhis arms. The resemblance between her and River is undeniable, and the realization hits me like a freight train.

"Bella." My father's voice is strained, his eyes darting between River and me, and then settling on Ginny. “We came up to see if you guys were still snowed in. It’s not that long of a drive, and Ginny was asking for you. Clearly I should have called first.”

Ginny, her little arms wrapped around my father's neck, looks between us with wide, curious eyes. She doesn't understand what's happening, but her presence, her existence, is enough to do all the talking for all the silence in the room.

The room feels charged with electricity, the air thick with tension. River's eyes lock onto Ginny, and I see a flicker of recognition, of something deeper. My heart feels like it's going to explode from my chest. I glance at River, his expression mirroring the shock and confusion I feel.

My father is rooted to the spot, his voice trembling. "Bella, we need to talk."

But I can't tear my eyes away from Ginny. Her features, so strikingly similar to River's, make it impossible to ignore the truth. River stands up, his movements slow, almost hesitant. He takes a step toward my father, his eyes never leaving Ginny. "Is she…?" River's voice trails off, his question hanging in the air.

I feel a mixture of emotions swirling inside me—shock, confusion, guilt, and a strange, unexpected sense of relief. I get down from the bed and crouch in front of Ginny, taking her small hand in mine, and she looks up at me with those familiar eyes. River steps closer, his gaze softening as he looks at Ginny. "Hi there," he says gently, his voice filled with wonder. "What's your name?"

"Ginny," she replies shyly, clutching her stuffed bunny tighter. "Who are you?"

River looks up at me. There's a lot of things in those eyes, but primarily, there's raw, unfiltered anger.

25

BELLA

My father steps forward and places a firm hand on Ginny's shoulder. "Young lady," he says gruffly, "let's step outside for a bit, let these two talk." Ginny is nothing if not perceptive, even this young.

She nods immediately and offers River a sweet smile before going outside with Dad. River's gaze follows Ginny, a flicker of longing in his eyes before they return to me, his expression hardening.

Dad shuts the door behind him, which means I'm alone in the room now with River and the truth. Finally, there’s nothing between us, no secrets, but maybe also no love from how he's looking at me. My breath hitches in my throat, my fingers tightening around the hem of my shirt.

"You kept her from me?" It's not a question, although he phrases it as one. He's accusing me. And I don't do well with accusations. River's voice is low and menacing, each word laced with barely restrained fury.

"Did I have a choice?" I counter, my voice reedy. "You told me to find someone else." My shoulders stiffen as the weight of their past decisions crashes down on me.

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