Page 43 of Snowman

"A gift?" I asked, narrowing my eyes and turning to the box.

"A phone," he said. "I put my number on speed dial. All you have to do is pressone.That's all."

Curiosity finally got the better of me, and I opened it to find a simple phone. I got a phone for the first time in my life. A slight grin tugged at my lips despite myself.

"Thank you," I said softly.

"I won't bother you anymore," he said and stepped back. "Isak will care for you better than I ever could."

A lump formed in my throat, and I swallowed hard, the ache almost unbearable. So long, I'd wanted Thor to be my Snowman, the one who could take my heart. But maybe all along, I'd been looking for someone to save me from the Snowman.

"Bye, Bree," he said, his voice hanging in the air as he turned to leave.

I watched him go, the shadows swallowing him whole as he disappeared into the hall. The phone felt heavy in my hand. My thumb hovered over the button marked"1,"the urge to call him back was overwhelming. I wanted to tell him I was sorry too, to ask him if his eyes weren't brown at all but icy blue. But the world doesn't work like that, and I'm not that lucky.

I set the box on the table next to my bed, a small table with a vase full of Isak’s white roses. Light danced across the soft petals, carrying the sweetest, lightest scent in its breath. I huddled under the blanket again, picked up the phone, and held it tightly to me as if it could somehow fill the hole gnawing at my soul. I closed my eyes for a moment and wished—wished he would come back. That he would tell me I was wrong. That there was a world where he could be both: the man I needed and the one I feared.

Isak woke up, a faint smile spreading across his face as he leaned closer, his palm brushing my hand. "How do you feel,birdie?" he asked softly.

Birdie.There was a trap.

A game he was good at, he played me like a string. First, he showed me the sky and made me believe I had wings, only to clip them whenever I started to fly.

Even with the cage door open, he had the power to drag me back down. I stared at him, his icy blue eyes piercing, his hair tied in a loose bun at the back of his head. He was perfect—too perfect. His smile, his presence, his whole being weighed upon me. I could feel the hunger in his gaze, the want radiating from him like heat.

But all I wanted was a moment of peace. Just a little bit of freedom to stretch my wings. To fly, even briefly. But he wouldn't let me. He called to me, pulling me into his arms.

My lips parted as he leaned in, his mouth finding mine. His lips pressed against me, his tongue forcing its way into my mouth. He didn't ask; he took. A tango of forbidden love he commanded, and I didn't fight. I let him steal my first kiss, and another piece of me surrendered to another man who would only take more.

When he finally pulled back, I smiled faintly, masking the pain inside. Then I heard it:"Hello?"The voice was faint, distant. My heart froze as I realized my thumb had been pressing the numberoneon the phone the entire time.

My body was screaming for help, my heart wanted love, and my mind was screaming for freedom; I couldn't have it, not one piece.

I brought the phone to my ear, a tear slipping down my cheek. "Sorry," I whispered. "It was an accident."

"I see," the voice replied, and it wasn't coming from the phone.

Thor stood in the doorway, his figure framed in shadows. His eyes locked onto me, flicking briefly to Isak, then back again. The disappointment was plain on his face, cutting through me like a blade.

"Thor." I began, but his upraised hand cut me off.

Isak chuckled, leaning back as if all this meant nothing. "Man, we—"

"No need to explain," Thor cut him off, his voice cold, detached. "You're both adults. You can do whatever the hell you want."

His fist was clenched at his side, but he didn't raise it. He merely turned and walked away, the heaviness of his footsteps growing distant as he disappeared down the hall.

"Maybe," I stammered, trying to push gently on Isak's chest. "Maybe we're moving too fast?"

He snorted and pushed my hand away.

"Since you've been here, Bree, I've been watching you," he said in a low tone that seemed to make my heart skip beats, the timbre of his voice almost possessive. "I needed to have you."

My heart sank. "Have me?"

He nodded, his smirk spreading as he leaned in closer, his body weighing down on mine.

"I knew it from the very beginning,birdie," he whispered, his hand moving to my throat, his fingers curling around it with a gentle yet firm grasp. "I knew you would be mine."

---