Page 49 of Snowflakes and Sparks

“I remember more than you think.” Alex reached over and briefly touched my hand. “Your favorite dish, the way you drink your coffee, how you can’t stand it when people try to cut in line just because they don’t have a full shopping cart. And your love for kissing books, which is adorable. I don’t like kissing books myself, but I do like kissing you.”

“We clearly have a lot in common.”

He put his fork down and pinned me in place with a look that screamed desire. “You also made me remember what it’s like to love someone so much that it hurts, physically hurts, to think about them leaving. I didn’t think I’d ever be able to feel something like that again after Heather left me.”

I shoved a bite of spaghetti into my mouth to give myself some extra moments before answering. Alex threw me a smile so sweet that I had to restrain myself from lurching forward and kissing him, long and hard. I dabbed my mouth with my napkin and folded my hands.

“At first, I didn’t want to come here. I begged my boss to please send me somewhere else, but she wouldn’t have it. I thought this trip was going to be boring, but most of all, I was scared. Scared you’d still live here and that I would remember how much fun we had all those years ago. Scared of losing myself, of not being able to stop myself from falling. For you.”

“And how did that turn out?”

I smiled. “It’s like I have a sixth sense, because Ihaven’tbeen able to stop myself from falling for you. I don’t know how to deal with that. I don’t like change, and this will change everything for me.”

My heart raced like a horse on steroids. I half expected Alex to start laughing and tell me that this had all been an elaborate joke, but all he did was stand up and take my hand.

He led me to the edge of the raised platform. He stood behind me and enveloped me in a hug, warming my back. I could feel his breath on my neck as he whispered into my ear. “If you don’t stay, then I will follow you. They offer chef studies in Los Angeles as well. I’m not letting you go twice in one lifetime.”

I turned around and searched his eyes for a trace of doubt. “I can’t ask you to uproot your life like that. You’ve got a life here.”

He planted soft kisses on my face. “I do. But what is life without the person you care about? What use is it if you never shake things up and do what truly makes you happy? I don’t want to die full of regrets one day. I want to be able to say I did everything I in my power to be the happiest I could be. That includes making this work. You and me.”

“Kind of like better to try and fail than never try at all?”

He laughed. “Something like that. Although I prefer to try and succeed massively.”

I couldn’t care less that my spaghetti was getting cold, or that my toes were starting to freeze, or that I had an itch on my leg that was screaming to be scratched. All I cared about was being close to Alex and filling myself up with his warmth.

“Close your eyes for a moment.”

He put a small box in my hand and wrapped my fingers around it.

“Now you can open them. And this.”

I removed the red wrapping paper and golden bow and opened the box. I pulled out the gift and gasped. Inside was a snow globe with a miniature bookstore. I shook it. Thick snowflakes fell onto the roof of the shop.

“This is just perfect. Thank you.” I smiled as I trailed my hand over the gift. To think that I’d gotten him a snow globe as well. We were so in tune with each other.

“Now you’ll always have something to remember these last few weeks by.”

“I do,” I said. “But I’ll also have you.”

I grabbed the collar of his coat and pulled him closer, until our faces were only inches apart. Then I kissed him, until the world around us faded and there was only me, him and the explosion of unspoken feelings between us.

Chapter Nineteen

The next morning I woke up around seven a.m. and immediately grabbed my phone from the nightstand. I sent a quick text to Alex, telling him how I couldn’t wait to have lunch together. Mere seconds later, my phone rang. He was clearly missing me.

“I’m afraid I’m going to have to cancel our plans today,” he said. “I woke up not feeling too well.”

I felt my stomach drop at the thought of not seeing him any time soon, but his health was more important. He must’ve caught something up on that mountain the night before.

“Is there anything I can do? Should I come by and make you some soup?” I offered.

“No, please don’t drop by. I wouldn’t want you to get sick too. I’m going to crawl back into bed and I’m sure I’ll feel better soon.”

“What about the Snow Ball? Will you make it?”

There was a beat of silence before he replied. “Maybe. I’ll let you know, is that okay?”

---