Page 3 of Winter Ends
Snow was fine. And itwasthe beginning of December, but I didn’t particularly care for it when I had to walk home in it.
“I can handle it just fine.”
I tossed my jacket over my shoulders, zipping it up to my chin and shoving my hands in the pockets. God, this was going to suck donkey balls.
As I headed for the door, Shawn grabbed my elbow. I wanted to yank my arm away. It was something I always did each time he touched me. It wasn’t only that I hated it, but there was always an electric spark I tried to fight. I didn’t need this with him. I’d had enough of assholes in my life, and I didn’t need to let another one in.
“You’re not walking, are you?”
I laughed. “Unless a car miraculously materializes, that’s exactly what I’m doing.”
When Shawn let go of my elbow, I had to fight the urge to shake off the sparks that still shot up and down my arm. He chewed at his lip, looking me up and down.
“I’m giving you a ride.”
I rolled my eyes. “No, thanks.”
I didn’t give him a chance to answer or argue. My feet carried me as fast as possible out the front door.
Little puffs of steam escaped my lips as I huffed as the cool air hit me. Goddamn, it was cold. I stuffed my hands deeper into my pockets and looked down, trying to keep my face out of the wind. It didn’t seem to help. The air bit at my cheeks as snowflakes slapped at my cheeks the faster I walked.
I didn’t live far, and I’d somehow lucked out finding my shitty studio apartment, but it still cost a small fortune. Work and home. That was all I had time for. It was all I had the money for.
I’d had a car when I’d moved out here, but parking in Seattle was expensive as hell. I’d given it up to pay for some things to furnish my apartment, and there wasn’t a day that I didn’t miss that piece of shit. It broke down frequently and it was probably a blessing in disguise that I didn’t have it anymore.
My apartment building came into view, and I broke into a run. I was so over today.
Chapter 2
Shawn
“One of these days, he’s going to hit you.”
I laughed as I turned to Chase. “Nah. I think he likes me.”
Chase shook his head and pulled on his jacket. “Well, if he won’t take a ride home, I will.”
I liked both Daniel and Chase. They’d started at Margaret’s shortly after they’d moved to Seattle, so I’d learned a lot about Chase, like how his parents had died, and that he was living with his boyfriend. I’d even met their friends and blended in with their group from time to time, since they were at the restaurant often enough. But Daniel was a vault.
And because he was so locked down, I itched to dig deeper. Why was he here? It wasn’t to follow his friend. I sure as hell wouldn’t move across the state to follow a friend who was moving in with a significant other.
Never in my life had someone disliked me to the degree that Daniel did. I knew I came on a little strong sometimes, but that was no reason for him to give me the cold shoulder.
So, digging it was.
“So why did your dear friend Daniel follow you all the way to Seattle?” I asked Chase as he climbed into the passenger seat of my car. He tensed for a moment but shook his head.
“That’s something you’ll have to talk to him about. It’s not my story to tell.”
So Chase knew, but he wouldn’t tell me either. That was interesting as hell.
By the time we pulled up outside his building, the snow was coming down in thick white sheets. Had Daniel made it home okay?
“Can you, you know, check on him for me?”
Chase stood there with the car door open. He looked between the apartment building and me before nodding. “I’ll make sure he got home.”
I didn’t know why I cared. The dude wasn’t even a friend, but still, it sucked to walk in this weather.
