Page 17 of All I Want for Christmas Eve

Chapter Seven

It’s too fricking cold.

Shivering in bed, I pull the blankets closer around me. Dammit. I have already gotten up three times throughout the night to grab warm socks, pajama pants, and a heavy flannel robe. I am sure that it’s warmer in the central area of the cabin, where Adam is, but the fireplace isn’t in my bedroom.

I have been tossing and turning and shivering for hours before I get to the point that my teeth start chattering. I decide that the only way to get some heat into this room is to crack my door open. But I am so cold that it takes a lot of energy to get out of the blankets and into the frigid air. I force myself to get up and pad across the floor in my stocking, opening my bedroom door a slight bit. I expected to get a rush of warm air come into the room, but it doesn’t seem much warmer.

I am surprised when I notice that the armchair is empty. I open the door wider, and see that Adam is sitting in front of the fireplace with blankets wrapped around his shoulders.

“You can’t sleep?” I ask him softly.

“No,” he responds. “My whole leg is getting really swollen and painful. The injury might be worse than I thought.”

“I’m so sorry,” I tell him. “Did you want to try some of my painkillers?”

“I already took some earlier, and it seems to be wearing off. I don’t want to overdo it. I think that I might have aggravated my leg a bit too much today, and I should have gotten more rest.”

“You did do quite a lot,” I respond, leaning against the doorway and looking at him.

He has extended his injured leg, and he is pressing on it and wincing. He seems worried. Then I notice that he is also cold and shivering. I feel so bad for him.

“Adam,” I say softly. “Do you want to share the bed with me?”

He looks up at me with surprise. “Are you sure you’d be okay with that?”

“It’s freezing,” I explain, “and you’re injured… I don’t want you to sleep on the floor or in the chair.”

“But will you be comfortable with me there?” he asks again.

“Yes,” I respond. “I’m cold, too. And… I could use some hugs.” I turn and marching back to bed. I climb under the blankets and bury my face in the pillow to hide my embarrassment. Oh my god, I can’t believe I just said that. How humiliating.

For a second, I’m afraid that he doesn’t want to join me. I didn’t hear him agree, and he doesn’t show up right away. I remain here, alone, shivering and in bed, feeling mortified. But then I feel Adam’s weight sink in the bed behind me. He groans in pain.

I forgot—his movement is slowed down by the injury. When I feel the warmth of his body slide closer to me, I sigh in relief. Then his arms wrap around me, and he holds me close.

“Is this a good hug?” he asks gruffly.

“I give it an 8 out of 10,” I answer.

“What would make it a 10 out of 10?” he asks.

A few things cross my mind. But I just say, “If you hadn’t killed the power, and I weren’t freezing to death, I might be able to enjoy this hug a little more.”

“But if I hadn’t killed the power, we might not be hugging at all,” he points out, tightening his hold on my waist and tucking his chin against my shoulder. “You wouldn’t need me to keep you warm.”

“Did you kill it intentionally?” I ask him.

“No, of course not,” he responds. Then he pauses. “Look, after we get some rest I’ll see if I can take a look at that generator. Maybe I can repair it, or get some more life out of it.”

“Thanks,” I respond. I place my hands on his, and find that his fingers are somewhat cold. Then I smile. “Maybe you’re a mechanic. Or an electrician.”

“Don’t speak to soon,” he responds. “I might not be able to fix it.”

“I think you can do anything,” I say sleepily, snuggling closer to him. When I do this, I discover that not all the parts of Adam are cold. In fact, there is one part that is very warm. It seems that he is enjoying this hug quite a lot. My eyes open wide, looking into the darkness with surprise. Out of instinct, I find myself wriggling closer, just out of curiosity.

To get a clearer picture. Of what he’s packing under those pajamas.

I mean, if Adam fell from the sky just for me, for Christmas, then I would like to know the size of my surprise package. So far, it seems it could be the nicest present that I have ever received from Santa’s Sleigh.

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