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He tossed his snowball at me as his response. I ducked as it flew past my head, hitting a tree and bursting apart.
“You missed!” I called.
Jillian laughed and ran over to her son, crouching behind the snow wall with him. I could hear her whisper something to him, telling me a fight was on. I was still holding my snowball, waiting for the perfect moment to toss it. I kept packing it, making sure it was the perfect weight and shape to throw and hit my target.
Phillip and Jillian jumped up at the same time, a snowball in each of their hands before they tossed them. I took the moment, knowing my sister and nephew were a terrible aim and spun around to face Elliot, chucking my snowball in his direction. I watched as he cowered, lifting a leg and holding out his hands in defense as all three snowballs hit him in the stomach and shoulders.
Little arms wrapped around my waist as Phillip’s laughter grew and carried through the air.
“Auntie Jamie!” he cried. “Uncle Daxton wasn’t expecting that!”
Uncle?
I froze for a moment before laughing with him. I couldn't let the comment of a little kid get to me. “We weren’t aiming for you!” Jillian called over the snow wall, “Daxton was always the target.”
Elliot bent over, his eyes firm on me as he gathered snow in his hands and began to pack it together. “That was a dirty move,Jamie!” he exclaimed. “Something you don't know about me is that growing up I held the title for snowball fights.”
“Is that so?” I taunted. Pushing Phillip behind me, I placed a hand on my hip, cocking my body to tease him more.
“You three tossed a snowball at the wrong person.” He pulled his arm back, like a pitcher aiming for the catcher’s mitt, and the ball came flying through the air.
I turned my back to protect Phillip as the snow hit my shoulder. It was soft, not at all like I was expecting. I crafted another frozen mound before I tossed it at him, Elliot, however, wasn’t planning on hurting me. I heard Jillian laugh and Phillip jumped up and down.
“You make as many snowballs as you can and go hide with your mom, I’ll distract him!” I whispered to Phillip who instantly took off behind the fort wall. I turned back, making sure to grab a handful of snow, lumping it together as I ran towards Elliot.
He already had another snowball, tossing it towards me. I ducked and the ball flew past my head. I was gaining on him as he bent to pick up more snow, but I was faster. I tossed my snowball at him and hit him right on his cheek.
“Ah!” He laughed. I knew it didn't hurt too bad, I didn’t pack it like before, but his acting skills were fantastic. He raised his hand to the side of his face, his eyes squinted and head back, a loud cry of “pain” escaping his lungs. His performance didn’t stop me from running towards him, bending over to scoop up some more snow.
“Get him Auntie Jamie!” I heard Phillip yell.
“You better watch out Daxton!” Jillian called out.
The closer to Elliot I got, the more fake his performance became. He opened his eyes, dropping his hand from his face, taking a few steps back he hurled his snowball at me, but I was too close. I flung the loose snow in my hand at him and crashed into him. I wrapped my arms around his waist, and we fell to the ground. I could hear Phillip and Jillian laugh. Phillip said something about making the snowballs while Daxton was down, but all I could focus on was Elliot. Snow flew around us as we hitthe ground hard, not only falling from the sky, but flying up from us hitting the ground.
He wrapped his arms around me as we fell, giving me a sense of security. I wasn't afraid of the fall. With Elliot’s arms around my waist, I felt safe. Just like before, in the car, when the snow was falling so hard we couldn't see the road. Just like when he was able to pull my mind from the nerves that clouded them. Elliot just felt . . . different . . . then I wanted him to. I wanted him to be distant, I wanted him to be rude and selfish. But Elliot . . . he cared, and I didn’t think it was all for show. He captured my family’s attention, and now, with his breath on my neck and his stubble gently rubbing against my skin, he was one hundred percent capturing mine.
I nuzzled my face in his shoulder for a moment, taking in his scent before flinging my hair off to the side, pushing myself up to my elbow to look at him. I have always found him handsome, but at this moment, with the snow in his hair, and his eyes completely on me . . . he was perfect.
And to top it off, he smiled, and I had to force myself to remember to breathe.
“I told you, you tossed a snowball at the wrong person,” he said, a playful softness to his voice.
The corners of my lips raised, giving him a crooked smile as I searched his eyes. I touched his cheek and leaned in close, our lips only millimeters apart.
“Oh, don't worry,” I whispered against his lips, “I’m only the distraction.”
“NOW!” Jillian screamed.
I rolled away from him, leaving him absolutely stunned as Jillian and Phillip came up with snowballs, pelting him with them, repeatedly. Elliot just laughed, trying his hardest to stand and gather some snow, but Phillip and Jillian outnumbered him.
Once Phillip and Jillian were out of snowballs, Phillip laughed, shouting over and over that he won, that he beatUncleDaxton. I walked over and grabbed Elliot's hands, lifting him off the ground. He had snow all over him, his black coat was covered, and his hairwas soaked. I brushed off his shoulders and his hair, only stopping when he reached up to grab my wrists, pulling them down to his chest.
“Are you okay?” I asked, a laugh escaping my lungs.
He nodded. “Never better.”
I flattened my palms against his chest, feeling him rise and fall with each and every breath. I looked up at him, taking in him—feeling myself slip away.
