AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Right,” she says. “Well, lesson learned. I’ll be out in a jiffy.”
“Well, about that—” Artie begins, scratching the bridge of his nose. The sound of howling wind knocking against the cabin distracts us. “Wait, is that…” He walks to the window and looks out. I follow him, watching the trees thrash, an omen of the approaching storm.
“Looks like Ed’s snowstorm arrived earlier than any of us anticipated,” I say.
“I’m sure I can make it down the mountain before it hits,” Susan says, dragging her suitcase toward the door.
“No way,” I say, blocking her way.
She blinks at me in shock. “What?”
“I—I may have accidentally blown out your tires,” I say, rubbing the back of my head.
Silence reigns before she says, “Well, I have a spare one in the back.”
“All of them,” I say. “In my defense, my brother jumped the gun and thought we had an intruder. I’m really sorry.”
“It’s okay,” she says. “I’ll have the car towed. Maybe you can book a rental for me.”
“Nobody will come up the mountain during a storm,” Artie says.
“Maybe there’s someone who will?” Susan says. She looks at Ed, who’s staring at the hearth. “Because I really don’t want to cause any trouble. That was never my intention.”
She’s desperate to get out of here, would even brave a storm for it. Artie meets my eyes. We know we can’t turn her out of here without jeopardizing her life. Can’t Ed see the total asshole he’s being right now? Probably not.
“Why don’t you sit on the couch while we think of something?” Artie says. Susan nods reluctantly and sits precariously on the couch.
Artie walks into the kitchen. I follow him after a few moments and watch him prepare the infamous hot chocolate that he only makes on special occasions.
He looks up when I come in.
“Are you sure we can leave her alone with Ed out there?” he jokes, but I can sense the edge in his voice.
“She’s fine,” I say. “Why do you care so much about her staying?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. She’s alone and totally harmless.”
“She’s the girl from the gas station,” I say.
Artie pauses, before turning to me. He doesn’t even deny it. “Yeah, and?”
“You’re smitten,” I say in an accusatory tone.
He rolls his eyes. “You’re being a child. I just want her to be comfortable. She would rather brave a storm than stay here with us. Do you realize how awful that makes us?”
“Fine,” I say reluctantly, but I can tell he still has ulterior motives.
He brings the steaming cup of hot chocolate to Susan. “We’re sorry for being awful to you.”
“It’s okay,” she says, taking a sip of the hot chocolate.
“No, it’s not,” I say, stepping closer. “Susan, we can’t let you go out in the storm. You’re staying.”
“No,” Ed says before Susan can reply.
I glare at him. “Would you sleep outside in the storm? Why do you expect someone else to do that? We both know the storm will catch her on the way down the mountain. Besides, this cabin belongs to all three of us. We all worked on it together, so all three of us get to make a decision together. Artie and I want Susan to stay.”
“Ollie is right,” Artie says.
