|| LOVE AT THE LODGE ||

CHAPTER 6 - DAY 5 - "Together"

The next few days passed in a blur of skiing, laughter, and stolen moments with Jack. We were careful not to be too obvious around Max and the rest of the family, but whenever we were alone, it was like a switch had flipped. The flirtation, the chemistry—it was all there, simmering just beneath the surface.

One evening, after another exhausting day on the slopes, I found myself alone with Jack again. We had just finished a late-night snack in the kitchen, and everyone else had gone to bed.

"Do you ever think about what'll happen after this trip?" I asked, leaning against the counter, my heart pounding as I looked at him.

Jack met my gaze, his expression serious. "Yeah, I do. I think about it a lot."

"And?"

"And I want to keep seeing you, Milly. But it's not going to be easy. We'll have to be careful, at least for a while."

I nodded, knowing he was right. But the thought of sneaking around, of hiding this from Max, filled me with a sense of dread. "What if he finds out?"

Jack walked over to me, his hand gently cupping my cheek. "Then we'll deal with it. Together."

I leaned into his touch, feeling a warmth spread through me. "You really think this can work?"

"I do," he said softly. "I've never felt this way about anyone before, Milly. And I don't want to lose that."

My heart swelled at his words, and before I could stop myself, I leaned up and kissed him. It was a soft, tentative kiss, but it sent a jolt of electricity through me. Jack responded immediately, his arms wrapping around me, pulling me closer.

For a moment, the world fell away, and it was just the two of us, lost in each other. But then, the reality of our situation crashed down on me, and I pulled away, breathless.

"We should... we should go to bed," I whispered, not trusting myself to look him in the eyes.

Jack nodded, his breathing ragged. "Yeah, we should."

We parted ways, each retreating to our separate rooms. But that night, as I lay in bed, I couldn't stop thinking about that kiss, about the way Jack had held me, and about what the future might hold for us.

The next morning, I woke up early, my thoughts still tangled in the events of the night before. I tried to focus on skiing, on spending time with my family, but I couldn't shake the feeling that everything was about to change.

And I was right.

It was the last day of the trip, and the tension between Jack and me had reached a boiling point. We had spent the day skiing with Max, but every time our eyes met, I felt the heat between us, the unspoken words that were just waiting to spill out.

That evening, as we all gathered in the living room for one last movie night, I could feel the weight of what was happening pressing down on me. Max had no idea, and the guilt was eating me alive.

Halfway through the movie, Jack got up to get some snacks from the kitchen. I followed him, needing a moment alone with him, needing to talk.

"Jack," I whispered, as soon as we were out of earshot, "I don't know if I can keep doing this. It's killing me, lying to Max."

Jack sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I know, Milly. I feel the same way. But what are we supposed to do? If we tell him, it could ruin-

TO BE CONTINUED...