In this book you will follow Lyra and her friends Aiden, Kai, Belle, Amina and Soren, New Yorkers in their early/mid twenties trying to navigate the tumultuous waters of adulthood.
When Lyra meets Soren her whole life gets flipped upside down. How...
Two weeks fly by, and before we know it, Thursday arrives. The plan to escape the city was postponed thanks to Aiden's last-minute gig, but now it's finally happening. We're cramming our bags into the back of Kai's car, layering up against the biting cold. The air feels crisp, and the chill cuts through the city like a knife, but we all seem to be buzzing with that lowkey excitement you get before a trip.
Kai's supervising the packing, somehow managing to fit the ridiculous amount of stuff we're bringing into the trunk like it's some kind of Tetris game. Aiden's at the wheel, already fiddling with the radio, trying to find the right playlist for the long drive. Belle and Amina are talking, huddled in the back seat, throwing last-minute things into their bags.
"Everyone ready?" Aiden calls out from the driver's seat. He's wearing his old beanie, one he swears he's had since high school, and I can't help but grin at how nostalgic this whole trip feels. It's like we're all kids again, heading off on some class trip.
"Yes, please turn up the heat," I mutter, pulling my scarf tighter around my neck and hopping into the passenger seat, I called shotgun first, hihi.
The drive up to the cabin is long but peaceful, the car filled with the sound of our chatter and Aiden's playlist. The further we get from the city, the more snow starts to coat the roads, transforming the landscape into a soft blanket of white. It's a reminder of just how far from our usual environment we're heading.
As we wind through the narrow roads, the sky starts to shift. The sun's sinking lower, casting a soft golden glow across the snow-covered fields and trees. Everything feels almost dreamlike. The kind of peaceful, quiet beauty that hits you when you leave the noise of life behind.
"We're almost there," Kai says, glancing at the group. He's already hyped to show us around, like he always is. This cabin has been his family's winter hideout since forever, and I can tell he's feeling that old familiar excitement of coming back.
The road curves and narrows as we head deeper into the woods, the towering trees making it feel like we've entered another world. And then, there it is—the cabin, nestled among the pines, with a thin layer of snow dusting the roof. It looks exactly like I imagined: modern but rustic, cozy, and already covered in a soft winter glow.
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"Home for the weekend," Aiden murmurs, cutting the engine as we roll to a stop.
The cabin sits quietly under the twilight sky, its wooden structure blending seamlessly with the landscape. Smoke curls lazily from the chimney, as if it's been waiting for us, ready to welcome us into its warmth.
We all step out into the cold air, our breath visible as we unload the car, the quiet crunch of snow underfoot the only sound for a moment. I can't help but smile. There's something calming about being out here, surrounded by nothing but snow and silence.
"Let's get inside before it gets any colder," Kai says, hauling the last bag out of the car. "I'll start the fire, and we can settle in for the night. Tomorrow, we hit the slopes."
