Cold Sweetness

❆ chapter thirteen

It neared midnight when the entire cabin migrated away from the hub of the party to curl up by the fireplace. The warm flames were a welcome change from the sweaty chaos downstairs, and Nevada found it easier to breathe as she flopped down on one of the couch.

Before Sam could join her, Cassidy took the spot beside her, shooting Sam a cheeky grin. Nevada figured she did it to ruffle Sam, and judging by the pout he sent her, it worked in her favor. Alicia perched herself on the armrest on Cassidy's other side, and the two young men took the other couch for themselves.

Excluding Nevada, the rest had had a drink or two, and it gave way to loose conversation, aimless topics filling the air as they chatted about everything and nothing. These were the conversations she enjoyed the most: the most important things were said when they were unrehearsed, and that sentiment rang true as they burst into tipsy laughter.

She felt Sam's stare burning into the side of her head. His searching eyes made her wonder if he had something he wanted to tell her, but she suspected that it was meant to be private. There were several opportunities in which he could've brought it up in front of the others, yet his mouth stayed shut.

It wasn't until Nevada excused herself to use the bathroom that he followed her down the hallway. His footsteps alerted her to his presence, and she turned when she reached the door to the restroom, almost bumping into him as he slowed down.

"Can I help you?" she said with a slight chuckle.

"Your birthday is on Christmas," Sam said with preamble.

The reminder only dampened her mood though. She hated her birthday and how she was automatically the center of attention, but the hatred was soothed with the knowledge that she shared an important date with her favorite holiday, relieving her of much of the stress that came with having everyone's eyes on her. Part of her was touched Sam remembered. She'd told him during the night of the first party, but she'd figured that the date would've flown over his head. Again, he'd proven her wrong.

"Mmhmm."

"I know we probably won't see each other until the break over, but I still wanted to give you something." Even as her jaw dropped, he continued, "It's a small thing, but I thought they were cute. Please don't lose respect for me because it's a bit lame."

Before she could tell him that a gift was unnecessary, he pulled a pair of socks out of his pocket. They weren't any usual pair of socks though. These had a red-and-white striped pattern, resembling a candy cane, but the lining had the words "Ho, ho, ho!" written around it. She wondered when he had bought them — perhaps when they'd separated for the hour in which the girls had taken her to lunch.

"They're adorable!" When they were handed over, she rubbed the fuzzy material, her lips parted in silent admiration. She had a soft spot for fuzzy socks. If she wasn't wearing slippers, she wore fuzzy socks, hating the feeling of the cold floor on her feet. "I really like them." She looked back up at Sam, who scratched at the nape of his neck while waiting for her response. "I really do, but you didn't have to get me anything."

"Of course I did." He waved her off, shifting onto his other leg. "It's your birthday. You're a Christmas baby."

This had to mean that it wasn't their end yet. It wasn't their final song. People didn't give others gifts when they intended on leaving them behind in a few months' time. While her mind urged her to remain rational, between the conversation with Cassidy and the gift, she had high hopes. Her heart told her that it wasn't the finale.

Before she could question it, Nevada barreled into him, her arms reaching around his neck to pull him down to her. His grip tightened on her as he recognized the embrace for what it was: it wasn't just about the gift. It was about everything.