Catch Me

Chapter Thirty: God You're Beautiful

WARNING: This chapter contains mature content.

Chapter Thirty: God You're Beautiful

Snow blew forcefully as flakes collided with Zander's cheeks, stinging his skin. Zander couldn't remember the last time they had had a really bad snow storm like this in the month of November. He could barely see anything as he walked, it was pitch black out. The street lamps were out due to the power outage, and the world around him seemed like a dimension from Stranger Things. Nevertheless, he continued on, the only thought in his mind was seeing Haleigh.

This walk was normally not an issue, just a few paces up the hill and toward the right a little. Which usually only took Zander about five minutes to walk. Tonight this was not the case. The wind was working against Zander as he attempted to climb the steep hill. He pulled his leather jacket tightly around his torso and cursed himself for not allowing his mother to fix the zipper a few months back. He thought the broken zipper had given the jacket character. But now, as he walked shivering in the cold, he wished he had the choice to zip up.

Zander could feel his phone vibrating in his pocket, though he let it be, unwilling to remove his hands from the warmth of his jacket sleeves. Moments later he had finally made it to Haleigh's dorm room. The warmth of the building felt good on his cold face. He knocked on Haleigh's door.

***

Haleigh had been trying to text Zander for the last twenty minutes, but he wasn't responding which was making her slightly nervous. She didn't want him to wander out in the cold snow. Seeing her wasn't worth it. They could just meet up tomorrow after his shift at The Burlington Bagel Factory. 

Haleigh: I'm serious Zander.

Haleigh: Don't come over here.

Haleigh: It's too cold out!

Haleigh: ZANDER!

Haleigh sighed deeply as the silence filled the room around her. She was worried about Zander. If he was on his way over here it was taking him an awful long time. The normally five minute walk would have placed him in her dorm room at around 2:20. It was now a quarter to three.

Just as Haleigh was about to give up and conclude that Zander had fallen asleep in the middle of texting her, there was a knock at her door.

Haleigh threw the covers off of her body and rushed to the door, swinging it open. In her doorway stood a very cold looking Zander. He was covered in white flakes that refused to melt even in the warmth of the dorm building.

"You're freezing." Haleigh noticed as she ushered Zander into her room. He was wearing his usual leather jacket. Underneath he wore a thin hoodie, the hood of which was covering Zander's head. This was his lame attempt at keeping warm. This guy had lived in Vermont his entire life. Where was his winter jacket and boots? Gloves? Hat?

She pushed this thought from her mind and focused her attention on what Zander needed now. His jeans were soaking wet and the bottoms were frozen over with chunks of snow from his walk. His cheeks were a deep pink which was a tell tale sign he had been out in the elements.

"Get out of those wet clothes." Haleigh instructed as she pulled his leather jacket from Zander's shoulders.

"Y-you j-just wanna see me naked." Zander shivered as he smiled coyly at Haleigh. She smiled and rolled her eyes as she climbed back into her warm bed.

"Do it yourself then." Haleigh grinned as she watch Zander remove his wet clothes. Soon he was just down to his boxers and signature white t-shirt. He stood awkwardly, staring at Haleigh, waiting for her invitation. "Come on." She finally said as she held the blankets open for him. He climbed into bed next to her, sliding his arm around Haleigh's torso. The warmth of the blankets felt good on his freezing skin.