One Winter's Day

Chapter 1

"I know that you are going through a hard time, Elle, but you can't shut us out. We're your friends. We're here to help you," Mia said. I nodded and picked up my cup of hot chocolate, cupping my hands around it to warm them up. We were in Sweden and we had just come in from skiing. It was freezing in the Scandanavian mountains, so naturally, I ordered hot chocolate, as did the rest of my girlfriends. It was a tradition since childhood and only we knew about it.

However, we hadn't come here to just have fun. My friend Mia, who has just spoken a second ago, booked the rooms in the cabin as a sort of vacation away from work. I had just gone through a breakup with my now-ex, Darren. I didn't regret it at all, but it really hurt, because I thought I was going to be with him for the rest of my life. We have been together since high school and now that I'm graduating to college, he said that we should see other people. I yelled at him, told him that we've been together since sophomore year, and told him that I wasted three years of my life on him. Yes, maybe that was too harsh, but then after that, I found out he was cheating on me with some bimbo-blonde named Jessie Mayer. On top of that, stupid freaking Jessica is a whole year younger than him, too! Darren made an excuse and said that he was just prepping for having to leave me and said that he didn't feel like committing to a long-distance relationship. Now my worst fear is coming true: I'll waste my time on a boy that isn't even worth it.

Mia pulled me out of my thoughts by saying, "Hey, at least you have us. In fact, let's put it straight. Hoes before bros. Always." I giggled.

"And besides, Elle, we're freshmen in college now! And stupid Darren barely graduated eighth grade. I know for sure that you'll meet someone new. You just wait and see," Sara, our 'healer', said. Our girl group is made up of three girls and we each have our selective titles. Sara is the healer, the one who s kind, loving, and forgiving. She's the whole nine yards. Then there's Mia, the outgoing, flirtatious, no-risk-no-reward type of gal. She's our warrior. And then there's me. According to Mia and Sara, I'm the princess type. I'm actually really shy and the girls have always said that I'm easygoing. They see me as the type to stop and shake the hands of little girls who want to be princesses someday. Whenever they say that, I just laugh and shrug it off. I could never bear the responsibility of being a princess.

"Princess Elle," Mia said. Speaking of which, I thought, "Don't look now, but there's a hot, Swedish boy looking straight at you," Mia said, her voice almost dropped to a whisper. I chuckled and shook my head.

"No, Mia, I can one-hundred percent guarantee he's staring at you." Mia's eyes widened and she whisper-shouted: "You jinxed it, Elle! He's coming over!" I rolled my eyes.

"No, he is not. I know that you're lying--" I realized she wasn't lying when I smelled a woodsy musk wafting from behind me. Mia clicked her tongue and Sara smirked. I blushed, my face turning a bright cherry-red and I shrunk in my seat. I fumbled to pull my hat over my eyes, feeling as though I would die of embarrassment any second now.

"Excuse me, but who is this lovely woman sitting in front of me?" A deep, husky voice said, which I assumed belonged to the man who smelled like the woods.

"That's Princess Elle," Mia said, then giggled. I shot daggers at her and turned around to face the man. When I saw his face, I practically melted.