Page 34 of Falling Like Snow

“Hey, do you care if I have this last slice or do you want it?” a voice calls. My head whips to my left as Daphne walks around the corner. She’s wearing a pink sweatshirt and gray joggers and wool socks. She looks completely comfortable here.

“Sorry,” Asher says to me. “I’m tutoring, remember?”

My gaze darts between the two of them as I try to process what’s happening. “I thought you were done at six.”

“We were supposed to be,” Daphne says, stepping next to Asher with a slice of Cheesylicious pizza in her hand. “But we kept getting off track, then I got hungry, and now we’re running behind—as usual.”

“Asher’s tutoring… you?” I attempt to mask my confusion—and my inexplicable annoyance—but know I’m failing miserably. “In what?”

“Spanish,” she says. “Has been for the last few weeks.”

“Didn’t you have the highest grade in our Spanish class last year?” Hannah asks, clearly on the same page as me.

“Yes. But Mr. Winston is the worst,” Daphne groans.

“Huh.” Hannah turns to me, as if she’s waiting for me to say something.

Meanwhile, I’m waiting for Asher to invite us to stay. Or explain why I didn’t know he and Daphne had been spending so much time together. Or to say anything, really, as the dull ache in my head returns.

When he doesn’t, I nod and retie my bootlace, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in my stomach. “Okay, then. Well, I guess we’ll, uh, leave you two to your pizza and ‘studying.’ ”

Asher narrows his eyes at the bite in my voice but only says, “Okay.”

I follow Hannah and Preeti back outside into the cold. Just before Asher closes the door behind us, his gaze snags on the netted tree tied to the top of my car.

“Wait. My mom said you were doing her a favor, but…” He slowly shakes his head. “Did you go to Frosty Pines for her?”

“We did,” I confirm.

His face slackens. “Sloane, you should have—”

“Interrupted your study sesh to insist you be my emotional support buddy?” I ask, cutting him off. “It was fine.” Even if that’s literally all I wanted to do. “Get back inside. Daphne’s waiting.”

I pivot toward my car, and just before the door clicks closed behind me, Asher mumbles, “Good night, Sloane.”

“That was strange, right?” Hannah says as soon as we’re in the car. “You didn’t know he’s been tutoring her? You guys tell each other everything.” I open my mouth to respond, but she continues. “And I know she’s good at Spanish. Way better than Asher, at least.”

“What are you saying?” I ask, even though I’m sure we’re following the same train of thought.

“I don’t know, do you think she likes him? Why else would she ask him to tutor her?”

“Hannah has a point,” Preeti says.

I force a light laugh. “Maybe he never mentioned it because he didn’t think it was a big deal. Because maybe it isn’t a big deal. Maybe she has managed to fall behind in that class.” The words taste sour in my mouth. I don’t believe a single one of them. “Let’s just drop this tree off at the inn real quick. Then we can eat in front of the TV at my house instead.”

“I guess maybe you’re right. It just seems a little fishy to me.” Hannah looks back at Asher’s house as I pull away. “He’d tell you if he liked her, right?”

“I think so,” I say. But the truth is, I don’t know. Would he? Before tonight I would have said yes, but now I’m not so sure.

And, more importantly, I’m not so sure why the thought of him liking her is bothering me so much.

Me: Sending some sloppy sketches. Can you make them into something usable for shirts?

Ellis: Yes! These are so cute omg. I’ll do it tonight!

Me: Okay, but no huge rush.

Ellis: Got it! (But I’m still going to work on them after dinner. It’ll be fun!)