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My stomach flipped over itself like an overexcited puppy.
There she was: pink-faced, resembling a goddess in a white coat, with dark hair spilling over her shoulders, warm brown strands swishing from side to side.
I felt sixteen all over again—cigarette forgotten on my lips, hands twitching at my sides with the urge to chase after her, to knot my fingers in those soft curls, and tug.
Then, she pivoted on her heel as if in slow motion, heading for the main building.
My guts sharpened into ice.
“Mia,” I called out, wincing at the rasp in my voice and clearing my throat. The cigarette hissed as it kissed snow, crushed under my heel as my body turned towards her.
She froze in her tracks, spun around, and our eyes locked.
Thud, thud, went my heart, bruising me from the inside.
Surprise washed over her face, then snuffed out as she adjusted course and padded towards me, brows drawn together, spelling out suspicion or disbelief.
God, she was so expressive, like she came with a manual. She’d clearly expected me to act as if nothing had changed between us. I wonder what she’d say if she knew I’d been scanning for her the whole goddamn day.
“Hey.” She smiled nervously, wide green eyes flicking between me and the café behind me while I sucked in a sharp breath, and forced on an easy smile.
“You weren’t gonna say hi?” I clicked my tongue, leaning back against the rough wall.
“My apologies, Your Highness,” she scoffed, rolling her eyes.
Her head tilted to one side in silent question as she took in my cold-bitten hands and the damning absence of a coat.
“Cigarette break.”
“I didn’t know you smoked.” The furrow between her brows deepened.
“Only sometimes.” I put on a shrug that hid the nerves.
She nodded, then shifted on her feet, glancing over her shoulder towards the main building.
No. Stay.
“How was your holiday?” I blurted out.
My voice dropped, like smoke curling around logs, and the muted chatter from the café died down as I focused on her face. Reds, blues, and greens chased each other over the curve of her lips, over the slope of her nose.
Did she always look this… bright?
With a chest-tightening sensation, I was violently reminded of that stolen glimpse at the arcade.
“It was great, thank you…”
Her frown deepened, and she chewed on the inside of her cheek as she shifted on her feet again.
“Sorry I hung up so abruptly—” I glanced away, breath fogging up in front of me, shrouding me from her gaze as I searched for the right words. If there even was such a thing to describe how my dad and uncle got into an all-out fight, how my side still ached from where I’d taken a punch trying to break them apart.
A shadow flickered over her face before she gave me an understanding nod.
“No worries.”
It came out easy and light. Too light, almost like she… suspected. The vice strangling my ribs eased at her tact.
“I’m dying to see Mr Snowman, by the way,” she chirped, eyes twinkling with the ghost of amusement.
