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Dustin. Ava.

Her head still rested on my shoulder, and her legs were tucked under her. The solar lantern must have run out of juice at some point. We were in the dark now.

The rain had stopped, and the clouds had cleared enough for weak moonlight to seep through the windows.

The room was only going to get colder the longer we stayed here, so I slipped my hand behind her back and sat forward, pulling her with me.

“What are you doing?” she slurred.

“Moving you to bed.”

She didn’t answer as I worked one arm under her knees and rose from the couch. The moment her feet left the cushions, she tipped her head against my chest and surrendered.

I headed for Sadie’s room, where a perfectly made bed waited for us. Her room was somehow warmer than the lounge, with dark walls, heavy bedding, and artwork covering most of the opposite wall.

Ava stirred again as I crossed the threshold. “Luke?”

“Yep. Still me.”

“Where are you taking me?”

“Bed, remember? Before we freeze to death.”

She blinked slowly, then yawned. “Oh.”

I lowered her onto the mattress and removed her shoes and socks. “Want your hoodie off?”

“Um. Yes.” She struggled to pull it over her head, then removed her jeans, too. Her teeth chattered as she sat on the edge in a t-shirt and panties. “God, it’s freezing.”

“Yeah,” I said with a smile. “I know.”

I threw everything onto the chair in the corner where Ava had left the clothes she’d been sorting before she ran downstairs.

“Looks like your sister set the bed up for winter.” The quilt was thick, with a patchwork blanket folded across the bottom half of the covers. Four pillows. Warmth.

I went around to the other side and stripped off, standing beside the bed in boxer briefs. We hadn’t spoken about whether we’d share a bed. Ava watched me for a moment and didn’t object, so I climbed under the covers.

My entire body trembled as I settled in, the sheets cold against my skin.

The bed shifted as she joined me, turning to face me and dragging the covers straight up to her chin.

Within seconds, we were both cocooned, and for the first time all day, it almost felt normal—until she tucked her icy feet against my shin.

I jerked back from her. “No thanks.”

“But you’re warm.”

“Not anymore. Your feet are like ice blocks.”

“Thaw them.”

I laughed and tried to push her away with my knee. She immediately shuffled closer.

“You’re bigger,” she said. “You generate more heat.”

“I’ve never heard someone talk so much shit in my life.”

She laughed, and for a few minutes we shifted around the bed, stealing heat wherever we could. Every time one of us found a comfortable position, the other moved and ruined it. At one point, Ava gave up on being subtle and just shoved both hands under my arm like she was throwing a frozen pizza in the oven.