Cloud 69

49:

a/n: i would just like to say, at least it hasn't been two months this time. hehe. 

i hope you are all doing really well. life's hard, but please stay mostly happy and healthy <3

:)

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"Madeline, you are fucking shivering," He said, his voice threateningly tight. Out of spite, I was determined not to make eye contact with him, but I could still see the muscle in his jaw tick from my peripheral vision.

"I'm fine, thank you," I responded bitterly, hugging my arms tighter around my body in a vain attempt to stop my teeth from chattering. I rubbed my hands up and down my arms to ease the goosebumps. 

"For fuck's sake," I heard him mutter, followed by a scoff. 

I bounced on my feet, determined to spur up whatever thermal energy I could. Another gust of wind surged by, almost knocking me off balance.

"How much longer?" I asked, turning to Dylan.

He lifted his wrist, checking his watch, before shrugging and shoving his hands into the pockets of his navy parka. "They didn't say." He looked away, his eyes returning to vacantly watching the motionless road. 

I heard feet crushing the wet gravel as Carson stomped toward me. I felt something heavy and warm being draped over my shoulders. I looked down at the coat with disdain, then out of the corner of my eye to Carson. I whipped around to face him, glaring up at his impassive expression. 

"I said I was fine, Carson." I yanked the coat off of me and held it out for him to take back. 

"You're going to get hypothermia," He grit out through clenched teeth, an eyebrow raised as if to say don't test me. His lips pressed into a straight line. "Keep it on."

I did my best to scowl at him, trying to be angry despite his kind gesture. He was now coatless, in just a black sweater and long pants. However, if he was suffering at all from the loss of heat and protection the coat had provided for him, he was certainly making a point of not showing it. 

"Take it back, Carson," I said. "You're going to get hypothermia."

He shrugged, "Better me than you."

"This is sexism," I muttered, rolling my eyes as I attempted to force the coat back on him, but he held out his arms, pushing me away. 

"No, this is not sexism. This is you being stubborn."

"Carson, seriously, take it back. I don't want it."

"I don't care if you don't want it. Put it on."

"No. They'll be here any minute."

"Madeline. Put it on."

"No."

His eyes darkened and his voice dropped a few octaves to match, "I was not asking."

I threw the jacket at him, and he caught it right before it hit the white layer blanketing the ground. He glared at me as the arm of the coat fell loose, dangling just a few centimeters above the ground. 

He didn't break the menacing stare as he shoved his arms through the holes of his jacket and tugged it over his back before angrily stuffing his hands in the pockets. The wrinkles at the corner of his eyes were still present, and his mouth seemed to be frozen into a scowl. 

"Come here," He said.

"I don't want to."

"Again, I'm not asking. Come here."