𝘿𝙀𝘾𝙀𝙋𝙏𝙄𝙊𝙉 • 𝙇𝙍𝙃

45. falling in love

FALLING IN LOVE

Lila has always admired the simple things in life.

A pretty pair of high-heels that she could never wear, for she is far too clumsy.

The way a thick blanket of snow holds the city of New York hostage. So perfectly white, glistening in a way that grabs your attention the moment you step into the cold.

Far less often, the girl appreciates the things she never sees coming.

When the untouched snow becomes stained with crimson. When clothes are ripped, covered in the blood of someone they love.

When the tranquil night sky booms with shouts and fear and the hope for a miracle.

There's a word for something like that. A nightmare, maybe, but for this story, we'll just say it's the future.

"Hurry up, Lila. We're already late." Calum stands by his jeep, as his flat loafers are much more adequate to walk in the snow than her high heels.

She exhales in annoyance, her hand gripping the wooden railing like her life depends on it. She descends the staircase, her lilac gown dragging in the snow behind her. "Shut up, I need perfect concentration for this. I'm not about to get a mouthful of snow and rip my dress in the process."

"As funny as that would be," Calum retreats towards her, holding out his arm for Lila to take. "It would be a shame if we didn't make it to the ball until it was over."

The girl mumbles some snarky response Calum couldn't be bothered to listen to as she loops her arm in his. He guides her to the jeep, offering a bit of brotherly-chivalry and opening her door for her. Stuffing her dress into the car was a problem all on its own. Calum has never wondered how many ball gowns could fit in his jeep, but the answer is definitely one. Those things are unnecessarily massive.

Now on the road, Lila fiddles with the heat. While her off-shoulder dress seemed like a good idea when she bought it, the chattering of her teeth tells her she should have chosen something more practical.

In the dead of winter with the harshest snow fall of the year, Lila wasn't thinking about being warm. She wanted to capture Luke's attention, maybe even make his jaw drop a little.

Lila's dress exposes skin that Calum has never seemed to notice before, and he's finding it difficult not to stare. "Are those scratches?"

She angles her head to the side, shrugging. "Burns, I guess. My parents told me I was burned by hot water as a baby."

"Huh." His forehead creases. "I have something similar on my back. Not as bad as yours but...similar."

This catches her interest. She noticed strange markings on his back when they were in Florida but saw no point in bringing it up. "What happened?"

"Couldn't tell you. I've had them for as long as I can remember. Is that why you're afraid of fire? From the burns?"

Lila's cheeks grow hot, seems the simple mention of the word is enough to put her on edge now. "I think so."

"I think I am too," he admits. "Not small fires, but large ones. Like at the house."

"Makes sense, it's a pretty common fear."

Calum rarely has a gut feeling, but something is tugging his insides in all directions, trying to catch his attention. "Are you still trying to find your birth parents?"

"If you can even call it that," she laughs. "It's almost like they never existed. I don't have any leads or ideas on where to look next. I thought I found something but it sort of fell through."