Cold Sweetness

❆ chapter two

The cabin was a five-minute walk away from the main lodge, hidden behind an alcove of fresh pine trees. Their footsteps traced the path through the snow up to the front steps. Alicia took a moment to jam the key into the lock before the door budged.

Sam fumbled for the light switch once they were all inside, flicking it on to illuminate the open-plan kitchen and living room set-up. A woolly blanket covered the sofa that faced the medium-sized television set as the curtains were drawn to allow the natural light through.

There was an awkward pause in which no one dared to move. The only sound that could be heard was their harsh breathing as they recovered from the trek. The first to move was Cassidy, who marched over to the kitchen cupboards, throwing each open to inspect their contents.

"There's a Keurig," she said to no one in particular. "A fair amount of food actually. I'm surprised." When she stalked over to the fridge, she tossed it open to reveal the shelves stocked to the brim with every condiment they could possibly need. It seemed Helen was eager to make up for the fact that they were isolated from the group, but she had outdone herself. "Looks like we have it made."

"Nice," Alicia commented. She dragged her luggage down the hallway where the bedrooms were. The others followed at her heels, eager to view their sleeping quarters for the next week.

Two of the bedrooms had twin beds with a nightstand separating them while the last had a full bed. The realization that she was the only person without a partner struck her as she surveyed how the bedrooms had been prepared. It was likely that she would receive the larger room because she had shown up alone.

Sure enough, Cassidy turned to her in the darkness of the hall. She had been closer than Nevada had expected, and she reeled back from the intensity of her stare. "Do you want the full bed, Nevada?"

"Oh, come on," Carter groaned. "We should pick numbers out of a hat or something. That way it's fair."

Sam gave Carter a punch to his shoulder – though it wasn't hard enough to hurt. "There are three rooms, bro. It isn't worth it. Honestly, am I that bad of a roommate?"

Carter deflated, letting the fight escape him as he resigned himself to sleeping in a twin bed. "Fine. Whatever."

The five filtered apart to settle into their bedrooms and start the painful task of unpacking. Nevada dropped her duffle on the floor before plopping down on the edge of the bed. Her mind felt fuzzy, filled with dozens of incoherent thoughts that she couldn't even begin to piece together. The coil in her stomach had yet to disappear, though she didn't feel on the verge of a breakdown anymore.

Running her hands through her hair, she momentarily tightened her grip on her long locks before drawing her phone out of her pocket. Still wrapped in her headphones, she untangled the wires before opening up her messages. Her inbox was empty, which wasn't a surprise, but her parents had advised her to let her know when she had arrived.

She typed out a quick message, but anyone could sense the lack of enthusiasm in it. Her heart wasn't in it, and she couldn't muster the energy to act as if she was excited for what the next week held in store.

A knock against the doorframe pulled Nevada out of her spiral of her muddy thoughts. Both Cassidy and Alicia hovered in the entrance to her room, debating whether or not to enter as they waited for her to speak.

"Hi," Nevada said. Sudden fear pushed a stake through her heart. This first interaction with two of her roommates could determine their relationship for the remainder of the trip. She didn't want to make the wrong move.

"Hi." Alicia stepped forward, a hand thrust in her direction. Nevada took her offer with a gentle shake. "I'm Alicia. You're Nevada, right?" She waited for Nevada to nod before continuing. "It's nice to meet you. I hope you don't mind being stuck with us for the next week."