Cold Sweetness

❆ chapter eight

The next day had turned out for the better, the temperatures sitting comfortably in the low thirties as the sun warmed the earth. Nevada lay on top of her bed, her phone held in front of her as she scrolled through a series of text messages from her mother. While she had sent curt replies, Amanda Ruiz had a tendency to be nosy, pressing her daughter for more information about the trip even when her responses were delayed.

The truth was that she had no idea how to explain how the trip had progressed. It was like she was stuck in a bubble, the experiences she had confined to the lodge, and sharing them with Amanda felt like a crime. She knew her mother would be excited for her, but the enthusiasm would lead into higher expectations — ones that Nevada couldn't fulfill.

The most recent text was simple: How was your day? It had proven to be fairly uneventful thus far: they had headed out to the lift and had another attempt at skiing. Though Sam's nose had yet to heal completely, he had persisted, and they had returned an hour ago, craving the heat from the cabin to warm them up after their adventures.

It had been fun. Nevada had felt as light as a feather as she glided down the hill, every stress and worry flying off her shoulders, and she had enjoyed spending time with the others when conversation wasn't required: it had been them and the slope.

She shivered, a cold breeze tracing its way down her stomach, and she yanked her jumper down over her exposed skin. To her surprise, when her hand grazed over her naval, she jolted at how cool her fingers felt.

Even though the cabin was situated in the middle of the woods, trees surrounding them in an alcove on either side, it had never failed to maintain its warmth. Now, there was a chill in the air that Nevada noticed. She wondered how she had failed to realize it before, but the temperatures had definitely taken a nosedive, her bedroom cocooned in frosty air.

Dropping her phone on the covers, Nevada stood to investigate the vent on the floor. Sure enough, when she raised her hand in front of it, there was no gust of warmth to greet her.

Nevada strode into Sam and Carter's shared bedroom to find the two slouched over their respective beds. Carter looked up at the sound of her entrance before returning his attention to his phone.

"I think this is the first time you've come into our room," he said. "Welcome."

She ignored his statement. "I think the heating is broken. There isn't warm air coming out of my vents."

Sam sat up, bracing his hands on his thighs. "Are you sure?" When she nodded, he went over to the vent in their room, tapping the metal. "She's right. Crap. I thought I felt cold."

"Let me see." Carter pushed past Sam to look for himself, but when he turned with a frown, his expression confirmed what she had suspected. Something had happened with the furnace. "Well, shit. What do we do?"

"Call the lodge," she suggested. "They should be able to get a repair technician to come over here." It was like a switch had been turned inside her, taking over when the situation had taken a turn for the worse. It had happened when Sam had gotten injured while skiing, and it happened again now.

Sam grabbed his phone and left the room. A few seconds later, his smooth murmur could be heard on the other side of the wall as he talked to the receptionist at the lodge.

Cassidy appeared in the doorway, her eyebrows raised high. "Who is Sam calling?"

"The lodge," Carter answered, his gaze still fixed on the vent. "The heating is broken."

"That's why my hands are so cold," she said, rubbing them together on cue. She breathed on them in an attempt to warm the skin. "What are we going to do? Doesn't it take a long time to replace a furnace?"