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I hated that she had to leave, but her job kept her busy, so I said my goodbyes and hung up. Once I was alone again, I felt my misery for all of one minute before I put it away.
This was about surviving. I’d do well to remember that.
SIX
ALDEN
I was covered in ice,but I knew that if I went back inside and Stella huddled up to me again, I’d be in a different kind of trouble.
She was too close. Too close and too tempting. It was easier to freeze outside than to burn in her presence.
I’d chopped way more firewood than I needed when my phone rang, bringing me out of my thoughts. At first, I thought it was Nick again. Maybe he remembered that he needed to tell me to stay away from Stella.
Instead, it was a number that I didn’t recognize.
I didn’t answer.
But then a text came through.
Unknown Number
Alden Canes. Answer the fucking phone. It’s Winnie.
I had to stare at it for a few seconds. How the fuck did Stella’s best friend have my number?
Then my phone rang again and I knew I would be in mortal danger if it really was Winnie and I continued ignoring her. “Hello?”
“Finally.” Her tinny voice was laced with irritation. “What is with our generation and not answering the phone?”
“Scam calls.”
“Then you yell at them like a normal person. God.”
“How do you have my number?”
“I called fuckingNick,of all people. If that’s not dedication to my best friend, I don’t know what is.”
I blinked in shock. She called Nick? The man she hated?
The world around me might have frozen over, but I didn’t know Hell had too.
“Why did you need my number?”
“Because you’re stuck with my best friend, that’s why. Nick tried to tell me it would be fine, but I knew I needed to make sure you know a few things if you’re going to be stuck with her.”
“Hang on, Nick tried to tell you it would be fine?”
She huffed out a breath. “Yes, he did. Something about how you won’t hurt her or something. I stopped listening about halfway through, as I usually do. But I’m not calling to talk about him. I’m talking about Stella.”
I scrubbed a hand over my face. “What about her?”
“You know I’d murder for her, right? That woman isthe light of my world, and her stupid ex dulled her shine. I amnotabout to let you continue that trend.”
“I’m not trying to make her feel worse?—”
“Sure, yeah. You don’t like her, and you’ve got your reasons for it. I don’t care about those. She’s scared. She’s newly single, and this will be her first Christmas without her family. Think about that for a second.”
I closed my eyes as the words hit me. Winnie was right.This was Stella’s favorite holiday, and the timing of this storm hadn’t fully come together in my mind. I’d made peace with the fact that the holiday this year was a bust some time ago. I doubted she’d done the same.