Dylan
“I’m afraid you might be snowed in with the maid.” Rob chuckles cheerfully. “I hope she’s a nice, pretty girl. God knows you deserve one of those.”
I groan, knowing I’ve got to break the news to Merry that she has to stay put for the time being. She’s staring past me, and her eyes are filled with pain. I know that look—she’s reliving a memory. One she’d rather forget.
“When will the roads be clear, Rob?” I ask, still studying Merry.
“How long is a piece of string, my lad? This blizzard will have to stop first, and then it will be iced over, I would say a couple of days if the snow holds off.”
A couple of days? With a girl that clearly dislikes me for things I did when I was a kid?
“That pubs not far from you, you could see if they’ve got rooms,” Rob adds thoughtfully, and I could just see him wrinkling his eyes up. “I wouldn’t hold out much hope. At least you’re not on your own for Christmas if she stays with you.”
“Cheers, Rob,” I mutter, and Merry blinks, shaking her head as she readjusts to reality.
Ending the call, I make a face at Merry, who stares at me expectantly.
“Rob said the same as Cassie,” I said gravely. “No one in or out of town.”
To my horror, she closes her eyes, her lip quivering as she begins to cry.
“This is the shittest year ever,” she sobs, her shoulders shaking as she turns to the window. “I can’t see my sister at Christmas, I’m stuck here withyou,who has as much cheer as shit in the snow!”
I frown, not much liking her tone.
“Listen, you don’t have to stay here,” I snap, pointing outside. “There’s a pub half a mile down the road, and they might just have a room for you with a Christmas twatting tree in it!”
“Fine,” she retorts, dropping the blanket to the sofa. “I’ll walk.”
“Meredith.” I half laugh, my anger forgotten. “Let me take you—“
“No, thank you, you’ve done quite enough.” She stomps towards the door, allowing a gust of icy wind to slap her in the face as she takes a deep breath. “Goodbye, Dylan Charmer.”
With that, she strides out of the door and into the white world that awaits her.
“Fucking hell,” I mutter, pacing the room. If I left her out there, she would slip and hurt herself, or worse, freeze to death. She didn’t even have any proper shoes on or a hat or gloves.
Fuck it. I’ll go.
I tug on my hat and gloves and follow the madwoman into the blizzard. It’s the sort of cold that makes your ears burn, real pain that makes you cup them in your hands to protect them. My hands are already raw from chopping wood; blasted splinters get everywhere. The snow is hitting my face relentlessly, even in my eyes.
It's worse than I thought it was.
“Merry!” I call out, cupping my hands around my mouth as I scan the surrounding area, seeing nothing but a blanket of snow. I stare down at the floor, a smile pricking at the corners of my mouth when I see tiny footprints that seem to have slipped and slid in the unforgiving snow.
I keep walking, knowing she can’t be far.
“Argh!” I hear a cry carried by the wind.
“Merry, you bloody idiot,” I huff when I see her flat on her backside in the snow.
“I hate this bloody weather!” she screeches as I tug her up, guiding her back towards the house. Her coat is useless in this climate, but it's her boots that are treacherous.
“Can we just get inside?” I grit out, steadying us on the side of my truck.
“I want to go to the pub!” She purses her lips together as I roll my eyes.
“I’ll take you later!” I yell back as she slips and slides, her fingers clawing at my neck as she almost keels over.
