Eventually we reached our destination, both giggling with excitement and relief that the trunk hadn’t flown open during the drive, scattering our luggage across the state of New York.
I looked up at the lodge as we unloaded our suitcases. Three stories tall and made entirely of dark logs, it was a beautiful building with a dark green roof and frosted windows casting golden light on the parking lot below.
Christmas lights still hung on the eaves, and all around us, snow fell in dizzying spirals, Hunter Mountain and its ski lifts rising up behind it.
“We all get our own rooms, apparently,” Jessica pointed out with a nudge to my shoulder.
“This is very high class,” I admitted, swallowing hard as we pulled our luggage through the snow accumulating deep on the pavement of the parking lot.
Once inside, we were met by a warm rush of dry air in the lobby, and a lodge attendant handed us our room keys, promising to bring our luggage upstairs for us.
There was a large, open space right beyond the lobby. The biggest fireplace I’d ever seen with a three-story stone chimney greeted us.
Fellow classmates mingled over glasses of wine and cans of beer as Jessica and I walked to the center of the room and looked up at the lofts, where the doors to each room could be seen from below.
“Wow,” Jessica whispered, turning in a circle. “I bet this cost the university a fortune.”
Wow was right.
We stood in awe for a moment before making our way to a table with refreshments. I poured wine for the two of us while Jessica loaded up on snacks, stuffing them in her purse. “Oh, look, there’s Tyler. Tyler!” She waved her hand toward him, standing on her toes.
I turned to look in his direction just as Rhys, who was standing beside him, turned to look in mine.
Oh, great.
Jessica grabbed my arm and pulled me with her as she made her way to where they were standing near the fireplace.
“Did you guys just get here?” Tyler asked with a grin.
“Yeah, didn’t you take the bus?” Jessica asked, looking around. “How’d you beat us here?”
Rhys and Tyler looked at each other and smiled. “We split a rental car. A real nice one. Harry Potter over here hasn’t ever been in a Jeep Wrangler before.”
Rhys rolled his eyes. “We almost went off the highway three times.”
“I was just showing him what a Jeep with studs and four-wheel drive could do.” Tyler shrugged, then sipped from his beer. “Anyway, we made it here and only got pulled over once.”
“Are you serious, Tyler?” Jessica scoffed. “You got pulled over?”
I listened to them bicker for a moment before glancing at Rhys, who glanced at me at the same second. Something warm blossomed in my chest before I could bury it. “I’m glad you didn’t get arrested,” I said to him.
“Yeah, well, so am I, but I’m driving us home on Sunday,” he said with that boyish smile that I loved.
“Everybody made it!” Cassandra voice immediately put a damper in our little circle near the fireplace.
I cringed, unable to stop myself, as she walked up and came to a stop between me and Rhys.
“So is everyone going to the bar tonight? I heard lots of students are going. Just trying to gauge where the parties to be tonight.” Her eyes glimmered.
I wanted to run far away.
“Uh, I guess.” Jessica shrugged, looking over at Tyler, who gave a short nod.
“What about you, Whitney? Think you can drag this guy out of here for a few hours and show him a good time?” She grabbed Rhys’ arm, shaking him a little.
I almost gasped at the forwardness of it. Rhys cleared his throat and gently removed her hand from his arm. “I actually have some work to wrap up tonight.”
“Oh, that’s a shame. I would’ve bought you a drink, Professor,” she giggled.
