Kai flicked a quick glance at Harmony and April in the front seat, then leaned toward Jessie. She wanted to hold her breath as he came closer. “I’m sorry about this.” His perfect lips twisted into a wry smile. “Gran wouldn’t take no for an answer.” He looked down then, and his hand shifted to rest in the space between them on the seat. Without consciously thinking of doing it, Jessie moved her hand near his, until the tips of their fingers touched. She was instantly warm.
Kai peeked back up at her at the slight connection. “I thought about telling her I’d go and then staying home, but…” As his voice trailed off, his eyes focused past Jessie’s shoulder, to the white capped trees blurring past them in the distance. A light snowfall was splattering large flakes against the car, and Kai stared at the display with childlike wonder on his face.
Kai hadn’t been around snow before moving here. Having played in the white stuff her entire life, being around someone who had never even seen it before now was a little wondrous. Smiling, she filled in the blanks for him. “You’ve always wanted to ski. I remember.”
The memory of how easy it was to be around Kai slammed into Jessie with a force that stole her breath. But that was sort of the problem. It was too easy to be around him. It felt too nice. It warmed her in ways it shouldn’t. It gave her thoughts that she shouldn’t have about him.
Even now, as the tip of her finger stubbornly started to stroke his, she was reminded of all the reasons they should be apart. But, God, that had been so hard. Being apart was as difficult to her as being together, just for completely different reasons. Around Kai, Jessie was always beating back her feelings for him. Apart for Kai…it was like those feelings were eating right through her, leaving only emptiness and pain in their wake.
Kai nodded at her statement; his eyes looked apologetic for not being able to resist an opportunity to fulfill a childhood dream. He glanced at their fingers on the seat, hers a creamy white, his a deep warm brown. Looping his finger over hers, he locked gazes with her again. The feelings he stirred inside her with just his index finger wrapped around hers, was a thousand times more intense than anything Jeremy had ever given her, and she was well aware of how wrong that was, but she couldn’t escape it. That undeniable, horrible attraction.
Jessie made herself pull her hand away when all she really wanted to do was lace their fingers together. She couldn’t though, not with April and Harmony in the car. Shaking her head, she tried to clear her thoughts. She shouldn’t regardless if her friends were here or not. She shouldn’t touch him any more than was absolutely necessary.
Kai let out a soft sigh as he resumed staring out the window. Harmony talked to April while she rested her head back on the seat and closed her eyes, like she was going to take a nap. Aside from Harmony’s voice and the annoying country songs playing, the rest of the car ride was made in silence.
A couple of hours later, the foursome pulled into the parking lot of the ski lodge where Harmony had booked their rooms. Kai had luckily found a room in the same lodge, although, not on the same floor. Jessie was happy there would be some distance between them. A little space was good right now.
After stepping out of the car, Jessie watched Kai get out. A huge smile on his face, he closed his eyes and inhaled the crisp air. He laughed as light flakes fell on his face, immediately melting onto his skin. Watching him was mesmerizing. She was so used to snow, so the beauty of it really didn’t faze her anymore. It was heartwarming and refreshing to see someone so enchanted by it.
As Jessie stared at Kai with a dopey smile on her face, she heard heated whispers coming from the front of the car. Looking over she saw Harmony and April engrossed in a lively discussion. A sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach told Jessie the discussion was about her.
Harmony had red splotches on her cheeks, and it wasn’t from the nip in the air. The flaming spots showed themselves whenever she was angry. April looked just as peeved. Great. They’d only just gotten here and there was already trouble brewing. April suddenly jerked her thumb at Jessie, then pointed over to Kai. The ominous sensation in Jessie’s gut hardened into a tight knot of apprehension. What the hell was April up to?
Feeling like she was about to walk into the line of fire, Jessie hesitantly began walking their way. “Everything okay?” she asked, her gaze flicking between April and Harmony. April had her chin up and her arms crossed in a position of defense and defiance. Harmony looked frustrated and trapped, like she was dealing with a crazy person, and she didn’t know what to do.
Tossing her hands up in the air, Harmony told Jessie, “She’s being completely unreasonable.”