I crack the door open and tiptoe out of the bathroom. If I’m quiet enough, maybe I can grab my clothes from beside the fireplace and get dressed before Eli or Eddie sees me.

It’s not difficult to go unnoticed, though. Outside, the snowfall has not only grown heavier, but the wind is howling, too.

Even if I have to get caught by Eli, I’m suddenly glad I’m safe and warm in his cabin.

“Are you sure there’s no way to . . .” Eli lets his sentence hang in the air.

There’s no response from whoever he’s talking to, and I can’t see him from where I’m standing.

As I walk quietly closer to the fireplace, I realize there’s no one else in the cabin but Eli and me. He’s talking on the phone.

Eli is standing by the window, looking outside while holding the receiver of the old, yellow, corded landline phone to his ear.

Who is he speaking with? Has he called Eddie himself? Has he realized that I’m not sleeping with him, so he wants me out as soon as possible, too?

“Yeah, it’s just so sudden.” Eli groans.

Is he angry because he didn’t expect to find me here without any warning?

The wooden planks feel hard under my bare feet. I step onto the bearskin rug and touch my clothes. They’re still damp. I’ll have to grab something from Eli’s wardrobe. I hope he still keeps his clothes in the same place.

“Will you really be okay?” Eli asks, concern in his deep voice.

Okay. That’s probably not Eddie then. The snowfall looks concerning, but I doubt Eli would care how Eddie would fare driving through it.

Shame creeps hotly across my face. I’ve been away for seven years. Of course, Eli has better things to do than help me fix my car.

Unease wraps its tentacles around my heart. Who is Eli talking to? I can’t deny his voice makes me . . . I don’t know. I guess a part of me remembers how he used to talk like that when he was worried about me . . . like he cared. It makes me yearn for something that doesn’t exist anymore.

Damn it. Am I . . . jealous?

No, I can’t be.

We shared a kiss, yes, but it has been seven years. It didn’t mean anything. It was just a meaningless kiss. There’s no way I already feel like I have any kind of claim over him.

“Okay. I don’t like this, but it sounds like there’s no other way,” Eli sighs.

Does Eli have a girlfriend, after all? Did he lie to me when he said he didn’t?

That wouldn’t be a surprise.

I mean . . . He said he didn’t want us to have a long-distance relationship when he broke up with me, all those years ago. But, I always suspected there was another reason . . . like maybe there was someone else.

“See you soon,” Eli says.

Realizing he’s about to end the phone call, I dash into the bedroom so he won’t see me in my towel.

“I love you,” he says before he hangs up the phone with a click.

Did he seriously just . . .? That jerk! How dare he kiss me and then tell some other woman he loves her, all in the space of one day?

I’m glad I didn’t let things get out of control. I’m pretty sure if I didn’t run away into the bathroom, Eli would’ve had no problem escalating things until we ended up in bed.

I open the wardrobe and grab a shirt at the top of a random pile.

It’s a floral shirt. A woman’s shirt. The tag on it has faded to the point where it’s impossible for me to tell what used to be printed on it.

The shirt is too small for Eli’s mom. And, I know his sister has been living in the city for the past few years. I mean, it could be hers, but the last time I saw her she told me she hated Ashbourne and would never come back, not even for a short visit.

So, there is a woman. And, I can see Eli is still using the same, old moves. He probably brings his girlfriend back here all the time. They may have done it in every room, too, just like we did. It’s possible they did it in the bathtub where I just soaked.

Despite the fresh warmth from the hot water on my skin and the scent of soap on my body, I suddenly feel dirty.

Is that just what he does? Wait until a girl falls for him and then move on to the next one?

I rummage through the wardrobe until I find a pair of sweatpants that fits me—a pair of women’s sweatpants.

Maybe, if I wear clothes that belong to her, Eli will realize I know what he’s up to.

I walk out of the bedroom with a towel draped over my shoulders, keeping my wet hair from dampening my shirt.

“Hey, can I use your phone?” I ask Eli, who’s still standing by the window, looking outside.

“Sure. I was starting to get worried. I thought you’d passed out in the bathroom.” He turns around to face me. As soon as he sees me, his eyebrows knit together in confusion. “Where did you find those clothes?”

“In the bedroom. In the wardrobe.”

“I didn’t even realize you’d finished your bath,” Eli says. Strange. He doesn’t say anything about the clothes I’m wearing.

I’ll bet he doesn’t realize I listened to his call with his girlfriend, either.

He looks a little surprised. He probably didn’t expect me to catch him doing something shady.

Luckily for me, I’ve always had a light step. And, I’m so glad I’m getting out of here soon.

I give Eli a polite smile as I step closer toward the small table on which the phone rests. “My cell phone doesn’t work. There’s no reception.”

“There’s none on mine either,” he says.

“I thought it was just in the bathroom. But, I tried the bedroom and now, here. Nothing.”

“It’s probably the storm,” he says.

“What storm?”

“That storm.” Eli points out the window.

I walk past the phone table to take my place beside him so I can look outside.

In just a short time, snow has piled up on the ground. I could still see the grey asphalt when I first got to the cabin, but now it’s completely buried. The wind is still howling, sending fat blobs of white snow swirling down.

“What . . . When did this . . .?” My jaw drops.

“It’s a sudden snow storm,” Eli says. As if that explains anything.

“But, it was . . .”

“Completely clear this morning. Yeah. I know,” Eli completes my sentence.

“I need to call Eddie.”

“I doubt he can do anything,” Eli says.

“So, what are you saying?” I turn toward him, my voice growing louder. “You’re saying I’m stuck here with you?”

“Whoa,” Eli says, holding his hands up defensively. “It’s not me saying that. You can try calling and see what he says. All I’m saying is, I’m told everyone in Ashbourne is staying indoors.”

“Everyone? How do you even know it’s everyone?” I ask, getting more frantic.

“That’s what I heard,” Eli says, shrugging. “Granted, I didn’t personally call every single person in town to check if it’s true.”

“I need to call Eddie.” My heart hammers so hard my hands start to shake as I grab the phone receiver. “I can’t be stuck here.”

“Would it really be so bad, being stuck here with me?” Eli asks, a playful smile on his lips even as something dark dulls his eyes.

Ignoring Eli, I dial Eddie’s number, checking my cell phone to make sure I have the correct digits. I press the phone so hard against my ear it hurts a little.

I can’t be stuck here. That’s the worst thing that can happen, I think to myself. It didn’t take long for me to succumb to Eli’s charms. What if I need to stay overnight here? Or worse, longer?

I almost squeal out with excitement when a voice answers the phone—a real, male voice and not the robotic, recorded voice I heard when I called earlier. “Hello?”

“Eddie’s Garage?” I ask, my heart pounding in my chest as I listen closely for the answer.

“Yeah,” he says.

“Am I speaking to Eddie?” I ask again.

“Yeah.”

“Did you get . . . I called earlier. I, uh, needed . . . I still need someone to fix my car. It just suddenly broke down, and it wouldn’t move, and I-I called you but got your message, and I left a voicemail. Did you get it?” I stumble all over my words in my excitement.

“I get lots of messages all the time, lady. Which one are you?” he asks. Not exactly promising, but at least we’re talking.

“I . . .” I take a deep breath to calm myself down. Maybe he’ll understand me better if I speak more slowly. “Earlier this morning, my car broke down while I was driving from Dewhurst, on my way back to Ashbourne. I’m about ten miles away from town. Could you come help me fix my car?” I hold my breath.

“I suggest you call the emergency police line or something. It’s bad out there. You should come home right away.”

“Oh, no, I’m, uh, I’m in a cabin. I’m okay. I just need help with my car.”

“No can do,” he says. “You’re stuck, lady. It’s a good thing you’re indoors. Try calling me again after the storm has passed.”

I open my mouth to protest. But, before I can get another word out, the line dies with a click, and all I hear is the disconnect tone.