The snow is falling, and it's starting to get dark out. Everywhere I look, I can't find her. I don't even know why I agreed to take a walk in this shit in the first place. Now, we’re separated, and the snow is coming down harder. I keep calling out her name, but there’s no answer. Panic is setting in, and I don't know what to do. There’s no way she can last too much longer out here. We didn't dress for a hike in extreme conditions. We only threw on some warm clothes and boots to enjoy the snow before the storm rolled in. I let the panic take over and call out her name over and over, praying she’ll respond and we can go home.

“Taylor! Taylor! Taylooooooooor!”

“Maddox! Maddox, wake up!”

I sit straight up, still in a panic from my dream. I feel a small hand on my arm and look over to see Taylor looking at me with concern. Reeling with happiness that she's in front of me, I grab her and bring her into a bear hug. She hugs me back for a moment but then starts to struggle a little to be let go. Reluctantly, I let her sit back, but I make sure to keep her hand in mine, not allowing her to get away.

“You okay? You were screaming my name.”

“Yeah, princess. I’m fine.” I gently caress her cheek to get her to relax a little, but I can see that she won’t be letting this go. “Really, I’m fine.”

"I don't believe you. I won't push you to talk, but I hope you do. This is the second time I’ve had to wake you from a nightmare."

“I’m not sure you can call it a nightmare…”

“Maddox, you were screaming my name. You’re covered in sweat and almost decked me the other time I tried to wake you. You were screaming out then, too.”

I don't want to get into the details of my dreams to Taylor. This particular one involved her, but the others involved another woman, and I'm not sure I'm ready to dig that up just yet.

“Let’s make a deal then,” I concede. “If I talk about my dreams, you talk about your anxiety attacks.”

She looks me over, seriously considering my offer. Finally, she holds out her free hand to offer a handshake. I follow suit, and when we shake, she responds, ”It's a deal."

“Good.” I kiss her forehead. “How about we go ahead and grab some food first. I’d love to spend all day in this bed with you, but I need to eat something first.”

“I could eat, too. I want to check on the weather also.”

“Already planning your escape?” I'm teasing when I say this, but I'm also a little worried she wants to leave. Maybe this morning wasn’t as amazing as I thought.

“No, silly. But I'm concerned with how long we’ll be snowed in. I want to check on my parents.”

“How about you check on all of that while I make us some pancakes?” I offer.

Before she can get away from me, I pull her in for a kiss. At first, it's just a light brush of our lips, but I'm pleased when she keeps me in place and deepens it. Before getting out of bed, I lightly rub my nose to hers and wink, then make my way to my dresser. I throw on a pair of sweats and a T-shirt. When I turn around, I see she's wrapping a quilt around her, and she jumps back onto the bed.

“You okay over there?”

“I hate to sound like a baby, but I'm freezing. The floor is cold.” I turn back to my drawers and dig for some socks. When I find a pair that I think she’ll like, I turn and toss them onto the bed. “Do you happen to have any sweats in there that’d fit me?”

“Not sure on that one, princess.”

She smiles at me and works on putting the socks on. She wraps the quilt around her again and rises from the bed.

“You know, if we’re snowed in for too long, I'm going to freeze to death with no clothes.”

“I would never let you freeze,” I promise her.

"Not on purpose, anyway, right?" She lets one of her adorable giggles loose, and it warms my heart. I walk over to her and rub her arms in a failed attempt to help warm her up.

“You know, there are activities to keep you warm that I’d be happy to help with.”

“I’m sure there are, but I think you need to give me time to recover from the first one.”

“Fine. Food it is then. After I make you another fire.”

We make our way to the living room, and I quickly load some logs into the fireplace and light the fire. When I'm satisfied that the fire is large enough and warm enough, I go to the kitchen. Taylor disappears into her room, probably to call her parents. I do feel bad that she isn't able to have more clothes. There’s no way she’d be able to fit into anything of mine, and even though I’d love for her to roam around my house naked, it's way too cold for that to be an option.

Before starting on breakfast, I make a detour to the loft that is just above us. It's a part of the house I never use and almost forgot about. Once at the top of the stairs, I'm hit with a quick pain in the chest, but it passes quickly. This used to be her space, and I haven't changed it at all besides the random photos and items of hers that were around the house that I happened to throw up here. There was dust covering everything and webs filled the corners. I spot the chest I'm looking for and wipe the top layer of dust off of it before lifting the lid. Inside, there are women's clothes that are still fresh and clean. The dust and dirt didn't get through the cracks at all. I rub my hands on my sweats to get rid of the yuck; then I quickly dig to find what I'm looking for, let the lid slam shut and make my way back to the main floor. I drop the clothes on the table and wash my hands. I tell myself it's just to get the webs and dirt off, but deep down I know I'm trying to wipe away the memory of her that has seemed to slip back into the forefront of my mind.

When I know I'm composed, I grab the clothes back up and head to Taylor’s room. She’s just setting her phone on the bed and covering back up with the quilt.

"Hey, um, I forgot that I had these here. You’re welcome to wear them. They should be about your size." I hold the clothes out to her, almost hoping she’ll choose to go naked instead. I see her study the items in my hand for a moment, then my face, searching to make sure I'm okay with what I'm offering. She eventually takes the clothes from my hands and looks back up at me.

“Are you sure you’re okay with me wearing this?”

“Well, it’s better than you freezing to death, right? And it can’t be comfortable having to keep that quilt around you. It’s fine, really,” I reassure her.

“Okay, thank you.”

I nod and leave her to change. I do work in the kitchen to get breakfast ready and to keep busy, so my mind doesn't wander. I also have to prepare myself to see Taylor in Wendy's clothes. Maybe that wasn't such a good idea. Well, it's too late now.

Taylor’s still in her room when I set the table and make the finishing touches on breakfast. She emerges just as I get our plates fixed and am pouring our coffee. I freeze the moment I see her and am quickly brought out of it when I feel the hot liquid fall over my fingers.

“Shit!” I curse.

“Oh no, are you okay?” Taylor rushes over and takes my hand in hers to assess the damage.

“I’m fine. It’s just a little coffee.” I hate that I let those clothes distract me. “So, those fit okay?” I try and change the subject.

“Uh, yea, they do. Thanks again.”

“You’re welcome. Are you hungry?”

“Starving.”

“Good, I cooked enough to feed a small army.” I grin at her, hoping to ease the tension.

We eat our breakfast in silence, but it isn't awkward. It's peaceful. We exchange glances, and I smile when she blushes and shyly looks away from me and distracts herself with her food. When we’re finished eating, we clear the table and wash the dishes, together—something else I haven't done with a woman in a long time. Once our chore is done, I lean down and kiss her lightly. I can't get enough of her. I seem not to be able to go longer than a half hour without needing to be in contact with her in some way. I grab her hand and lead her over to the couch to sit. She cuddles in close to me, and I wrap my arm around her as I grab the remote to turn on the TV and see what's going on with the weather.

According to the news, the worst of the storm is over and plow trucks are working on getting the roads cleared. Of course, that doesn’t mean anything for us up here in the mountains. There was a total of five feet of snow in some places, but it varied up here.

I get up to look outside to see if it’d be possible for me to plow the roads in the next few days. Taylor stays on the couch as I open the front door and take a look at what we are dealing with. Her truck is almost completely covered in snow. If I were to step off of the porch, I’d have snow past my waist. It’d take a few days, but I could clear the driveway and roads. With that thought, my heart falls. The sooner I get them plowed means the sooner Taylor will leave me. Suddenly, it's the last thing I want to happen. I want her here with me forever. Trying to keep my emotions in check, I close the door and return to my place next to Taylor.

“So? What do you think?” she asks as soon as I sit back down.

“Uh, well, there’s a lot of snow to contend with, but I think I can get the road cleared in the next few days.”

“Oh, okay. That’s good, right?”

“Yeah,” I say, forcing a smile as I grab the remote.

I search through the channels, not looking for anything specific, trying to not think about the fact that my princess will be gone in a few days. I need to make the best of the last few days with her because it might be the last.

She rests her head on my shoulder and tells me to stop on a movie I've never seen before. We cuddle together and enjoy the film, not talking, but the whole time all I'm thinking about is trying to figure out the best way to make her stay.