KISS ME UNDER THE MISTLETOE:TWISTED HEARTS

CHAPTER FOUR:HOPE

The storm had passed by morning, leaving a crisp chill in the air. Amelia sat by the window, staring at the snow-covered landscape of Snowfall Ridge. The conversation with Logan last night kept replaying in her mind. The regret in his voice. The sincerity in his eyes. The way her heart had betrayed her, skipping a beat when he touched her wrist.

She had spent years convincing herself that Logan Black was a mistake—one she had paid for with heartbreak and loneliness. But now? Now, he was here, standing in her kitchen, promising to make things right.

Isla’s giggle echoed from the living room, snapping Amelia from her thoughts. Her daughter was playing with Nick, stacking wooden blocks on the coffee table. Isla’s laughter was light and carefree, a stark contrast to the weight pressing on Amelia’s chest.

She needed air.

Grabbing her coat, she stepped outside, inhaling the crisp morning air. The town was just as she remembered—quiet, peaceful, untouched by time. But today, something felt different.

She walked down the familiar streets, passing the old bakery, the bookstore, the coffee shop where she used to sit for hours with Logan, dreaming of their future. Her feet carried her to the one place she never thought she’d return to—the frozen lake.

The ice glistened under the soft morning sun, memories flooding back.

"Thought I’d find you here."

Amelia turned sharply, her breath hitching. Logan stood a few feet away, his hands shoved into the pockets of his blackcoat, his dark eyes watching her with a mix of hesitation and something else—something dangerous.

"Are you following me now?" she asked, crossing her arms.

"You always came here when you needed to think," he said simply. "Old habits die hard."

She swallowed. "And what makes you think I need to think?"

Logan let out a breath, stepping closer. "Because I know you, Amelia. And I know last night—seeing me, hearing what I had to say—it stirred things up for you."

She let out a dry laugh. "You think too highly of yourself."

"Maybe," he admitted. "But I also know that if you really wanted me gone, you’d have kicked me out by now."

Her throat tightened. "You don’t belong here, Logan."

"And yet, here I am," he said softly.

Silence stretched between them, the cold wind nipping at Amelia’s skin. She wanted to hate him. She wanted to tell him to leave, to walk away like he did all those years ago.

But she couldn’t.

Because the truth was, a part of her had never stopped waiting.

......................................

The frozen lake stretched endlessly before them, the surface a perfect mirror of the overcast sky. Amelia clenched her coat tighter around her, hoping the icy wind would cool the heat rising in her chest. Logan had always known how to get under her skin. He still did.

She shifted her gaze to the distance, her breath visible in the cold air. “You don’t get to show up here and act like we have unfinished business, Logan.”

He stepped closer, his boots crunching in the snow. “We do, Amelia.”

“No, we don’t,” she snapped, turning to face him. “You made your choice years ago. And I made mine.”

Logan’s jaw tightened. “You think I wanted to leave? You think walking away was easy for me?”

Amelia let out a sharp laugh. “It must have been. You didn’t even look back.”

“That’s not fair.”

“No?” She folded her arms, anger bubbling beneath her skin. “Because from where I’m standing, it sure as hell looks like you got everything you wanted. You left, you built a life, and you never once—” Her voice broke, but she quickly masked it. “You never once checked if I was okay.”

Logan exhaled heavily, running a hand through his hair. “You don’t know the whole story.”

She scoffed. “Then tell me. Tell me why you left, why you disappeared like I meant nothing.”

He hesitated.

Amelia took a step back. “That’s what I thought.”

Logan reached for her, but she jerked away. “Amelia, please—”

“Don’t,” she whispered. “Just… don’t.”

Silence fell between them, heavy with unspoken words. The wind howled through the trees, rattling the bare branches.

“I never stopped thinking about you,” Logan admitted.

She let out a shaky breath. “Then why didn’t you come back?”

He looked at her, regret etched into every line of his face. “Because I thought you deserved better.”

Amelia blinked. That was the last thing she had expected to hear.

“What?” she whispered.

Logan’s gaze held hers. “I was a mess, Amelia. I had nothing to offer you. I didn’t want to drag you into my chaos. So I left.”

Her chest tightened. “You don’t get to decide what I deserve.”

“I know,” he said softly. “But I did. And I regretted it every day.”

She swallowed hard. “It doesn’t change anything.”

Logan took a step closer, his voice barely above a whisper. “Maybe not. But it’s the truth.”

Amelia turned away, blinking back the tears that threatened to fall. She had spent years building walls around her heart, convincing herself that Logan Black was just a chapter in her past. But standing here, with the snow falling around them, she realized something terrifying.

The chapter had never ended.

It had only been paused.

And now?

Now, Logan was back. And he wasn’t going anywhere.

.........................................

The night had settled over Snowfall Ridge like a thick blanket, the quiet hum of the wind weaving through the trees. Amelia sat on the wooden porch of her mother’s house, Isla already tucked in bed. The hot cocoa in her hands had long gone cold, but she made no move to drink it.

She was too busy replaying every word Logan had said.

"I never stopped thinking about you."

"I thought you deserved better."

The memories she had spent years burying threatened to resurface, clawing their way through her defenses. She could still see the Logan she once knew—the boy who had promised her forever, who had kissed her under this very porch light and whispered that no matter what happened, they would always find their way back to each other.

She closed her eyes. That promise had been broken.

A soft creak behind her made her snap her head up.

"Couldn't sleep?" Evelyn’s voice was gentle as she stepped onto the porch, pulling her cardigan tighter against the cold.

Amelia shook her head, offering a small smile. "Too much on my mind."

Her mother took a seat beside her, glancing at the untouched cocoa. "Let me guess. Logan Black?"

Amelia sighed. "It’s been four years, Mom. He shouldn’t still have this effect on me."

Evelyn chuckled knowingly. "Love doesn't follow the rules, sweetheart. Especially the kind you and Logan had."

Amelia frowned. "Had."

Her mother raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure?"

Amelia opened her mouth to protest, but Evelyn gave her a look that silenced her.

"You can lie to yourself all you want, but I know my daughter," Evelyn said. "And I know what love looks like."

Amelia let out a bitter laugh. "Love doesn’t leave, Mom."

Her mother’s expression softened. "Sometimes, people leave for reasons we don’t understand at the time."

"That doesn’t make it hurt any less."

Evelyn reached for Amelia’s hand, squeezing it gently. "No, it doesn’t. But it also doesn’t mean it’s too late."

Amelia shook her head. "I can’t go through that again. I can’t let him back in."

Her mother studied her for a long moment before reaching into the pocket of her cardigan.

"Then why are you still holding onto this?" Evelyn asked, opening her palm.

Amelia’s breath caught.

The amethyst ring.

The very same one Logan had given her all those years ago.

Her fingers trembled as she stared at it. "Mom but why exactly did you keep it?"

Evelyn smiled. "I knew you'd want it back one day."

Amelia swallowed hard, her emotions tangled.

"I don’t know what to do, Mom."

Evelyn sighed, tucking a strand of Amelia’s hair behind her ear like she used to when she was a little girl. "Then ask yourself this—are you more afraid of letting him in again, or of regretting it if you don’t?"

Amelia looked at the ring one last time before curling her fingers around it.

She had no answer.

At least, not yet.

The Next Morning

Amelia awoke to the sound of laughter.

For a moment, she thought she was dreaming, but as she blinked against the morning light, the voices became clearer.

One was Isla’s.

The other?

Logan’s.

Her heart pounded as she threw on a sweater and made her way downstairs.

The sight that greeted her made her chest tighten.

Logan stood outside in the snow, Isla perched on his shoulders, giggling as he twirled them in circles. The little girl’s cheeks were flushed with excitement, her laughter echoing through the crisp winter air.

Amelia hesitated, her fingers gripping the doorframe.

She had never seen Isla so at ease with someone who wasn’t family. And Logan…

Logan looked right there, like he had always belonged.

"Mommy!" Isla spotted her and waved enthusiastically. "Logan’s showing me how to build a snow fort!"

Amelia forced a smile. "That sounds fun, sweetheart."

Logan turned, his expression unreadable. "Good morning, Amelia."

She swallowed. "Morning."

Isla climbed down from his shoulders, running up to her mother. "Can Logan stay for breakfast?"

Amelia hesitated, but Isla’s eager face made her sigh in defeat.

"Fine," she relented. "But you’re on pancake duty, Logan."

A slow smirk played on his lips. "Wouldn’t have it any other way."

As they stepped inside, Amelia couldn’t ignore the way her heart raced.

Because for the first time in years, she felt something dangerous.

Hope.