Chapter 2: A Cold Walk and Warm Encounters
1234 Words
The icy December air nips at my cheeks as I step out of the gym and onto the school’s snowy courtyard. The noise of the Christmas party fades behind me, replaced by the soft crunch of snow under my boots and the faint hum of distant carolers in town square. My breath clouds in front of me, but the chill doesn’t bother me. Not as much as the chaos I just left behind.
Three kisses. From the Harper triplets. I still can’t wrap my head around it.
I replay the moments in my mind, trying to make sense of what just happened. Matthew’s confident grin, Ethan’s playful smirk, Lucas’s cool gaze—they were all so… casual about it, like kissing the girl standing alone at the edge of the room was some kind of game. Was it a game? Or was it something else?
“Moraine!”
I freeze at the sound of my name. The voice is deep, commanding, and unmistakable. I turn to see Matthew jogging toward me, his broad shoulders cutting a sharp figure against the snow.
“What are you doing out here?” he asks when he catches up, his breath visible in the cold air.
“I needed some air,” I reply, crossing my arms to keep warm. “And some space.”
His green eyes soften as he studies me. “Space from the party, or from us?”
I blink, startled by his directness. “I don’t know,” I admit. “Both, maybe?”
Matthew nods, his expression thoughtful. “Fair enough. It was a lot back there.”
I let out a short laugh. “That’s an understatement.”
For a moment, we stand in silence, the only sound the distant rustle of wind through the trees. Then Matthew speaks again, his voice quieter this time.
“Look, I didn’t mean to overwhelm you. None of us did. That mistletoe thing—” He pauses, running a hand through his dark hair. “It wasn’t planned. It just… happened.”
“Three times?” I raise an eyebrow.
A small smile tugs at his lips. “Okay, maybe Ethan and Lucas took it as a challenge. But I wasn’t trying to mess with you, Moraine. I swear.”
Something in his tone makes me believe him, though I’m still not sure what to make of any of it. Before I can respond, another voice cuts through the cold.
“There you are!”
We both turn to see Ethan bounding across the snow toward us, his blond curls bouncing and his guitar case slung over one shoulder.
“Don’t tell me you’re hogging her all to yourself,” he teases, grinning at Matthew before turning to me. “I figured you’d sneak out. You’re not exactly a party girl, are you?”
I narrow my eyes. “What gave it away? My awkward standing or my lack of festive cheer?”
Ethan chuckles. “Both, actually. But I like that about you. You’re different.”
“Different how?”
“Different from everyone else in there.” He gestures toward the gym. “They’re all trying so hard to impress each other, but you? You don’t care about any of that. It’s refreshing.”
I glance at Matthew, who nods in agreement, his expression serious.
Before I can process their words, yet another voice joins the conversation.
“Are we having a meeting out here?”
Lucas steps out of the shadows, his dark hair perfectly in place despite the wind. He’s wearing a sleek black coat that looks expensive, and he moves with the kind of confidence that makes people notice him wherever he goes.
“What are you all doing?” I ask, exasperated.
“Making sure you’re okay,” Lucas replies smoothly. “You seemed… overwhelmed.”
“I’m fine,” I say, though I’m not sure it’s entirely true.
Lucas raises an eyebrow, clearly not convinced, but he doesn’t press the issue. Instead, he glances at Matthew and Ethan.
“Mom’s expecting us home soon,” he says. “We should probably get going.”
Matthew nods, but Ethan looks reluctant. “Already? The night’s just getting started.”
“We’ll see her again,” Lucas says, his gaze flicking to me.
“Who said I want to see any of you again?” I blurt out before I can stop myself.
The triplets exchange glances, and Ethan breaks into a grin. “Feisty. I like it.”
Lucas smirks, and even Matthew chuckles under his breath.
“I’m serious,” I say, crossing my arms. “I don’t know what that was back there, but I don’t need three guys complicating my life.”
Lucas steps closer, his voice low and even. “Fair enough. But maybe we’re not as complicated as you think.”
His words linger in the cold air, and I hate how they make my heart race.
“We’ll leave you alone for now,” Matthew says, cutting through the tension. “But don’t be surprised if you see us around.”
“Small town,” Ethan adds with a wink.
Without waiting for a response, the three of them turn and walk away, their footsteps crunching softly in the snow.
I watch them go, my mind a tangled mess of confusion and frustration. What just happened? And why do I feel like I’ve stepped into some kind of weird movie?
---
The Next Day
I spend most of Saturday trying to shake off the events of the Christmas party. I work a morning shift at The Cozy Cup, pouring lattes for last-minute holiday shoppers and trying to ignore the whispers of my classmates who clearly saw everything.
By the time my shift ends, I’m ready to head home and bury myself in a blanket for the rest of the day. But as I step outside, the sight of a familiar figure stops me in my tracks.
Matthew Harper is leaning against the brick wall of the coffee shop, his hands stuffed into the pockets of his coat.
“What are you doing here?” I ask, startled.
“Grabbing a coffee,” he says, holding up a paper cup. “And waiting for you.”
“Why?”
“I wanted to talk.”
“About what?”
He hesitates, as if choosing his words carefully. “About last night. About us.”
“There is no ‘us,’” I say quickly.
Matthew shrugs. “Maybe not. But there could be.”
I stare at him, not sure how to respond. Is he serious? Why would someone like him be interested in someone like me?
Before I can say anything, he steps closer, his green eyes locking onto mine.
“I like you, Moraine,” he says simply. “And I think you like me too, even if you don’t want to admit it.”
His words hit me like a ton of bricks. I open my mouth to argue, but nothing comes out.
“I’ll give you some time to think about it,” he says, a small smile tugging at his lips. “But I’m not giving up that easily.”
And with that, he walks away, leaving me standing there, my heart pounding and my mind spinning.
This is not how I thought my holiday season would go.
- Writer
