Meet Me at Midnight

Stella "There it is!" Sarah bounces with glee, the car shaking with her movement. I place my hand on the seat to steady myself. I follow her gaze and then I see it. The Winter Haven Lodge emerged from the snowy landscape like a scene from a holiday postcard. Similar to the kind my mother insists on sending out to our friends and family every year, despite the fact we live nowhere near snow. I've never understood it. I stare straight ahead, unable to take my eyes off of the view as our car navigates the winding road leading to the lodge. I'll never admit this to any living soul who isn't here to witness it, but a part of me, a small, tiny part of me, wants to bounce with glee. I settle for clapping along with Sarah, giving her my best excited grin. It's the least I can do. Being her maid of honor was something I secretly always dreaded. I'm not Sarah. I don't crave love the way she does, but I love seeing her this happy. My best friend is finally marrying the love of her life and, of course, in typical Sarah fashion, she's doing it one week before Christmas. Cue the dramatics and call the paparazzi, there's about to be a show. At first, when she told me her ideas for a winter Christmas wedding, I realized she was insane. I thought there was no way people are going to have time to travel a week before Christmas, but now seeing the carpark to the lodge entirely full of cars, I can admit I might've been wrong. Stepping out of the car, the crisp, chilly air tingled against my skin. I shiver and pull my coat on, crossing my arms and hugging it a little tighter to my chest. I hope Sarah has a genius plan to keep us warm in our dresses this weekend, otherwise I might just get frostbite in places I don't even want to think about. The lodge stood tall and welcoming, adorned with twinkling lights that reflected off the snow, creating an ethereal glow. The tall stone walls of this place are practically begging you to step inside and explore, and who am I to turn that down? "Wow, this place is beautiful," I sigh in amazement, turning to see Sarah, who grinned in agreement. The grand entrance beckoned and as we walked inside, the warmth of the lodge enveloped us. The interior was just as beautiful as the outside - evergreen wreaths decorated with red ribbons, flickering candles casting a soft glow, and the faint scent of pine wafting through the air. "Hi!" Sarah wanders off, welcoming guests who arrive. She shoots me an apologetic glance over her shoulder as she moves. I nod with a reassuring smile, letting her know I'm perfectly fine on my own. Picking up my bags, I make my way to the reception to check-in. "s**t, where is it?" I feel around in my coat pocket for my phone, but it isn't there. Of course, it isn't there. Glancing up, suddenly I see a tall figure approaching, only inches away. I stumble, and the sound of clinking glasses makes me shudder. "Oh no, I'm so sorry," I hurriedly apologize, my cheeks flushed with embarrassment as I attempt to steady myself. In a flurry of movement, our eyes meet. His gaze, a deep earthy brown, held mine for an instant before I registered what was going on and shoved him back in disgust. "No harm done," his voice, menacing and imposing, broke through the tension between us. I step back and glare at him. Nicholas Cross. Of course, the first person I literally run into is the devil himself. He stands tall and confident, making it hard not to notice him in a crowd - I realize I'm not the only one drawn to his presence, judging by the longing gazes he's receiving from other women in the room. "Don't smile at me like that," I grumble, dusting myself off. I peer behind him to see a pile of shattered champagne glasses. If it wasn't him, I'd feel bad, but honestly, I'm a little proud of myself. Any tiny inconvenience to Nick is a win for me. "Looks like you made a little mess, Nicholas," I tease, crossing my arms and grinning at him with pure delight. He chuckles, casually pushing back the hair hanging over his face and brushing off my attempts to annoy him like they were child's play. "Nothing I can't handle." He bends down, picking up the shattered glass one piece at a time. I stand there, silently watching him. "You gonna help or just stand there and watch me work?" He says, without even a glance up at me. I shrug. "I prefer watching you suffer." "And I thought you two promised to be civil this weekend," Sarah's voice snaps me back to reality. My best friend stood behind me, arms crossed, and her best stern expression gracing her pretty face. I grimace and shrug. "I promised I would try, and this is me trying." "Yeah, well try harder, k, thanks." She bounces off, her mood not affected in the slightest. Looking down at Nick, I see his wide grin. "What?" I snap, hating seeing him smile. "Mom is mad at you. You better start behaving, or-" "Or what?" I glare, daring him to continue. "Or you'll get put in the naughty corner for being a bad, bad girl." His eyes darken and I can feel them scrutinizing me. I step back, a little taken aback by his words, but also a little flustered. Nick has been a constant pain in my life since the day Sarah met Andrew. Unfortunately for me, he was part of the package and now that they are getting married, I guess I'm stuck with him for life. Cursing under my breath, I walk away. I can't be near him, not even for a minute. This weekend is going to be hell with him around. All I can do is play cat and mouse and hope he isn't quick enough to catch me. Hours later, a loud crash outside my door wakes me, followed by a loud knocking. "You've got to be kidding me," I groan. When I see the time on the clock on my nightstand, I groan in frustration. It's almost 2 am. Whoever this is better have a good reason for waking me up. My first thought is its some stupid teenagers who can't sleep playing knock and run but then they knock again. I second guess answering just to annoy them. Two can play that game. "What?" I sighed, opening the door just enough to peer outside only to be greeted by Nick and a very drunk Sarah. "Babe!" Sarah exclaims, shoving my door open and wrapping her arms around my neck, tackling me onto the bed behind me. I give in and let her take me down. I'm too tired to fight her off. When Sarah is drunk, I swear that girl gains super strength. "It's nice to see you too, but what are you doing here? And with him?" Before Sarah can answer, Nick interjects and takes a step inside my room. I glare at him and he stops in the doorway, his hands up in surrender. "I was walking her back to her room, and she remembered she found this and insisted we bring it to you right now." Nick holds up my phone and shrugs. I nod and give him a faint smile in thanks. "Where is Andrew?" I question, trying my hardest to push Sarah off of me. Eventually, she gives in and slides off me and onto my bed. I sit up and walk over to Nick, taking my phone from him and placing it on the counter beside the door. "He's still drinking, but I think she's about ready for bed," as he says those words, faint snores echo through my room and I close my eyes and sigh. "Guess I'm having an overnight guest tonight then, aren't I?" I go to close the door but Nick stops it, his hand wrapping around the door and holding it in place. "Stella, wait." Without a word, I let him nudge the door open just enough for his face to peek through from the dimly lit hallway. The shadows play across his features, making him look annoyingly good. If it were some random good-looking guy instead of Nick standing here, this could be a scene out of a cheesy romance novel, but it's Nick staring at me in ways that I can't quite read. "Just for once, can we call a truce? I'm willing to play nice for the sake of our best friends getting hitched." I ponder his question, wanting to give in a say yes, but there's always a catch with him. It's never simple. Silence filled the air between us, his eyes never leaving mine. But I can't do it, not after what he did that night. The memory of it still weighs on me, and when I close my eyes, the bitterness in his voice is a distant but unforgettable memory. "Take the truce and go."