The snow was relentless, falling in soft, fat flakes that blanketed Snowfall Valley in a fresh layer of white. Normally, Holly might have stopped to appreciate the sight, but today, the beauty of the town felt hollow. Every step she took across the square felt heavier than the last, the conversation with Jack replaying in her mind like a broken record.
*“You wouldn’t understand.”*
Those four words had cut deeper than she wanted to admit. It wasn’t just the sting of being shut out—it was the way he’d said it, as though he’d already decided she wasn’t capable of being there for him. After everything they’d shared over the past few weeks, after letting herself open up to him for the first time in years, Jack had slammed the door in her face.
It made her want to scream. Or cry. Or both.
