Chapter 187

I flinched and grabbed my jacket tighter. ‘Why the hell is it this cold? I packed a coat, I wore the coat, and I’m still freezing. We were gone six days, not six months.’ Ashton came up behind me and dropped a heavy wool coat over my shoulders. It was dark grey, thick, and warm enough to deflect a snowball. ‘You always forget how cold it gets here,’ he said. ‘Just wear this until we get to the car.’ I pushed my arms into the sleeves. As soon as we stepped out of the terminal, Ashton grabbed my hand and shoved it into the pocket of his coat. His palm was warm, fingers locked tight around mine. We walked out together, side by side, breath fogging in the wind. The cold hit sharper than before, the kind that cut through jeans and wool and straight into bone. We climbed into the car waiting at the kerb. Once back at the house, I went straight up to Ashton’s room without thinking. I hadn’t talked to Geoffrey yet, but I already knew what kind of answer he’d give if I asked him about the heati