Alicia

The cold bit at Alicia's face, freezing the tears as they ran down her cheeks. She felt like such a fool. Though she had done her best to avoid this, she had failed. Even in the face of everything, she had let herself believe—to hope—that there might be something there with Zeke.

But she guessed she had been wrong.

The streets of Winter Grove had gone quiet. Snow drifted through the air in heavy flakes. The townspeople were all wisely tucked away inside, in their homes or in the cafés and bars, safe from the cold and snow. Alicia was all alone out here...

In more ways than one.

Through her tears, she gave a hollow laugh that echoed through the empty snow-covered streets. This was all so ridiculous. She should've known better. There were a million reasons why it would never have worked. They were different people at different points in their lives.

His life was nowhere close to hers. He lived in a city thousands of miles away, was already established in his career, and was about to start on what was sure to be his next successful project. Meanwhile, she was on the verge of graduation, about to be on the other side of the world, unsure of what she was even going to do with her life.

They argued constantly, and he was so stubborn, and he always managed to say the wrong thing.

And yet...

That didn't stop her heart from breaking.

She liked Zeke. It was ironic that she could only admit it to herself now there was zero chance of it going anywhere. All the reasons she had for why they were wrong for each other, why she had lied to herself, were the same reasons she wanted him. Maybe they argued, but that meant he wasn't afraid to challenge her. He didn't back down or shrink away when she stood up to him. In fact, he seemed to enjoy it.

And, yes, maybe he was stubborn, but it was because he was passionate about what he believed in and loyal to those he loved...

The tears kept falling. She choked back a sob, the icy air stinging her throat. She couldn't wait to get back to her apartment, to hide away until—

"Alicia!"

She stopped in her tracks, almost slipping in the snow. She turned...

There was Zeke, running towards her through the snow. Time seemed to slow, the snowflakes suspended in the air around them.

Her chest filled with warmth, though she tried to tamp it down. She knew better than to hope.

He staggered to a stop just in front of her.

"Z-Zeke?" she asked, her voice shaking. She swiped at her freezing face, trying to hide her tears... "W-What are you doing here?"

Zeke reached out and stopped her hand. Instead, he reached for her cheek and ran his thumb across it, catching a stray tear. Alicia couldn't help but lean into his hand, savoring its warmth.

"I'm an idiot," Zeke breathed, his breaths coming hard from his icy run, escaping in white clouds.

Alicia blinked at him for a second. "Did you really just run after me to tell me something I already know?"

He rolled his eyes, but a big smile spread across his face. "You've always got some come back, don't you? I mean I'm an idiot because it took until you were almost gone for me to realize..."

Alicia leaned forward, and her foolish heart began to beat faster.

"I realized it doesn't matter," Zeke continued, his dark green eyes fixed on hers. "It doesn't matter whether or not Nancy was telling the truth. The truth that matters is that I didn't want to be with her anymore..."

Her fool heart was now thrumming in her chest.

"What... What do you want, Zeke?" she asked.

"I want..." Zeke began, his emerald eyes flashing. "I want you."

Standing there, so close to her with the snow flitting by, he was the picture of perfection. His eyes shone, reflecting the lights, and his smile was for her and her alone.

"Y-You do?" Alicia stammered.

"I really do," Zeke said. "And I'm sorry that it took so long for me to figure it out. I can be a little stubborn sometimes."

Alicia couldn't help but laugh. All her insecurities were gone, blown away like the snow that swirled around them. "I know that, too. But don't worry, it's one of the reasons I like you."

She reached up and took a fistful of Zeke's coat collar, pulled him down to her level, and pressed her lips to his. Zeke gave a chuckle of surprise, the sound muffled by their kiss, but didn't hesitate to pull her into his arms. Despite the snow and wind, the cold couldn't touch them here in the warmth of their perfect moment—

"Wait," Alicia said, pulling away.

Zeke's face fell. "What? What's the matter?"

"Nothing's the matter. I just..." Her lips twitched. "If you really do like me, I need you to do something."

"Is that all?" Zeke said with a sigh, his expression relaxing. "You scared me for a second. What do you need?"

Alicia bit into her lip. "You might not like it..."

Zeke shook his head and pulled her close, nuzzling into her neck. "That doesn't matter. I'll do it for you."

Alicia smiled, knowing it was true.

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