Page 39 (1/2)

"Yeah," I said, trying to sood"

"Great," he said "Friday after class? Maybe after, we can all get dessert at my parents’ house Take it easy, you know?"

"Easy," I murmured Should relationships be easy? No, I used to think Everything worth doing took work and time, but for some reason, when I’d woken up next to Noah in the theater, none of that seemed clear anymore I needed to talk to Dante I needed hie, that there was some reasonable explanation

Before I knew it, exams were over, and as the snoirled outside ed it across the courtyard While I aiting to hail a taxi, I heard shoes crunch in the snow behindto leave for three weeks without saying good-bye?" Noah said, his cheeks a deep red

"I thought you were still in exams," I said as a taxi pulled over to the curb and popped its trunk

Noah shook his head "I was sitting in my room when I saw you step outside You looked like you were about to be bloay"

I laughed "Definitely not with this thing," I said, lifting et that," he said, but I pulled it out of reach

"I can do it," I said, and with soht," he said, shoving his hands into his pockets "Of course you can"

The exhaust froed in the cold as we stood there, not quite looking at each other "So, I guess I’ll see you when you get back?" Noah said, as if he had ed his mind

"Yeah," I said, because what else could I say?

He forced a smile "Great"

"Great"

Noah made to open the door foras I reached the handle "Oh, you don’t have to--"

"Right Sorry"

After I slammed the door, he brushed away a little circle of snow froood-bye And I was off

When I got to the airport, I checkedand boarded a rickety little airplane with only one bathroos of Montreal shrank into white as we ascended through the clouds

A disheveled college boy in a baggy sweater was sitting next toDante’s Inferno He s at his book "Do you know it?" he asked, his gaze wandering fros

I pulled down my skirt "No," I said quickly, and put on my headphones

Massachusetts was masked by a white flurry e landed Dustin met me at the airport with a takeout cup of hot chocolate and a big hug, and insisted on carrying my suitcase to the car

Barren trees frosted in ice formed a canopy over the roads as we drove west to Wintershire House, the tires squeaking as they pressed into the snow

Dustin asked ated Tinny Christround We passed frozen ponds, churches with Nativity scenes out front, and white colonial houses buried in snow, their owners shoveling tiny trails to their front doors

The streetlarandfather’s mansion Burlap sacks covered the topiaries, now dusted in white My grandfather’s car was nowhere to be seen

"He’s traveling on business but will be back for dinner," Dustin said as he hoisted h, when I ran down the stairs an hour later,his dinner jacket over the back of the chair

"Ah, Renée Welcome back" He always said back instead of home