Hope(less)

Chapter 18

Chapter 18 

With the freeze came the night Rachel thawed toward Clay-the-man. 

A heavy snow started to fall just as Clay and I went to bed. His arm curled around my waist, and my head rested on his shoulder. Asking him to sleep beside me was the best decision I ever made, and it made me finally understand that I determined the pace of our relationship. He had waited patiently for me to invite him in and would wait patiently for the next step, whatever I decided that would be. 

My phone rang and pulled me from my warm cocoon. I recognized the number and answered. 

"Hey. I'm coming home," Rachel said. "It's snowing too badly to go to Peter's." She'd caught on that Clay spent the night often. 

"Thanks for the heads up," I said with a laugh. "We'll see you soon." 

Clay got out of bed as I ended the call. Puzzled, I watched him dress in warm clothes. He left the room. The back door opened and closed. A minute later, I heard the rasp of a shovel on the driveway. I smiled, moved to his warm spot, and burrowed in. 

The sound of the plow scrapping past disrupted the silent world and kept me awake. Clay stayed outside, keeping the entrance to the driveway clear until Rachel came home. I heard her thanking Clay as they came in together. He didn't say anything in return, but I imagined he gave her one of his rare nods. 

When he returned, I flipped the covers back for him and moved out of his place. 

"I was just keeping it warm for you," I lied. 

He laughed and pulled me close. Even after being outside so long, he still warmed me. 

My lids grew heavy, and he kissed the top of my head. 

* * * * 

With the long holiday around the corner, I needed to cross a few things off my mental checklist. First, I needed to pin down my next victim for a power swap. After that, I needed to talk to Sam and hope for answers. 

I'd planned to test my ability on Rachel before I went back to the Compound, but Clay watched me closely. Since he knew something happened when I touched other people, he subtly kept everyone out of reach. I pretended not to notice so he wouldn't become even more protective. 

Luck turned in my favor when Rachel texted and asked me to meet her and Peter for lunch. Having just left my morning class, the timing couldn't have worked better. She suggested a small ma and pa diner close to the campus; the same one Clay and I had walked to so long ago for our sunrise breakfast. I quickly agreed, told her what to order for me, and rushed over the scrapped sidewalks to my car. 

I cautiously drove the few blocks to the diner. The salt on the roads made everything slushy, and my worn tires liked to slide when I least expected. I eased into the crowded parking lot and snagged a spot near the door. 

Through the windows, I spied Rachel and Peter already snuggled in a booth. The waitress had just delivered our food, and they didn't notice me park or get out of the car. They stared at each other. I saw their lips moving in quiet conversation. Rachel kept stopping to grin at Peter. 

I opened the door, briefly blasting the patrons with the frigid air. It caught Rachel and Peter's attention. They wore secret smiles as they watched me approach. I slid in across from them, the vinyl seat squeaking, and peeled off my hat and gloves. The warmth of the room heated my cheeks and turned them red in seconds. 

"Hi, guys. This is a nice surprise. What's the occasion?" As soon as I said it, I noticed the glint on Rachel's ring finger. "Oh, wow..." It came out sounding as stunned as I felt. The rational side of me said it was too soon, but the part of me that saw them together and saw their synchronized pulses, knew it was perfect.