Chapter 23
Terence gradually felt his fingers turning numb. The snow on his lashes grew thicker, and his actions and reactions slowed.
Halley paled and hurriedly pulled him closer. She tried to warm him with her body while patting his face. Terence, don’t close your eyes. Please, stay with me! Don’t fall asleep!”
Before he could shut his eyes one last time, someone broke through the snow, allowing light to enter. We’ve found them! They’re here!”
When Terence woke up again, the light above him blinded him. He held up a hand to shield his eyes. Kelly shot to her feet and agitatedly called for the town doctor when she saw Terence awake.
The avalanche had cut off the only road into and out of town, so they were stuck there. Despite being buried underneath the snow, Terence and Hailey were rescued in time and were unharmed.
Kelly talked to him for a bit and reminded him to eat the chicken noodle soup she’d prepared for him before leaving the room. He looked out the window at the glum sky. It was snowing, which only added to the gloominess
It was an accurate reflection of his mood. But why did he feel glum and gloomy?
He thought about how Hailey had pounced at him without hesitation when the avalanche had happened, He also remembered how she’d removed their ski outfits and held him close so they could keep warm.
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In split second, her actions had warmed his heart. Then, he’d remembered the five lonely years he’d
enced. Every night, he would listen to the sound of the clock ticking and his heart beating.
The heat was turned on, and he’d rested under a thick blanket and had a warm cup of tea. Yet he’d still felt cold and lonely.
Terence looked at his left hand. His ring finger had an indent because of the wedding band he’d worn over the years. He’d taken the ring off and thrown it into a pond on the day the divorce was finalized–he’d broken free of his cage.
It hadn’t been easy for him to get out of the prison that was his marriage to Hailey. How could he turn back? No matter how many things she did for him or how many times she put her life on the line, he didn’t want to turn back anymore.
Someone knocked on the door as he pondered this. It was Hailey.
“Hailey,” he said in greeting. She’d saved his life, so he didn’t give her the cold shoulder. ‘Thanks for saving me.”
She sat beside him and was about to say there was no need to thank her because they were married. Then, she remembered they were already divorced. Ultimately, she said, “There’s no need to thank me. It was the natural thing to do.”
She told him about their upcoming plans. The road into and out of town was currently buried under snow. Fortunately, the signal tower had been repaired, so she’d already called home to inform them everyone was fine.
It would take three days to clean all the snow off the roads, and Terence still needed to rest. So, they would remain there for a few more days.
Hailey was still chattering on when Terence’s stomach rumbled. Only then did he remember that he’d not
eaten anything since waking up. He was about to grab the flask from his bedside table to have the chicken noodle soup, but Halley beat him to it.
She poured the food into a small bowl before scooping some up and holding it to his mouth. It was still smoking from the heat since it had just been poured out, which blurred their connected gazes.
When Terence didn’t move, Hailey said, “You need to have some food to replenish your energy you’ve just woken up.”
He pointed at the piping hot food. “How do you expect me to eat this when it’s scalding?”
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Only then did she realize how hot the food was. She hurriedly blew on it, making sure it had cooled down before feeding Terence again.
Warmth spread through him after finishing the food. His eyelids also started drooping. Hailey didn’t seem to notice, though,
She held his hand and looked at him expectantly. “Now that we’ve experienced an avalanche together, could you give me a chance to make things up to you, Terence? Give me a chance to win your heart.”
Her words made him snap out of his drowsiness. He was about to turn her down when he thought of something. His lips curved upward into a small smile. We’ll see how it goes. I’m tired now
Hailey’s eyes lit up. She hurriedly tucked him in and said, “Great! Get all the rest you need- leave your alone now.”
Once she was gone, Terence opened his eyes and smiled mockingly.