Say It’s Forever (Fate #1)

Chapter 4

4

WINTER

I cuddle deeper into the blanket, feeling warm and cozy. When did my bed get so soft? “Libby,” I mutter. A whine for a response has my eyes flying open as I jerk to sit up. I come face-to-face with a massive dog.

“Bear.” A deep voice rumbles next to me. I let out a small scream and jump. Not that I go anywhere. I’m on a couch. My eyes lock on a massive-sized man. He goes with the massive-sized dog. Holy crap!

“Green,” he says, a half-smile pulling at his lips. It makes him appear less intense. I relax a little.

“Green?” I repeat because I can’t find words of my own at the moment.

“Your eyes. Been wondering what color they’d be.”

“Oh.” I take in the man sitting on the floor next to the couch. He's wearing a plain black shirt that hugs his arms tightly. Tattoos run up his arms, disappearing under the shirt. My whole body warms as I take him in. A reaction I’ve never experienced before. This man is full of sin. I can hear my mother's words in my head. His eyes drop, and I follow them. “Oh my gosh!” I grab the blanket and yank it up to cover my bra. How did I not realize I was only in a bra and underwear? I can feel socks on my feet, too. “My clothes.”

“Put the dress in the dryer.” The man speaks as he stands, his deep voice once again having an effect on my body. What the heck is going on with me? I drop my head back and stare up at him. How does he look even bigger? I really had no idea that they made men this size. No one looks like him on the compound. I bet it costs a fortune to feed him.

“Why did you, ah”—I hold the blanket tighter to my body—“take it?” I can’t seem to string a whole sentence together in front of this man.

“You were soaked and freezing. I did what I had to.” He gives no apology for that. “Stay put,” he orders before walking off. I turn to watch him go down a hallway and disappear into another room. A small sense of panic builds in me in his absence, which is ridiculous. He’s a stranger.

I take the moment to soak in where I am. His home is nothing like mine. The walls and floor are all wood. There is a massive stone fireplace with a robust fire going. Over it hangs a flat-screen television. We don’t own a television at the compound. It isn't allowed. Though a select few members have them, they are higher-ups in the church. Of course, the normal rules don’t apply to them.

The living room area opens up into a kitchen with shiny appliances. This man must be really rich. Didn’t he say he put my dress in the dryer? We hand wash and hang all our clothes. I’ve never even used a washing machine. I know what they are, but we weren’t allowed to have them. It was actually one of the many things Joseph had told me about that he had in his home. He was always trying to tell me how much I was going to enjoy being married to him. That I would have an easier life. If it meant I didn't have to be his wife, I'd rather just keep washing my clothes and hanging them.

“You can wear this.” I jerk my attention away from the fancy kitchen back to the giant man. He hands me a shirt. “It’s mine, but it will pretty much be a dress on you.”

I take the shirt from him. “Not from where I come from.” I pull the shirt over my head. “Dresses go to your ankles.”

“If you say so.” He drops down in a chair next to the couch, his attention fully on me. "How are you feeling, Snow?”

“Snow?”

He shrugs. “It’s what I’ve been calling you.”

“Oh.” I tuck a piece of hair behind my ear. Why do I like that he gave me a name? “It’s Winter actually.”

“So, I was close.” He gives me another half smile, which makes me relax back into my seat. If he was going to hurt me, he would have done it by now. “I’m Garrett, by the way.”

“Garrett,” I repeat. I really like that. The dog wiggles closer to me, wanting some attention too. I give him a pet on the head, remembering how he tried to keep me warm.

“That’s Bear.”

“He’s handsome.” I give him a hug again. “Thank you, Bear.” When I lift my head, Garrett is still watching me. “I’m sorry that I passed out on your porch.”

“Don’t be. I’m just glad you’re okay.” He leans forward, putting his elbows on his knees. “Are you okay?”

“I think so.” Everything feels fine. Well, physically anyway. Before I passed out, I couldn’t feel my feet. Now they’re nice and warm.

“That’s not what I meant.”

“Right.” I duck my head, focusing my attention back on Bear. Why do I suddenly feel shy about this? Or it could be that it’s embarrassing.

I don’t even know where to begin with everything. When Libby and I came up with this plan for me to escape the compound, I hadn’t expected to end up practically naked in a strange man's house. A very handsome man at that.

“How old are you?” he asks, giving me a second to get my thoughts together.

“Twenty.”

“Thank fuck,” he mutters, shaking his head. Not sure why that's such a good thing. I'm actually on the older side. A lot of the girls my age are married and have a few kids by now, but some of the rules had changed after one of the prophets was taken. He had not yet returned, and all we knew was that the government was attempting to destroy us. That’s the rhetoric we were told. After that, a few things changed, but not much.

“You cursed,” I stupidly point out. If a curse word ever crossed my lips, my father would make me live to regret it. Even if he said them all the time when he thought no one could hear him. Not Garrett, though. He just said it right here in front of me.

“Yeah, I tend to do that.” He leans back in the chair once more. “Now tell me. Are you all right?”

“No,” I whisper.

“You're running from something?”

“Kinda.”

“Kinda?” Now he’s the one repeating my words.

“I escaped, but I have to go back.”

“Escaped.” Garrett is on his feet. “Escaped who?” The concerned expression that he was wearing only a moment ago has disappeared. His jaw is now tight, and I can tell he’s trying to hold it together.

“My family.” I lick my dry lips. “My fiancé.” I hate calling him that, but he laid claim to me. Could I just break it if I was no longer there? I’m not sure how these things work.

“Fiancé?” Garrett fists his hands against his sides.

“Supposed to marry him in a few days.” That was before the storm rolled in. Things might have been delayed, but I couldn’t risk it.

“You ran from him?” I nod. “You don’t want to marry him?”

“Gosh no!” I wrap my arms around myself. “But it’s not really my choice.”

“You’re twenty. It’s your fucking choice, Snow.”

“Winter.” Did he forget my name already?

“I know, but I found you. My little snow angel passed out on my porch.” I swear there is a possessiveness to his words. It warms me deep inside in a way I don’t understand. But I’m finding I want to.