The morning sun on Christmas Eve was deceptive. It shone brightly against the pristine snow covering the front lawn, promising warmth, but the air outside was biting—a sharp, lung-freezing cold that turned breath into clouds of vapor.
Inside the house, the temperature was rising for entirely different reasons.
Tesse stood in the foyer, wrapping a thick wool scarf around her neck. She was dressed for battle in a tailored camel coat and leather gloves, her red lipstick applied with surgical precision. Beside her, Julian was checking his reflection in the hallway mirror, adjusting his beanie.
"Ready to see the sights of suburbia?" Tesse asked, forcing a brightness into her voice she didn't feel. "We can hit the town square. They have a giant tree. It's... quaint."
"I live for quaint," Julian deadpanned, winking at her. "Lead the way, darling."
Tesse reached for the doorknob, eager to escape the suffocating orbit of the house. Specifically, she wanted to escape the heavy, silent presence of Valor, who she hadn't seen since their confrontation in the kitchen the night before.
But as her hand touched the brass metal, a voice echoed from the stairs.
"Going somewhere?"
Tesse froze. She didn't need to turn around to know who it was. The deep, resonant timbre vibrated through her spine.
Valor was coming down the stairs. He looked infuriatingly good. He was wearing dark jeans and a black shearling jacket that made his shoulders look impossibly broad. He held a set of car keys in his hand, spinning them around his index finger with a casual, rhythmic *clink-clink-clink*.
"We're going to the Winter Festival," Tesse said, not looking him in the eye. "Just Julian and me."
"Sounds fun," Valor said, reaching the bottom step. He didn't stop. He walked right up to them, invading their personal space with the confidence of a man who owned the very air they were breathing. "I'll drive."
"We don't need a ride," Tesse interjected quickly. "We're taking my mom's car."
"Nonsense," Valor smirked. It wasn't the bitter, pained smile from dinner. It was something new—something dangerous. It was the smile of a wolf who had just realized the sheep pen was unlocked. "The roads are icy. My car has four-wheel drive. Besides, I haven't had a chance to bond with your... boyfriend."
He said the word *boyfriend* with a distinct lack of malice, but with a heavy, knowing weight that made Tesse's stomach flip.
"That's really not necessary, man," Julian tried, sensing the tension radiating off Tesse like heat waves. "We don't want to impose."
"You're family," Valor said, clapping a heavy hand on Julian's shoulder. "Family doesn't impose. Let's go. I know a shortcut."
He pushed past them, opening the door and letting the freezing wind blast into the warm hallway. Tesse looked at Julian, her eyes wide with panic. Julian just shrugged helplessly, mouthing, *What do I do?*
Tesse gritted her teeth. She couldn't make a scene. Not here. Not now.
"Fine," she hissed.
***
The drive to the town square was a masterclass in awkwardness. Valor drove with one hand on the wheel, the other resting casually on the gear shift. He played classic rock on the radio—too loud for conversation, but quiet enough to let the silence in the backseat fester.
Tesse and Julian sat in the back like unruly children being ferried to school. Valor glanced at them in the rearview mirror every thirty seconds, his eyes locking onto Tesse's with a relentless intensity.
"So, Julian," Valor called over the music. "How did you two meet again? Coffee shop?"
"Yeah," Julian said, clearing his throat. "In the Village."
"Right. And you approached her?"
"I did."
" brave man," Valor chuckled darkly. "Tesse usually freezes people out before they can get within five feet. You must have some special charm."
"I guess I got lucky," Julian said, squeezing Tesse's hand.
Valor's eyes flickered to their joined hands in the mirror. The car swerved slightly—a microscopic jerk of the wheel—before correcting.
"Luck," Valor muttered. "Right."