They arrived at the town square, which had been transformed into a stereotypical holiday postcard. A massive spruce tree dominated the center, draped in gold lights. Wooden stalls sold hot cocoa, handmade ornaments, and roasted chestnuts. The air smelled of sugar and pine.
It was crowded. Families, teenagers, and couples huddled together for warmth.
"Well, here we are," Tesse said, stepping out of the car and inhaling the sharp air. "The Winter Festival."
"Charming," Julian said, shivering slightly in his thrifted coat.
"Let's get cider," Valor announced, walking around the car. He didn't wait for a consensus. He simply started walking toward the concession stands, expecting them to follow.
They did. Tesse walked a few paces behind him, watching the way people moved out of his path. He cut through the crowd like a shark through water.
They were nearing the cider stand when a high-pitched squeal pierced the ambient noise of the crowd.
"Valor? Oh my god, Valor!"
Tesse stiffened. She knew that voice. It was a voice that had haunted her high school years, a voice that sounded like bubblegum and judgment.
Tia.
She emerged from the crowd like a heat-seeking missile. She was wearing a white faux-fur coat and earmuffs, looking exactly as beautiful and artificial as Tesse remembered. But her eyes were red-rimmed, her makeup slightly smudged.
"Tia," Valor stopped, blinking in surprise.
"I can't believe it's you!" Tia threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck in a hug that was less affectionate and more desperate. "I heard you were back! I saw your car!"
Valor stood there, awkward, his hands hovering uncertainly near her waist. "Hey, Tia. Long time."
Tia pulled back, but didn't let go of his arms. She looked up at him with wide, watery eyes. "It has been forever. You look... incredible. College suits you."
"Thanks," Valor said, trying to gently pry her off. "You look good too."
"I'm a mess," Tia wailed dramatically, tossing her hair. "You heard about Brad, right? The swim captain? Total pig. Cheated on me with a freshman. Can you believe it?"
She sniffled, leaning her head against Valor's chest. "I'm so alone, Valor. It's Christmas Eve and I'm all alone."
Tesse stood five feet away, watching the scene unfold. A familiar, bitter acid rose in her throat. It was high school all over again. Valor, the golden boy, and Tia, the damsel. Tesse was just the background character, the invisible girl holding the books.
"That's rough, Tia," Valor said, his voice flat. He looked over Tia's head, his eyes finding Tesse. He saw the resignation on her face. He saw the way she shrank into her coat.
And something in his expression hardened.
"Hey, Tia," Valor said, peeling her arms off him firmly. "You remember Tesse, right?"
Tia blinked, looking over at Tesse as if noticing a piece of furniture. "Oh. Hi, Tesse. I didn't see you there. You look... different."
"Hi, Tia," Tesse said coldly. "This is my boyfriend, Julian."
"Boyfriend?" Tia looked Julian up and down, dismissing him instantly. She turned back to Valor, looping her arm through his. "Valor, you have to walk with me. I need to talk to someone who understands me. We have so much history. Just a quick walk? Please? For old times' sake?"
She was clinging to him like a barnacle.
Valor looked at Tia, then at Tesse. A mischievous, calculating glint entered his eyes.
"Actually, Tia," Valor said smoothly, "I think Julian is the one you should talk to."
"What?" Tia and Julian said in unison.
"Julian is a great listener," Valor lied effortlessly. "He's studying... psychology. He specializes in breakups. He was just telling me he loves analyzing relationship trauma."
"I'm an architec—" Julian started.
"Architect of the mind," Valor interrupted, clapping Julian on the back and shoving him slightly toward Tia. "Go on, Julian. Help her out. She's in pain."
"But—" Tesse started.
"Tia, Julian is all yours," Valor said, grabbing Tia's hand and placing it in Julian's. "Take him to the roasted nut stand. He loves nuts."
Before anyone could process the absurdity of the switch, Valor moved.
He reached out, grabbed Tesse's gloved hand, and yanked her toward him.
"We, on the other hand," Valor said to Tesse, "need to go find that cider."
"Valor, wait!" Tesse protested, looking back at a bewildered Julian and a confused Tia.
"Run," Valor whispered in her ear.
"What?"
"Run, or she's going to realize I just dumped her on your fake boyfriend."
He didn't give her a choice. He took off, pulling her with him. They wove through the crowd, dodging strollers and shoppers. Tesse stumbled in her boots, laughing despite herself as they ducked behind a giant inflatable snowman and sprinted toward the edge of the market.
They didn't stop until the noise of the crowd faded into a dull roar behind them. They were in the older part of the park, a quiet, tree-lined path where the snow was untouched and the lights were sparse.
Valor stopped, leaning against an old iron lamppost, breathing hard. Clouds of vapor puffed from his lips. He looked exhilarated. His eyes were bright, the grey storms clearing to reveal a brilliant, reckless blue.
"You are terrible," Tesse gasped, clutching her chest. "You just left Julian with Tia. She's going to eat him alive."
"He's a big boy," Valor grinned. "Besides, if he's really your boyfriend, he'll understand that family comes first."
"You are unbelievable," Tesse shook her head, but the anger she expected to feel wasn't there. Instead, there was adrenaline. There was the rush of the escape. And there was the undeniable fact that she was alone with him.
"Did you see her face?" Valor laughed, wiping a snowflake from his eyelash. "God, I spent three years thinking she was the sun and the moon. Now... she's just loud."
He looked at Tesse. The laughter faded into a soft smile.
"You're not loud," he said quietly. "You never were."
The silence of the park wrapped around them. It was intimate. Dangerous.
"Why did you do that?" Tesse asked, her voice trembling slightly. "Why did you drag me away?"
Valor pushed off the lamppost. He took a step toward her. The snow crunched under his boots.
"Because I'm tired of sharing you," he said. "I shared you with your books in high school. I shared you with the distance for two years. I'm not sharing you with Julian today."
"Valor..."
"Come on," he said, holding out his elbow. "Walk with me. Just for ten minutes. No fighting. No running away. Just... us."