Where The Ice Gives Way (Charlotte and Blake) novel Chapter 210

Chapter 210 One Step at a Time
Emily
The following afternoon, I stand in front of the small mirror beside the cabin wardrobe and change my shirt for the third time.
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The first one felt too formal. The second made me look like I was trying too hard. This one is soft and pale blue, with sleeves that reach
my wrists, but I still cannot decide whether it is right.
I smooth my hands over the front and stare at my reflection.
My hair falls loose around my shoulders. The gold heart locket Theo gave me rests against the centre of my chest, catching the last of the
afternoon light coming through the window. I touch it with two fingers, then straighten it again.
Behind me, Theo lies across the bed on his stomach with his chin propped in both hands. He has watched me present every shirt without
offering any real opinion, though his eyes have followed me every time I crossed the cabin.
“Well?” I ask.
His gaze moves over me slowly.
“You look beautiful.”
“You said that about the other two.”
“You looked beautiful in those, too.”
“Theo, that really isn’t helpful.”
“I’m being honest.” He shrugs.
I turn back toward the mirror and pull at the hem. My stomach has been tight since breakfast. It settled for a few hours while we packed
and spoke with Gareth, then returned the moment the clock passed four.
Theo pushes himself off the bed and comes to stand behind me. His reflection appears over my shoulder, dressed in the blue shirt
Charlotte chose for him. The sleeves are rolled neatly to his forearms, though he has already run his fingers through his hair enough
times to ruin whatever he tried to do with it.
“You’re thinking too loudly again,” he says.
“I’m trying to work out what they will see when I walk through the door.”
“They’ll see their daughter, Em.”
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Chapter 210 One Step at a Time
I look at him through the mirror.
“Will they, though? After everything that’s happened?”
“You’re still their daughter. Nothing that’s happened will change that”
The answer comes easily to him, but nothing about it feels easy to me. I grew up with these people. I loved them. They loved me… At
least I thought they did. Now, I don’t know what to think. I don’t know what to make of anything. I only know that this is hard, really,
really hard, to step back into a life that once tore me apart.
I lower my eyes to the locket.
“What if the house feels the same?”
“It might.”
“What if it doesn’t?”
His thumbs move once against my sides. “Then I’ll still be there.”
I turn in his arms. “You keep having an answer for everything.”
“I spent all morning preparing.”
“You slept until midday.”
“I prepared very efficiently.”
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A laugh slips out of me, and Theo smiles, lifting one hand to brush my hair away from the chain around my neck. His fingers touch the
clasp, checking that it is sitting straight.
“This shirt,” he says.
“You like this one?”
“I liked all of them, but you’ve stopped pulling at this one every three seconds. That tells me it’s comfy, and we want you to be comfy.”
He presses a kiss to my forehead. “That means this is the one.”
I breathe in slowly.
“Okay.”
Theo steps away and reaches for our coats. He holds mine open, and I slide my arms into it. Then he kneels in front of me and begins
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Chapter 210 One Step at a Time
fastening the buckles on the boots he bought for me.
He tightens the final buckle and looks up at me. “Still excellent fuck-you boots.”
“I don’t think I need fuck-you boots for dinner with my parents.”
“They’re versatile.” He waves his arm around.
I shake my head, but some of the pressure in my chest loosens by just the smallest fraction.
Then Theo stands and takes my hand. “We only have to get into the ute.”
“And after that?”
“We drive to the house.”
“And then?”
“We walk to the door.”
He threads his fingers through mine. “We don’t have to survive the whole night at once, Petal. We only have to do the next thing.”
I nod and let him lead me outside. One small step at a time.
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The sun hangs low behind the trees now, turning the snow pale gold. The cold air catches in my lungs as we cross to the ute. Theo opens
my door and waits until I climb in before closing it gently.
Then we drive quietly, back to the place I once called home. His hand rests between us on the console, palm facing upward. I take it
before we reach the main road and hold on as the familiar streets begin appearing beyond the windscreen.
By the time Theo slows beside the old front fence, the sky has turned grey, and the lights inside the house are glowing.
The house looks smaller than I remember. Or maybe I am just bigger than it now. I’ve grown a lot since I left this place, not in size, but
in life. I’ve seen a whole different world outside of here. I’ve lost myself and found myself, all in a different light.
Now… Now I’m stepping back into a life that’s no longer mine. A home that I no longer consider to be my home. I don’t know what to do
with that.
I look over to Theo, who is patiently waiting, staring at me with a soft smile.
“Whenever you’re ready, Em. All we have to do next is walk to the door.”
I nod. Walk to the door. That’s the next step. A small step, I can do that.
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Chapter 210 One Step at a Time
“Okay,” I whisper. “I’m ready.”
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Theo takes my hand and kisses the back of it, before he gets out and rounds the ute to open my door. He holds out his hand, and I place mine in his. One step at a time, we make our way up the porch.
Then we’re standing at the door.
Comments
Liebe Heute
Solid cliffhanger!
7 days ago
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