Winter had settled in on the island, the cool breeze of the ocean replaced with a bitter wind that took your breath away when you stepped outside. Ty insisted that we go snowshoeing. Dylan refused and sat by the fire. I wish I stayed home with him. I couldn’t feel my toes or my fingers.
“Ty, how much longer? I’m turning into an icicle.” I whined.
Ty stopped and walked towards me, the shoes awkward as he tried to take bigger steps. I giggled at the sight of him, the big goggles he wore to protect his eyes and the gloves making him look more like a cartoon character than anything else.
“Let me see.” Placing the goggles on top of his head and removing his gloves, he held out his hand and I placed my frozen hands in his. Slowly he took off my gloves, before rubbing them together and breathing on them. The friction of his hands, coupled with this breath warmed me instantly. Ty always could. With just a look. Just a touch. He was my sun when the sky was gloomy. Ty was my smile when all I wanted to do was frown. He was my everything.
“Lydia, what if I told you that I love you?” The snow was falling, the large flakes peppering Ty’s face with white. In this light, the sun hitting the ground, the snow all around us, his eyes were so blue he stole my breath.
“I love you too.” I smiled as he continued to rub my hands.
“No. Love you. Like I want to kiss you love you.”
I took in a sharp breath, my 18-year-old mind trying to phantom what he was saying. I knew that Ty and I were treading on relationship territory after the few days we had but I never thought he loved me. Not like that. His words warmed my frozen toes, my nose that I knew was red and made me look like an odd version of a snow man, but he didn’t care. Ty Rue loved me. I closed my eyes, the snowflakes taking up residence on the tips of my eyelashes. Then I felt it, Ty’s lips gently touched mine.
Opening my eyes, Ty gazed at me, his dark hair turned white. With a giggle, I shook off his hair.
“I’d say I love you too Ty Rue. Always have. Always will.” With a smile, Ty took my hand in his. The rest of the way back home, my body wasn’t frozen, it was warm. As warm as a summer day on the beach with the sun radiating over my body. Ty Rue was my warmth. He was perfection and he loved me.
