Lily shivered as she wrapped a blanket tighter around her shoulders, the apartment growing colder by the minute. Her breath hung in the air, visible in the dim light. "I can't stay here," she muttered to herself. She decided to brave the frigid night and head to her twin brother's apartment, hoping for warmth and company.
Lily trudged through the snow, her feet aching with each step. She'd underestimated the distance, the cold seeping into her bones as she moved. "Almost there," she whispered, her voice barely audible over the gusts of wind. Her brother's apartment seemed miles away, but she pressed on, determined.
Jake, her brother's roommate and best friend, opened the door, surprise etched on his face. "Hey, is my brother here?" Lily asked, teeth chattering. "Um, actually no, he's at a girl's house for the weekend," Jake replied. "What? Actually, it doesn't matter. I'm freezing. Can I just crash here in his room?" "Yeah, that's gonna be a little bit of a problem," he said, scratching his head.
"Why?" Lily asked, her voice laced with desperation. "He broke his bed," Jake explained, seeing her shiver. "Why don't you just sleep in my bed?" "No, I can't do that," she protested. "Please, you're gonna get hypothermia. Just come sleep in my bed," he insisted, concern clear in his eyes.
Lily hesitated before finally crawling into the bed, still shaking from the cold. Jake took off his shirt, sliding in beside her. "What are you doing?" she asked, startled. "Please, I can't take you shaking. My body heat will help," he explained, wrapping an arm around her. Slowly, the warmth seeped in, her muscles relaxing.
Lily traced the tattoos on Jake's arm, her fingers lingering on a lily flower. "What is this for?" she asked. "What are you talking about, Lily?" he replied, feigning innocence. "The lily tattoo," she pressed. "Oh, um... it's... my good luck charm for hockey games," he stammered. "A lily is a good luck charm?" she teased, curiosity piqued. "Yeah, it's fine. I don't want to talk about it," he deflected. "Why is it a lily?" she persisted. "I think you know why," he admitted softly.
"Tell me what it means," Lily urged. "I don't think you're ready to hear what it means," Jake replied, vulnerability in his voice. "Well, why don't you show me?" she challenged, heart pounding. "That, I can do," he murmured, leaning in to kiss her, the world outside forgotten as warmth and understanding enveloped them both.
