Snow Pt 2

As the winter dance approaches she learns to live life and have fun but when the night ends and the magic fades she might just end up with broken heart as the first snow falls.

Hi! Gem here again, welcome to pt 2 this is the end of Snow. Hope you enjoyed this story and Blue pt 1 is now up so check that out and leave me comments as always =] xoxo Gem.

It was him.

Seeing me he smiled and vaulted over the fence with ease, he wore the same clothes from school but his hair was down gently resting around his shoulders, he had a lazy smile as he approached me.

"I'm guessing this belongs to you," I said bouncing the ball back and forth between my hands.

"You guess correctly, sorry I didn't know it still had so much bounce left in it," his voice was deep but soft and made my skin tingle, his dark eyes were framed by thick pale lashes giving him an odd almost majestic look.

"You're in my first class, the girl with the amazing eyes" he said smiling more I managed a nod, my eyes were always the first thing people noticed about me since they were so odd, at first glance they seemed blue but upon closer inspection they were a prism of colors that my ID just described as hazel and my dark lashes just amplified the effect.

"Would you like some hot chocolate?" I don't know why I asked him this knowing my parents wouldn't approve of a boy being in the house without them there but I didn't want him to go either.

"I'd love some," I led the way inside and made myself focus on the task at hand instead of his presence, the ball lay next to his stool at the counter momentarily forgotten.

"Did your family just move here?" I asked giving him his mug before sitting next to me.

"No, my aunt lives here I'm staying with her for awhile," he replied his tone suggested there was more to it but he didn't want to talk about it so I didn't ask. Instead we talked about everything in between it felt almost as if we were old friends just catching up.

"I love winter, it just makes me want to stay cuddled up in bed reading books or watching old movies," he said staring at the clouded sky.

"Same here, I've always felt a weird connections to this time of year, it's a shame it won't snow this year," I shivered involuntarily.

"Are you cold, I can build a fire if you want," I nodded and we moved to the living room I put on an old movie as he built the fire once it was going he joined me on the couch and covered us with an old afghan my grandmother had made.

The fire crackled in the background as we huddled close and watched the movie, not once did I think of Grace or Ducky, with him next to me I was completely relaxed and was just me, Maura, instead of the girl who was always watching out for the people in my life or Mother Maura as Sam had dubbed me,

The sun was our timetable telling us our time was up for now, I walked him to the backdoor fiercely aware of his hand on mine. The wind was harsh but with him standing in front of me I was only vaguely aware of it hitting against the house, he stared down at me a soft look in his eyes when he leaned forward I froze.

"I don't know about this," I said softly.

"Take risks," he said before his lips touched mine, he tasted faintly of chocolate I leaned into him placing my hands on his shoulders as his arms circled my waist, soon my hands were in his hair as he deepened the kiss. My heart thudded and my whole body was aware of his pressed against me.

When he finally broke the kiss I was in a daze unable to believe a kiss could make me feel like that.

"Jonathan," he said quietly against my lips.

"Hmm?"

He laughed, a warm sweet sound. "My name is Jonathan." We had spent hours together and never introduced ourselves, I couldn't help but smile.

"I'm Maura."

He kissed me gently. "Nice to meet you, Maura." It pained me to do so but I untangled myself from him so he could go, I watched him walk to the gate he turned and smiled at me.

"Oh! your ball," I called.

"Keep it, it gives me an excuse to come back," he waved and was gone.

The next morning I woke up early and turned on the news, my stomach dropped when the weather came on the man broadcasting was nothing like the one Grace had described he was a short plump balding man. I felt like throwing up, how could she? All this time she had just been acting, playing us all for a fool and poor Ducky worst of all. How was I going to be able to look at her at school?

My question was solved when my phone vibrated, a text from Grace saying she wasn't feeling well and wasn't going to make it to school. I was numb all over as I got ready for school thankful it was a short day, the cold air barely fazed me as I walked lost in my thoughts.

"Maura, wait up!" Sam called running towards me.

"Hey listen, I'm sorry about going off on you like that yesterday, you know I didn't mean to," the tears came before I could stop them.

"Don't cry Maura please, I swear I'll never do it again," Sam said hugging me, I shook my head clinging to him.

"How could she, Sam? All this time oh God poor Ducky," I sobbed.

He held me tighter, "I don't know but it'll be okay I promise." We stood there for a few moments until I calmed down.

"How bad do I look?" I asked one we'd started walking again.

"Not bad at all a little puffy eyed though," he said.

Ducky stood at the school entrance as always, today his bow tie was blue with polk a dots.

"Morning guys, where's Grace?"

"She wasn't feeling well so she's staying home," I said hating the worried look his face had from hearing she was sick.

"Come on let's get inside it's freezing," Sam said ushering us inside, Ducky smiled.

"I think you're rubbing off on him Maura." Sam rolled his eyes but there was a hint of a smile on his lips.

Jonathan stood waiting at our first class smiling when he saw me, Sam raised his eyebrows but said nothing as he went to his desk.

"Good morning Maura," the smell of sweet mint was more intense today and I had to resist the urge to bury my face in his neck.

"Hi," I said shyly remembering our kiss.

"Come to the dance with me?" He asked suddenly, I was caught off guard but couldn't help but smile and nod.

***

The next few days I spent all my free time with Jonathan watching movies, getting to know each other and kissing, he made my heart skip beats and made me feel warm all over when we were together I felt like everything would be okay, he made me come out my well built shell and challenged me to do more.

Grace skipped school still claiming to be sick so I didn't have to face her yet which was fine by me, Sam asked a junior to the dance who was overly joyed at being noticed by him and to everyone's surprise Ducky was asked by a shy girl named Reese and he agreed blushing almost as much as she was.

My mother helped me pin my hair up the night of the dance, my dress was a simple strapless hip hugging little black dress reaching mid thigh, she gave me her lace black shawl to wear and kissed me goodbye when Jonathan arrived in his aunt's car to pick me up. The dance had been decorated in a winterly fashion with twinkling lights and snowflakes hanging from the ceiling including fake snow everywhere, the lights gave the room a romantic feel, I saw Grace on the dancefloor with a football player who's name I thought was Mason or Mark if she saw me she gave no notice.

Jonathan pulled me onto the dancefloor and I rested my head on his shoulder and let him lead me around the room, it could have been then as the lights twinkled above us like stars that I realized I loved him and would have given anything to stay in his arms swaying to the music.

I saw Ty from my first class staring at the dancefloor I waved but he didn't see me and rushed from the room, I hoped he wasn't sick or anything fearing Grace might not have been lying about being sick after all.

A few songs later when Jonathan left to use the bathroom Grace found me at the snack table.

"I see you're here with the new hottie guess I missed a lot while I was gone," she said playing with her hair which she'd curled for the occasion.

"Yeah I guess so," I said gripping my cup.

"Are you okay? You seem mad or something,"

"Or something, God Grace I don't even know you,"

She looked startled, "what are you talking about?"

"I know you've been purposely messing with Ducky's head, was it fun to see him suffer? I watched the weather Grace," I was suddenly so angry my hands trembled.

"Listen Maura it's wasn't like that I just wanted him to stop liking me so I tried to push him away by saying all that stuff and acting like I didn't know how he felt. Whenever I tried to tell him I didn't feel the same way I just couldn't!"

"That's no excuse!" I exploded remembering how hurt Ducky had looked all those times hoping one day Grace would see him like he saw her, my eyes filled with tears and I walked away.

"Maura, please!" Grace pleaded behind me, I could hear the tears in her voice but I kept walking seeing Jonathan coming down the hall I walked right into his arms.

"Take me home please," I begged.

"What's wrong?" he asked rubbing my back.

"I just want to go now," I replied.

We rode back to my house in silence, walking through my back gate he held my hand leaving me to my thoughts, at the back door where we first talked he kissed me holding me close and my argument with Grace was forgotten for a moment. I tucked my head under his chin and breathed in his scent, he kept me warm in his arms.

"Maura, I have to tell you something," he said softly, I looked up at him but the darkness masked his features.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Tonight...I have to leave, back to my parents." I suddenly felt cold all over.

"What? I don't understand," I shook my head hoping this was a joke but knowing deep down that it wasn't.

"This my being here was never a permanent arrangement, my parents were working on the marriage and sent me here until things were okay. My plane leaves tonight, I'm so sorry Maura I'd give anything to stay with you," the pain in his voice cut deep, tears ran down my cheeks as he held me one last time.

We stayed like that for what seemed like hours before he pulled away.

"I have to go Maura please forgive me," he said wiping my tears.

"What was the point of me loving you if you were just going to leave me here, broken," I sobbed.

His eyes shined bright with unshed tears, "I'm sorry," he said.

Kissing me a final time he left, I stood there in disbelief hugging myself and crying. Making it to my room I crawled into bed not bothering to take off my dress and cried myself to sleep.

***

I found a note from my mother the next morning saying she had left to get my father from the airport and a text from Grace begging me to forgive her. I sent Sam a text asking him to come over in desperate need of a friend while I waited I stared at the backyard through the window like I'd done the first day Jonathan had shown up the red ball sat in the yard still, my heart hurt as I walked to the door I didn't even feel the wind on my bare arms as I walked out and picked up the ball.

Take risks. The wind whispered making me look up just as the snow began to fall.

I turned to the fence but when the door opened but it was only Sam, he still wore his tux from the night before matching my now wrinkled dress, he trudged over to me hands in his pockets and simply stood next to me.

"Remi won Winter's Kiss princess," he said.

A single tear slipped down my cheek, Sam stepped behind me and wrapped me up in his jacket it was a simple gesture but in that moment I knew I would be okay I'd get over Jonathan and learn to forgive Grace all in time.

"What the f**k, I thought it wasn't going to snow this year," Sam said a smile in his voice. Letting go of the ball I turned in his arms making a sound between a hiccup and giggle I pressed my face into his neck and let myself be held.

"Don't say f**k Sam."

Author's Note

please ignore errors as this is unedited for now