It is late at night and the others are in the park, drinking. Marcus asked me to come with him to his house and I am thrilled to have some time alone with him without everyone watching our every move. He’s gripping my hand tight and keeps kissing my temple as we walk, his tall body leaning down to me easily. I’m shivering again, both from the cold and the butterflies in my stomach. I have no idea where Marcus lives or how far it is. We walk quite a few blocks and my feet feel frozen in my thin running shoes. It is forty below with the wind chill and my ears are searing with pain from the exposure. I’m trying to make small talk, but my lips are having a hard time forming sentences and I can feel something like ice crystals forming in my nostrils making it harder to breathe. Marcus’s long legs take huge strides, and I almost have to run to keep up with him. “We’re almost there,” he says to me, laughing. He must see how cold I am.
