Chapter 43: Sofia

After we get back from the walk, I head to shower. My clothes are soaked from the snow, and my legs are freezing. I’m grateful for the warmth of the water as it pours over me, washing away the cold and the tension. My thoughts drift to the walk, how much fun it was, and how safe I felt with them. It’s crazy to think how everything’s changed, how much they’ve changed.

Once I’m done, I step out, wrapping a towel around myself and drying my hair before pulling on some fresh clothes: a cozy sweater and leggings. As I’m tying my hair into a messy bun, I hear footsteps outside my door, followed by a knock.

“Sof?” Danny’s voice calls through the door. “You good in there?”

“Yeah, just finishing up,” I say, but the door creaks open before I can react, and I freeze.

Danny steps in, and for a moment, I’m struck silent. He’s wearing nothing but a towel slung low around his waist, water droplets glistening on his skin from his own shower before mine. I knew the guys had impressive physiques—anyone could tell just by looking at them in clothes—but seeing Danny like this? It’s... wow.

My eyes trace the contours of his body, the defined lines of his abs, the sharp angles of his hips, and the intricate tattoos winding over his chest and down his arms. His biceps flex as he runs a hand through his damp hair, and I can’t help but stare. The towel barely hangs on his hips, and I swallow, hard.

Behind him, I hear the other guys chuckle. “Sof, you like what you see?” Nate teases, his voice full of amusement.

I blink, realizing how obvious I’m being, and immediately look away, my cheeks flaming red. “I—uh—”

Before I can stammer out a response, Danny moves closer, his lips curling into a playful grin. “What’s wrong, Sof?” His voice is low, teasing, and he steps even closer, towering over me. “Am I making you nervous?”

I try to look anywhere but at him, but it’s impossible. The way his tattoos swirl over his skin, the sheer size of him standing so close—my heart is pounding, and I’m frozen in place. He knows exactly what he’s doing.

The others are still laughing, clearly enjoying my reaction. Leo’s grinning, leaning casually against the doorway, while Nate crosses his arms, smirking.

Danny leans down a little, his face inches from mine, and my breath catches in my throat. “Relax,” he whispers, his grin widening. “I’m just messing with you.”

I can’t even respond. I’m too flustered, too overwhelmed by the way he’s making me feel. My heart is racing, and I feel like I could melt into the floor at any second.

Finally, Danny pulls back, letting me breathe again. The others are still chuckling, clearly pleased with the effect he’s had on me.

“You’re mean,” I manage to mutter, trying to regain some composure.

Danny winks at me before grabbing some clothes from his bag. “You’ll get used to it.”

I exhale slowly, still trying to calm my racing heart as the guys file out of the room, leaving me standing there, still a little stunned. The laughter in their voices fades as they leave, but the teasing look in Danny’s eyes lingers in my mind.

I shake my head, trying to steady myself, but I can’t help but smile. They’re impossible. All of them. But... maybe that’s why I like them so much.

After a few more minutes to pull myself together, I head to the kitchen. The smell of melted cheese greets me before I even reach the kitchen, and when I walk in, all the guys are gathered around the kitchen counter, prepping the fondue.

There’s a large pot in the middle of the table, bubbling with cheese, and surrounding it are plates filled with bite-sized pieces of bread, vegetables, and thin slices of meat. Nate is carefully stirring the cheese, making sure it’s perfectly smooth, while Danny and Leo are slicing up more bread and setting everything in its place.

Riley, as usual, is manning the details, arranging forks and plates around the table. His attention to detail is something I’ve noticed a lot—he’s always making sure everything is in order, but without making a fuss about it.

“Hey, Sof,” Leo grins, motioning toward the table. “You ready for some fondue? You ever had it before?”

“Once,” I admit, moving closer to take a seat at the table. “But not like this.”

“Well, you’re in for a treat,” Nate says, a proud smile on his face as he sets the pot down in the center. “We do this every time we come to the cabin. Tradition.”

The table is filled with food, all prepped to dip into the melted cheese. There are cubes of French bread, broccoli florets, roasted mushrooms, and grilled pieces of chicken and steak. The variety is overwhelming, but it’s mouthwatering.

“Here,” Riley hands me a fondue fork, the long pronged tool made specifically for dipping. “Just don’t lose it in the pot, or we might make you do something embarrassing.”

I raise an eyebrow, playfully curious. “Like what?”

Danny chuckles from across the table, his eyes glinting with mischief. “You don’t want to know.”

The guys laugh, and I smile, feeling more at ease than ever before. I stab a piece of bread with my fork and dip it into the pot, watching as it gets coated in the gooey, melted cheese. When I take a bite, the warmth of the cheese melts in my mouth, rich and flavorful. It’s the perfect comfort food after a long day in the cold.

“Wow,” I say between bites. “This is amazing.”

Leo grins, clearly pleased with the compliment. “Told you.”

We continue dipping and eating, the atmosphere light and easy. Every now and then, someone makes a joke or teases someone else, but it’s all in good fun. There’s a closeness to this moment that feels... special. Like we’re more than just people thrown together by circumstance. It feels like we’re a real group, a family of sorts.

As I reach for another piece of bread to dip into the fondue, my fork slips and falls straight into the pot of melted cheese. I freeze, realizing what just happened, but before I can react, Danny’s laughter fills the kitchen.

“Uh oh, Sofia!” he says, grinning. “Looks like you dropped your fork.”

I look up at the guys, who are all grinning mischievously. Nate leans back in his chair, shaking his head with a smirk. “You know what that means, right?”

I roll my eyes, already knowing I’m about to be teased. “What? What does it mean?”

Leo raises an eyebrow, his grin widening. “It means you’ve gotta pay up.”

Riley’s eyes glint with amusement as he crosses his arms over his chest. “No getting out of this one, Sof.”

I sigh dramatically, already dreading whatever punishment they’ve come up with. “Okay, fine. What’s the price?”

They exchange glances, clearly enjoying this moment. Danny leans forward, resting his arms on the table. “You’ve gotta give each of us a kiss. That’s the rule.”

My eyes widen, and I feel my cheeks heat up. “What?”

Leo chuckles, leaning in closer. “You heard him. One kiss for each of us, and you’re off the hook.”

I glance around the table, the weight of their gazes making me more flustered by the second. “You guys are terrible,” I mutter, but there’s no real protest in my voice. They’re clearly enjoying this, and I... well, I kind of am too.

Riley taps his cheek, a playful grin on his face. “Come on, Sof. We’re waiting.”

With a nervous laugh, I stand up and walk over to him first. “Alright, fine,” I say, rolling my eyes for effect, even though my heart is racing. I lean down and place a quick kiss on his cheek. His skin is warm under my lips, and when I pull back, he winks at me.

“One down,” Riley says, grinning.

I move to Leo next, who’s already tilting his head toward me, his usual confident smirk plastered on his face. “I’ll take mine right here,” he says, tapping his cheek.

I give him a quick kiss too, but the moment my lips touch his skin, I can feel his hand lightly brush my waist, making my stomach flip. His grin widens as I pull back, my cheeks burning even more.

Nate is next, and his expression is softer than the others, but there’s still that mischievous glint in his eyes. He doesn’t say anything, just waits for me to come to him. I give him a kiss on the cheek, and as I’m about to step away, he catches my hand gently.

“Good job,” he murmurs, his voice low, and I feel a shiver run through me.

Finally, I turn to Danny, who’s leaning back in his chair, grinning like he’s won some kind of victory. “Saved the best for last, huh?” he teases.

“Don’t get too cocky,” I say, trying to keep my voice steady, but I’m smiling as I lean in to give him a kiss. Just as I pull away, Danny catches my waist and pulls me down into his lap for a second, his face close to mine.

“Careful, Sof,” he whispers, his breath warm on my skin. “You might make a habit of this.”

I laugh nervously, my heart pounding as I quickly slide off his lap. The guys are all grinning at me, clearly pleased with how flustered I am.

“There,” I say, brushing off the butterflies in my stomach. “Happy now?”

“Very,” Leo says with a smirk.