Chapter 50: Sofia

I grab my coat from the hook near the door and begin pulling it on, but before I can even zip it up, Danny steps in front of me, holding out a thick scarf with a grin.

“Not so fast, Sof. You’ll need this.” He gently wraps it around my neck, the wool soft and warm against my skin. He adjusts it with careful hands, tucking the ends into my coat.

I smile up at him. “Thanks, Danny.”

“Gotta keep you warm,” he says, winking. “We don’t want you freezing out there again.”

Just as I’m about to pull on my boots, Nate walks over, crouching down in front of me. Without saying a word, he takes one of the boots from my hand and starts slipping it onto my foot. His movements are methodical, careful, almost like he’s done this a thousand times. He looks up at me once, his dark eyes filled with a quiet focus, and then he tightens the laces, double-knotting them like he’s ensuring they’ll stay on no matter what.

“There,” Nate says simply, standing up and brushing off his hands like it’s no big deal, though his intense focus makes my heart flutter.

I’m about to stand when Leo grabs my coat from behind and pulls the zipper up before I even have a chance to do it myself. “Can’t have you going out there half-zipped, Sof,” he says, his tone teasing but warm. “It’s cold, and we’re not taking any chances this time.”

I laugh softly. “You guys act like I’ve never been in snow before.”

“Well, after last night, we’re being extra careful,” Riley says as he walks over, handing me my gloves. “Here, put these on. Don’t need your fingers freezing again.”

I can’t help but chuckle as I slide the gloves on. “You all fuss over me like I’m some fragile little thing.”

Leo leans in close, his voice low and playful. “Sofia, you’re anything but fragile, but you're also our girl and we want to keep you safe. Plus, you are very little.”

My cheeks flush at the way he says it, and I quickly turn to the door. “Okay, okay, let’s go make this snowman!”

The guys follow me outside, each one carrying something—Riley with a carrot for the nose, Danny with a few buttons, and Nate bringing out a scarf for the snowman to wear. I step onto the fresh snow, the crisp air filling my lungs, and for a second, everything feels peaceful, like the world is just… right.

“Alright,” Leo says, rubbing his hands together as he surveys the snowy ground. “How do we start this thing?”

“Simple,” Danny says, already crouching down to scoop up some snow. “We make a ball and then roll it around until it gets huge.”

“Like this?” I ask, mimicking Danny’s movements as I pack some snow into my hands and start rolling it across the ground. It grows quickly, and the more snow it collects, the harder it becomes to move.

Nate steps in beside me, helping push the growing ball of snow along. “Looks like you’ve got the base,” he says with a rare grin. “Not bad for a beginner.”

We keep rolling the snowball until it’s big enough to be the snowman’s body. The guys start working on the middle section while I sit back, catching my breath. It’s a lot harder than it looks, but I’m having the best time.

Just then, Riley and Leo start bickering over the size of the snowman’s head. “It’s too small!” Riley insists, his voice rising slightly as he stands next to the middle section. “If we put this tiny thing on top, it’ll look ridiculous.”

Leo rolls his eyes, tossing the small snowball up and down in his hands. “We’re not trying to win a snowman competition, Ry. It’s fine.”

“No, it’s not!” Riley growls, snatching the snowball from Leo and rolling it around some more. “It’s gotta look proportional. This thing’s gonna have a tiny head and a massive body!”

“Just let him do his thing,” Danny teases from where he’s rolling the last snowball. “He’s a perfectionist.”

“Damn right,” Riley mutters, glancing back at Leo with a competitive grin. “This snowman’s gonna be the best one you’ve ever seen.”

I laugh, watching the playful banter between them. “I didn’t realize there were snowman-building rules.”

“There are when Riley’s involved,” Nate chimes in, his voice laced with amusement. “He doesn’t mess around.”

I shake my head, smiling as the guys finish stacking the snowballs on top of each other. Danny hands me the carrot, and I stick it into the snowman’s face for the nose, while Riley carefully places the buttons down the front. Leo wraps the scarf around its neck, adjusting it until it looks just right.

“Now that,” Leo says, stepping back to admire their work, “is a perfect snowman.”

“I’ll give you that,” Riley agrees, nodding in approval. “Not bad.”

Nate crosses his arms, smirking. “So, what do you think, Sof? Pretty good for our first snowman together?”

I grin, my cheeks pink from the cold and the laughter. “It’s perfect.”

We all take a step back to admire our handiwork, and for a moment, it feels like we’re just normal people, doing something as simple and innocent as building a snowman. The weight of everything else—the danger, the uncertainty—fades away, leaving only this shared moment of happiness.

But then, with a mischievous grin, Riley turns and scoops up a handful of snow, chucking it straight at Leo’s back.

Leo freezes for a second, then slowly turns to face Riley, his eyes narrowing. “Oh, you did not just do that.”

Riley smirks. “What are you gonna do about it?”

Without warning, Leo grabs a giant handful of snow and launches it at Riley, hitting him square in the chest. Riley stumbles back, laughing, and before I know it, a full-on snowball fight has broken out.

I duck as a snowball flies past my head, giggling as the guys run around, throwing snow at each other like little kids. It’s chaos, but the good kind.

Danny grabs me by the waist and pulls me into the fray, tossing a snowball at Nate. “Come on, Sof! You’re on my team!”

I laugh, picking up some snow and throwing it at Leo, who dodges it with a grin. “You’re going down!” I shout, my laughter echoing through the snowy forest.

The snowball fight goes on for a while, each of us covered in snow by the end of it. Eventually, we’re all breathless and laughing, collapsing in the snow next to our perfectly built snowman.

As we catch our breath, Nate leans over and gently nudges my arm. “You did good, baby,” he says softly, his voice warm.