The thought sends stinging tears to my eyes. Every part of my body aches from skiing and falling and walking a half mile in the snow. The wet has infiltrated my socks and the cold has lodged itself deep in my bones. All I want is to sit down, peel off these clothes, and wrap myself in a million warm blankets. But our hoped-for shelter is clearly empty, and if we can’t stay here for the night, I am definitely going to have a full-on breakdown in front of Jack.

She trudges ahead and knocks on the front door. No answer. I’m shivering a few steps behind her from the freezing night and my attempts not to cry. “They’re not home.”

Jack walks down the porch and peers through the darkened windows. “Jack,” I croak, teeth chattering. “They’re not here. What are we going to do?”

Jack looks through another window in vain. Then, without any warning, she promptly removes the screen on said window.

“What—?” I start, but it becomes clear what she’s doing as soon as she begins pushing up the window from the outside.

“These old cabins usually don’t have locking windows,” she tells me as she slides it up enough for her long, lean body to fit through.

“We’re breaking and entering?”

“Do you have a better idea?”

I do not. “I mean, not getting arrested seems preferable.”

“No one is going to arrest us. There’s no one around.” She grabs the top of the window and slides one leg inside. “Besides, the Singhs are good friends. They’ll understand.”

I can’t argue with that kind of logic, and quite frankly, I don’t want to. Jack glides her body through the dark window. This is followed by a loud banging sound from inside the house, which is followed by Jack’s unabashed cursing. An involuntary smile works its way across my face, but I tame it into submission before Jack opens the front door. She’s turned on every light, so the cabin now shines like a beacon. She’s bathed in dramatic gold, like a fucking Greek god.

“You coming inside?” she asks with an arrogant cock of her hip. “Or are you planning to sleep in the snow?”

I briefly take stock of what’s happening: Jack and I are alone; Jack and I have found an empty cabin in the middle of the woods; Jack and I are going to spend the night here together.

So much for not spending time together anymore.

Still, relief washes over me as I step into the cabin. The relief is short-lived.

“Shit tits! It’s fucking freezing in here!”

“Yeah, they clearly haven’t been here in a while and didn’t leave the heat on,” Jack says, making her way toward a thermostat. “Also, shit tits?”