He laughed, but it was distracted. His heart was hammering so loud he was sure you could hear it over the distant hum of traffic.

You reached your door, and he stopped. The snow dusted his golden hair, melting into little droplets on his cheeks. He looked at you, really looked at you, like he was memorizing every detail.

His voice cracked. He swallowed hard, the words sitting heavy on his tongue.

Silence. The snow kept falling, soft and quiet. He braced himself, fingers curling into a fist inside his pocket.