Chapter 2

Chloe glared at Liam.

“Ellie, don’t mind him. He’s been acting weird all day, like he’d swallowed a firecracker.”

“But Ellie, once we leave Mount Cinderpeak, where are you headed? Are we going the same way?”

Through the rearview mirror, I secretly watched the man I’d thought of countless times in sleepless nights. My voice was hoarse.

“No. Once the car reaches Veridian City, I need to attend a funeral.”

The air in the car thickened with a sudden, palpable gravity. Chloe’s expression sobered.

“Since we’re riding with you back to Veridian City, we’ll accompany you to pay our respects. After all, the deceased deserves it.”

I glanced at Liam, seeing his silent, uncommitted expression, and my grip on the steering wheel tightened slightly.

I had no family, no friends.

If someone attended my funeral, perhaps I wouldn’t feel so alone when I passed on.

“Thank you.”

I continued to drive at a steady pace.

The snow chains grated against the icy ground with a rhythmic shush, and the vast white expanse of snow obscured the road ahead.

In the back seat, Chloe leaned into Liam’s embrace, but couldn’t resist asking about my past relationships.

“Ellie, why did you break up with your boyfriend back then? I remember you were so in love with him; your SnapChat stories were always filled with little love notes to him.”

I paused for a moment.

“His friends said I was pathetic for trying to please him. He didn’t deny it, and I just… lost interest.”

Three years ago, after college graduation, I’d pulled two all-nighters to help Liam design his job application portfolio.

Just as I was about to give it to him, I overheard his friends badmouthing me.

Their words were incredibly harsh, but Liam merely swirled the wine in his glass, not bothering to refute a single thing.

In fact, there was a hint of smug satisfaction in his expression.

It was in that moment that I realized how utterly pointless it all was.

Chloe immediately sat upright from Liam’s arms.

“How could they be like that? That’s so messed up!”

“But then again, you can tell a lot about a guy by the company he keeps. Ellie, you were right to break up with him.”

Listening to Chloe’s indignant words, I gave a faint hum of agreement.

“Mmm.”

Liam, who had been silent, suddenly spoke.

“Relationships are between two people. Ms. Eleanor, that's a pretty flimsy reason to break up, don't you think?”

I didn’t reply. Chloe, beside him, was already annoyed.

“What do you know? Some guys are just so awful that they make their girlfriends sick of them!”

“Liam, if any of your friends ever talk badly about me, you *have* to defend me, or I’ll never forgive you.”

Liam’s jawline tightened slightly. After a long moment, he squeezed out a single word.

“Okay.”

Outside the window, the snow fell harder, blurring the windshield into a white haze.

With poor visibility, I turned on the cold air to clear the glass.

Chloe in the back seat blew into her hands, rubbing them together.

“It’s so cold in here, Ellie. Can you turn on the heater?”

I thought of the body in the trunk and took a few hand warmers from my bag, handing them to Chloe.

“The heater can get stuffy. Use these to warm your hands.”

As Chloe took them, her fingers brushed against my icy cold ones, and her eyes widened in surprise.

“Your hands are freezing! What if you catch a cold without the heater on?”

I paused slightly. I was already dead; having no body heat was normal.

But how was I supposed to explain that to her?

Just then, Liam leaned forward, extended his long arm, and switched on the car’s heater.

“Ms. Eleanor, getting sick up here in the mountains can be life-threatening. You offered us a ride, so you’re responsible for our safety.”

Hearing his usual domineering tone, I sighed inwardly and said no more.

The only sound was the crunching of the tires on the snow.

After what felt like an eternity, we finally drove out of the heavily snowed-in road and reached a town at the base of the mountain.

Liam looked out at the darkening sky and said,

“It’s too late. We’ll stay here for the night.”