25 DAYS

By Claire Adams

This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the writer's imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.

Copyright © 2015 Claire Adams

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Chapter 1

Chloe

"I honestly have no clue why you're bitching," Seth grumbled and flopped down on my roommate's bed. "I'd give my left arm to spend Christmas in Aspen.”

"That's a lie and you know it." I turned back to the mirror and ran my brush back through my long blond hair as I ignored his jab. He had it far better than any of us seeing that his father had not only paid for everything since the minute he stepped on campus at UCLA, but was willing to pay the school to bend the rules to get him through.

"It's not. I love skiing and snowboarding." He sat up and moved to the edge of the bed. His messy blond hair and regal good looks were the only reason I dated him. Nothing else about us made sense. He was a meathead jock with a bend toward beer and any game on TV, and I was a designer, a swimmer, and hated sports with a passion.

"I'm talking about you giving up your left arm." I swirled around in my chair and smirked. "You're going to be a big football star, remember?"

"Yep, and you'll be sorry you left me." He shrugged and ran his fingers through his hair.

"Speaking of..." I wanted to push the topic of us breaking up, but the last time I did, the poor guy broke down in tears. It was ugly.

"Not this again." He stood and moved toward me. "You know how I feel about us."

"Yeah, but I'm moving on with my life, Seth. I care about you, I really do, but we're headed in separate directions. It's been a great ride, though."

He slid his arms around my waist and snuggled his face against my neck. "It doesn't have to stop, Chloe. Just because you're going to your Dad's for a month doesn't mean shit. You'll come back and we can just pick back up. Let's just consider it a break for now."

"And what if you meet someone while I'm gone?" I pushed at his chest, wanting to see his dark blue eyes once more before I ejected him from my life.

He chuckled and touched the side of my face. "Then you're shit out of luck, toots. She's here and you're not."

I couldn't help but smile. His warped sense of humor was appreciated, but in all honestly, I hoped like hell he would meet someone while I was gone. Breaking his heart seemed impossible, but our time together was over.

His additional year at UCLA was going to be good for him, and I had a battle to fight in the midst of the arctic with my old man. I shivered at the thought of the cold weather before pushing Seth's hand away.

"Alright. Get out. I have to finish packing and catch my flight. I'll see you after Christmas for graduation."

He leaned in and brushed his lips against mine before jogging to the door. "No falling in love while you're gone. I'm going to be a big star one day and I need a hot blonde beside me. That's you, baby doll."

He winked and I rolled my eyes.

There was no way in hell I was going to be some man's arm candy. I had too many dreams for that drama.

Yeah, our relationship was over. He could call it a break if that helped him.

The door clicked closed and I got busy finishing my packing for the trip. It had been a good semester, a final semester. My college career was ending six months early because of the classes I picked up the summer before. I was getting weary of studying and drawing designs only to have them downgraded and torn apart piece by piece in the name of education.

The buzzing of my phone pulled me from my thoughts, and I was grateful for it. School had been a bitch and I was glad to have it done and over with.

"Hello?"

"You all packed up?" My sixteen year old brother, Parker.

"I am. Are you coming to pick me up at the airport?" I pressed the phone to the side of my face and finished emptying my drawers. The only thing left was a pair of candy panties Seth had bought as a joke for my birthday that year, or at least I thought it was a joke until he asked to eat them off of me. I rolled my eyes at the thought.

"Hell no. Dad won't let me drive in the snow." My brother let out a huff that caused me to smile. Spending the next twenty-five days with my father was going to be a bit torturous, but having Parker beside me would make it all worthwhile.

"So you're without a car for the whole winter season? That sucks."

"Parents suck." He chuckled. "I'm honestly surprised you agreed to this. I know you hate the cold. What did he offer you?"

I hadn't shared the deal my father laid on the table with anyone, namely because it seemed ridiculous.

"Twenty-five days in Aspen with you guys for the seed money for my clothing line."

I zipped up the last bag as my roommate, Jessie, walked into the dorm room.

"Why twenty-five days?" Parker asked.

"No clue. I think he's hoping that I find my love of the freezing-ass weather and want to stay up there to run his clothing line."

"Or to add to it. It's good, but it ain't great."

"Ain't isn't a word." I corrected him and sat down on my bed as Jessie plopped down next to me, her lips turned down in a frown. We had been together for five years in our dorm room. It was the hardest part of leaving school, without a doubt.

"Leave your grammar in Cali and bring your wicked cooking skills. I'm as thin as a rail and the ladies seem to like the beefy guys. Help?"

"This I can do. I'll see you soon. Love you."

"Hey," my brother's voice was nothing more than a whisper, making him sound all of eight years old.

"What?"

"I got some new Mortal Kombat games. You're up for an ass whooping, right?"

I laughed loudly. "You're so going down, buddy. Someone needs to teach you how to treat a lady."

"Bring it, old woman." He dropped the call and I slipped my phone in my back pocket.

The men in my life were comical if nothing else.

"You all packed?" Jessie released me and stood.

"I am. How about we grab a burger and then hang out on the beach tonight? One last adventure before I head off to the Arctic?"

"It's not that cold, Chloe." She breathed in deeply and looked around the room as if expecting someone to just pop out of the nothingness. "Was Seth here?"

"Yeah, trying to talk me out of going, or taking him with me." I pulled my hair into a high ponytail and stopped by my dresser, grabbing my debit card and slipping it in my pocket. "You smell his cologne?"