Chapter 14: Snow On the Beach

*Three Years Earlier*

The winter holidays passed by like a blur for Kate. She enjoyed the peace found in spending time with her grandparents at Greyhouse. They hosted an intimate Yule dinner and Kate got to see spend time with Jess who was focused on stuffing her face every hour. Everything felt normal like Samhain never happened.

There was an emptiness Kate didn't notice until the days went by and she realized she was missing something. She could practice viola and read books but the emptiness was always there. It seemed to get worse over time. It wasn't until she was back at Nimue and she saw Theo again that it went away completely.

She had missed him.

Theo smiled when he saw her and she had to resist the urge to run to him like they were in a romantic movie. She had kissed him on the cheek before leaving for the holidays. It had taken her days to calm down from the embarrassment. He didn't look upset or disgusted with her at least.

They met in the middle of the path.