Winter had hit hard in the state of Virginia; ice storms and heavy snowfall had become a daily recurrence both night and day. The nights came at 6:30 p.m. and brought along an even colder chill with it. But the loneliness Alana felt within on these nights were much colder than the weather outside her window. That loneliness brought her to the doorstep of Will Graham; the man she had deemed to be a friend. The man she forbid herself from having affairs beyond that status. That status her emotions refused to respect as they tested her limits each day, threatening to cross the barrier she had built to protect not only herself, but Will. The barrier Will was familiar with, respected, but now questioned as he open his door to find Alana.
"Come to take me up on that offer?" Will questioned the woman as he shifted to switch on the porch light, illuminating the darkness that had once engulfed Alana's small frame. "To cozy up with my dogs, I mean," he added, the right of his lip twitching upward momentarily in a gentle, crooked smile.
"And you for that matter," Alana stated bluntly in response, her head tipping to the right as a faint smirk tugged at her lips.
Her blunt words had hit Will hard, arousing questions of his stability as he processed her proposition. Will was quiet for a moment before he stepped to the side to allow her access into his home. He couldn't find the words to say to her, in hopes his gesture would justify his agreement.
Alana took the gesture as his agreement, brushing past Will as she entered his home. It emitted a warm, cozy feel each visit she had made here, and this one was no exception. "Thank you," she said to the baffled Will, taking each button of her coat between her chilled fingers to break the bond they held to confine her within the warm fabric.
"I don't know what to say," Will admitted to her as he take her coat from her, only to drape it over the back of the sofa. "Either you've completely lost it like I have," he started as he brought his gentle eyes to meet hers. "Or, you've stopped thinking so much," he added as he made no attempt to shorten the space between them.
Alana's hand came to rest against the back of the sofa. "Maybe both," she stated with a gentle smile, her body weight shifting to the side to lean against the sofa. "Maybe both," she repeated as her eyes lingered from his eyes to his lips for a brief moment. Those lips she had longed to feel against hers as she had weeks prior. In this house, in this room, but a different circumstance.
Will had taken her lingering eyes into thought, but refused to make the moves. If this was going to fall into place, it would have to be on Alana's terms. "Well, if you've lost it," he pause to wet his lips. "I enjoy your company," he said in response, a sad smile forming across his lips. His eyes never leaving hers.
"Will, you haven't lost it," she stated as she took a step, shortening the distance between the two. "I know crazy," she said with another step. "And you're not it," she explained as her hands came to rest behind her back in an intertwined link. "Unstable, yes," she admitted. "But crazy," she added with an intake of breath. "No,"
Alana's words could always have a lasting effect on him as he took them into thought. "Alana," Will started, longing for an even shorter distance between the two, but refused to take the leap. "What is it you're getting at?" he questioned as his hands fumbled within his pockets in an awkward manner as he found no place suitable for them.
"What I'm getting at?" she asked as she took that final step toward Will to separate all distance between the two. "I can't do the this," she admitted, her hands still clasped behind her back. "As wrong as this affair would be for me- the both of us, I can't help but want it," she explained as she gave into temptation. "You're unstable, and I think too much. It's a train wreck just waiting to happen," she added to her explanation, her eyes once again lingering from feature to feature.
Will couldn't see where Alana was taking this, but the shortened distance only tempted him as he gave no response. "I can't help but want it," were the words lingering within his thoughts during his silence as he wait to hear out the rest of her statement. Will knew Alana could take the conversation in either direction at this point.
"But, I guess we could sit back and enjoy the ride while it lasts," she finished with a twitch of the lip upward. "If you'll join me," Alana added as she retrieved his right left hand from his pocket with both hands, her chill fingers in need of warmth engulfing his in her grasp. "I did come here to cozy up with you after all,"
"I'd be honored to accompany you on this 'train wreck'," he stated with a faint chuckle as he brought Alana's hands between his own in his attempts to warm them. "But," he started, his thumb brushing over her knuckles, opening his mouth to speak, but was cut off by Alana's index finger as she stop him.
"You're overthinking this," she mocked as she took it upon herself to transition over to the couch, taking a seat and looking back at Will. Her smile genuine, but hid her worries these actions would have. Her hand pat the spot next to her, only to summon his dogs who huddled around her at the simple pat.
Will took the heavy blanket draped over the back of the couch into his grasp as he open it, only to drape it over Alana and himself once he managed to make room amongst the dogs. This situation seemed all too euphoric to him; never had he thought he would have Alana to hold within his warm embrace like he longed to for so long. The feeling having only grown since the day they had made each other's acquaintance. And the feeling growing as Alana took it upon herself to break all distance between the two under the blanket as she pressed herself into his side. Her right arm coming to rest upon his chest, her left buried under her, and her head falling upon his his left shoulder.
"Thank you," Alana murmur to him, her eyes locked within his gaze as she took in this moment. It wasn't until the moment had actually happened, did she realize how much she truly wanted it to. "I'm feeling warmer already," she added, a gentle smile dancing across her lips.