Free Frostbitten by Heather Beck Page B

this,” Anastasia sobbed, calming down only slightly. “There’s a
horrible rumor and it’s so not true. I...” Her voice cracked as she began to
cry again.
    “Shhh...take your
time,” Mrs. Lockhart said soothingly.
    Taking a deep breath
and forcing the tears to stop, Anastasia continued. “Before I tell you what the
rumor is, you have to promise that you’ll believe me when I say it’s a lie.”
    “I believe you,” she
replied without hesitating.
    “People are saying I’m
dating my English teacher.” As Anastasia said the words out loud, she realized
how ridiculous they sounded.
    Mrs. Lockhart didn’t
look the least bit shocked. “I’ve heard crazier rumors,” she admitted. “Small
towns have many great attributes, but ironically, privacy isn’t always one of
them. People talk, and sometimes what they say isn’t nice or true.” She paused
for a moment. “Don’t ever allow anyone to define who you are – make that
decision for yourself.”
    “I know you’re right,
but how can I possibly go back to school? I can’t face my English teacher. What
if he thinks I started the rumor?”
    “If you stand your
ground, the truth will come out, but if you run away...” Her voice trailed off
as she smoothed Anastasia’s hair and smiled. “I know you can overcome this.”
    “Why are you being so
nice to me?” The words tumbled out of Anastasia’s mouth before she knew what
she was saying.
    This time, Mrs.
Lockhart did look shocked. “My dear, how can you ask such a thing? You know I
love you.”
    Conflicted, Anastasia
said nothing.
    “Oh, Anastasia,” she
said, while wrapping her in a hug again. “I’ve been giving you space because I
thought that would help you adjust. I hope you weren’t thinking I didn’t care.”
    “It’s my fault,”
Anastasia replied quickly. “I’m sorry if you thought I wanted space because I
don’t. I love you, Grandma.”
    “Let’s go inside. I’ll
put the kettle on and...”
    “No,” Anastasia
interrupted firmly. “You should go back to work. I’ll be fine. I just need a
little time to recuperate if I’m going to return to school tomorrow.”
    Mrs. Lockhart smiled at
Anastasia. “You truly are a strong girl,” she said proudly, before kissing her
forehead.
     
     
    Alone in her house,
Anastasia stood in the bathroom, washing her tears away. She dried her face on
a soft towel and then looked into the mirror. Despite the horrible morning
Anastasia had experienced, she smiled slightly at her reflection, feeling a
glimmer of hope for better things to come. Her relationship with her
grandmother was on the right track and heading toward a stronger bond than
ever. All it took was for Anastasia to be honest instead of trying to hide
behind some tough façade. It was a huge step, but she knew that the hardest
challenges were still ahead of her.
    When Anastasia exited
the bathroom, she heard a knock upon the front door. Uncertain of who could be
there, she hurried down the stairs and then looked through the peephole. She
was surprised to find Frost standing on her porch and what appeared to be his
dark blue SUV parked on the road. Seeing that he was about to leave, Anastasia
quickly opened the door.
    “Please don’t leave.”
Anastasia hadn’t meant to say those words, especially in such a needy tone, but
they had just come out like some unstoppable force.
    Frost turned around and
smiled. “I hope you don’t mind me dropping by, but I saw your grandmother
taking you home.” He blushed slightly. “I wanted to make sure you were
alright.”
    “I’ll live,” Anastasia
promised.
    In silence, Anastasia
and Frost looked at each other. She noted how everything about him seemed
unique, and it all stemmed from those light blue eyes which gazed so kindly
upon her. No one had ever looked at her like that before.
    “I also came to
apologize,” Frost said, now looking at the ground as if he was deeply ashamed.
“I was the one who gave you the rose.”
    “What you