FALLING FOR MR FROST

JACKSON POV

"You better leave before it gets worse." Mrs. Chen nudged at me, forcing me to drop the stacks of books I held in my hands.

"What are you saying Mrs. Chen?" I looked back at her, hurt and confused, as she practically pushed me toward the door. "I promised to help out around the bookstore while you rest with your family. Its Christmas eve after all."

"Don't be silly," she scolded, nodding toward the windows. Thick, heavy flakes were already pouring from the sky, coating the nearly empty streets.

"And so what?" I turned back to her. "It snows every year, what's the big deal?"

Before she could answer, static crackled in the background and both our attentions snapped toward the radio on the counter.

"The latest weather update..."the announcer said, his voice sharp with urgency."Conditions are deteriorating fast and it's looking pretty grim out here. A low-pressure system is moving in...and we're expecting a possible blizzard tonight. Heavy snowfall, strong winds, and reduced visibility. If you're not already inside...you might want to reconsider."

The radio cut off with a harsh click.

Mrs. Chen shot me a victorious, I-told-you-so look. "See I told you so"

She shoved my coat into my arms, and my stomach dropped. Did she really expect me to just leave an elderly woman here alone in these conditions?

"I'm not going anywhere and leaving you alone with still so much to do Mrs. Chen." I protest.

"Jackson..."

"At least let me close up the store and take you home, that way you won't-"

"Jackson!" She cupped my cheeks with her warm, wrinkled hands, silencing me instantly.

"This old lady will be just fine," she said, certainty wrapped in her voice. "I've faced worse storms than this. Plus, you live farther away. So please...don't make me worry."

Mrs. Chen was the owner of this book café and despite being this old, she was as fickle and as stubborn as they come.

I looked toward the storefront again, only to see that the snow had gotten a thousand times worse.

"Mrs. Chen, seriously... I insist."

"Young people," she mutters affectionately, bundling me into the coat herself. "Always thinking they're invincible."

She left me at the doorway and disappeared within the bookstore. I knew there was no winning this argument. Once Mrs. Chen made up her mind, it was game over.

I sighed, pulling the coat tighter around me, and pushed the door open.

The cold hit me at once-sharp and biting, stealing the breath right out of my lungs. "I hate the cold," I muttered, rolling my eyes as I tucked my chin deeper into my scarf. The temperature must've dropped at least fifteen degrees since this morning.

The streets were completely empty now. Students had fled campus days earlier for winter break, the coffee shop on the corner-the one that usually stayed open until midnight-was dark, and even the stragglers had disappeared.

The few cars that passed moved slowly, their headlights barely cutting through the