Icebreaker

Henry, JJ, and Nathan go to the mall to buy Christmas presents. JJ tries to convince Nathan to buy lingerie for Anastasia, but Nathan buys her pajamas instead. Summer is the cashier, and they have an awkward conversation about her roommate. Henry invites Gen, one of the saleswomen, to their Christmas party that night, and when they get back to the house, Anastasia and Lola interrogate him about her. As the party gets started, Gem arrives, and Henry flirts with her until he gets her alone in the laundry room. When some of the hockey players snoop on them and spook Gem, Henry vows to get revenge.

Nathan watches Ryan hug Anastasia and gets jealous. He heard that Ryan and Olivia broke up, and now he watches as Ryan drunkenly touches Anastasia and kisses the top of her head. Anastasia escapes his embrace, and when she reaches Nathan, she tells him to save her next time. He tells her he didn’t know that she needed saving, and she says, “The only man I want wrapped around me is you” (270). She had previously told Ryan that she is with Nathan now, and Nathan is ecstatic that they are exclusive.

The party moves into the backyard, and Anastasia sits by a campfire, curled up on Nathan’s lap. Nathan talks sports with the rest of the team, and Anastasia contentedly falls asleep. She is awakened when they hear shouting from inside the house. Nathan goes in to investigate and tells Anastasia to stay outside, but she soon follows and sees guys pulling Bobby and Henry off of two strangers. Nathan, his face bleeding, is pinning Aaron against the wall by the throat. The Christmas tree is knocked over, and the place is a mess. The party empties out quickly. JJ says that Aaron “had it coming” (275) because he was drunk and mouthing off. Nathan scolds Anastasia for not waiting outside, and she yells back at him for fighting with Aaron. She is shaking as she tends to Nathan’s wounds. Nathan says he was only stopping the fight.

In the aftermath of the chaos, Henry admits that he is the one who hit Aaron, but he refuses to apologize because he feels justified after what Aaron said about Anastasia. He tells Nathan that he should have punched Aaron ages ago, and Anastasia demands to know what Aaron said about her. Lola sends Nathan to fetch some water and calms Anastasia down, telling her that they need to talk about their living situation.

Nathan watches Anastasia stomp around the bedroom getting ready for bed. He admits that he wishes he could have done something about Aaron weeks ago, but he has talked about Aaron with Anastasia enough to understand why she wants to save their friendship. He doesn’t want to be the person to tell her what Aaron has been saying about her behind her back. He silently recalls the details of the fight. When he reached the house after the sounds of fighting started, Henry was already punching Aaron and Nathan stepped in to separate them, and which point Aaron punched Nathan.

Back in the present moment, Nathan helps Anastasia locate her missing hairbrush. Although she is no longer angry with him, she tells him that she doesn’t need him to defend her. He tells her that she is worth defending anyway. She cries, they kiss, and Nathan promises to tell her everything in the morning.

The next morning, after they have sex, he revels in the fact that she called herself “his girl.” When she goes quiet, he worries that he has triggered her fear of commitment and tells her that there is no pressure, but that he has not committed to anyone before, and he is sure about her. She tells him that she is sure about him, too. Then she says she is ready to hear what Aaron said that made Henry go berserk.

Henry invades Nathan’s bedroom in high spirits and jokingly asks to join them and make a threesome, telling Anastasia that she is too short for him. When asked, Henry doesn’t want to tell her what Aaron said because he knows she has nothing to gain from it. He tells her that she doesn’t need to move back in with Aaron, and he promises to look after her even after Nathan graduates. Anastasia insists on knowing, so Henry and Nathan explain that Aaron often talks about her behind her back, spreading rumors to Coach Brady that she is getting drunk at parties and hooking up with strangers. He has also told his UCLA friends that because her family is broke, she looks for guys who are going to be professional athletes, planning to trap them with a baby. Anastasia listens to it all, unsurprised by Aaron’s behavior because he has said worse to her directly. Nathan and Henry explain that Aaron showed up drunk announced that he was going to take Anastasia home where she belongs. Henry intervened, and the verbal altercation intensified into a physical brawl.

Anastasia thanks Henry for defending her, and she and Henry affirm their platonic love for each other. When he leaves the room, Nathan hugs Anastasia and reassures her while she cries. He tells her that she is worthy of love, is surrounded by people who love her, and that she makes him feel valued for who he is. His speech lays all of her doubts to rest. Afterward, Nathan leaves for the gym, and Anastasia cooks Indian food with Lola and JJ. Learning to cook heals her relationship with food. She still struggles with gaining weight, even if it is all muscle. She is becoming a better skater as she gets stronger. JJ asks the girls if they plan to move in, making it clear that he wants them to live there, too, and that Aaron is “a walking, talking red flag” (294). But Lola and Anastasia say that is a conversation for after winter break.

Nathan and Anastasia fly to Washington over winter break. Nathan is nervous about meeting her parents, but they are both in a good mood when they reach Seattle. Nathan even contemplates proposing. Nathan meets Anastasia’s parents: Colin and Julia. Their love for their daughter is obvious. Julia asks if she should book rink time, and Anastasia asks not to talk about skating, following Dr. Andrews’s recommendation. Her parents agree, and Anastasia relaxes. Everyone jokes about how bossy Anastasia is, and her parents tell embarrassing stories about her. When Nathan sees all the photos of young Anastasia, he thinks that their kids will be adorable.

Nathan and Anastasia fool around as they get ready to go out to dinner. They go out to a fancy restaurant, and by chance, their waiter is James, Anastasia’s old skating partner and ex-boyfriend. Anastasia introduces Nathan as her boyfriend, and it is the first time he’s heard her say it out loud. The dinner goes well, and Nathan likes her family. He offers to pay the bill at the end.

Anastasia is sad to leave Seattle. Putting aside skating let her savor the visit, and she enjoyed seeing her parents learn how “charming and caring” Nathan is (305). Her dad is excited about Nathan’s hockey career, a strange experience for Nathan, whose own father shows no interest. When Anastasia’s mother asks how she and Nathan met, Anastasia is forced to tell her about the issues with Aaron. Julia reaffirms that they love Anastasia for herself, not for her success at figure skating.

As Anastasia and Nathan travel onward to Colorado, Anastasia ponders how to solve the problem with Aaron. Nathan and Lola want to keep her separated from him, but he is still her official skating partner. She still thinks of herself only as a “pair skater” (307). Moving forward, she plans to keep only a professional relationship with Aaron. Nathan doesn’t like this decision, but he is moving in the summer, and she needs to learn to handle Aaron on her own. She hopes that she and Nathan will be able to maintain a long-distance relationship. When they arrive at Nathan’s house, she is shocked to discover that it is a mansion. He chases her around the house and toward his bedroom. He admits that he’s been nervous about her seeing the house because it is cold and lonely compared to her parents’ place. There are no photos on the walls and none of Nathan’s trophies. She cries thinking about him staying there alone.

Nathan is in love with Anastasia, but he is afraid to tell her so early in their relationship. He thinks she is perfect, and he resolves to tell her during their stay in Colorado. Anastasia is sad that there are no Christmas decorations, and Nathan tells her that his family spends a lot of their time at the resort anyway. He offers to get a Christmas tree for her, but she gets distracted by the warm and comfortable bed.

Anastasia tries to seduce Nathan by undressing, but she is wearing so many layers of winter clothes that it turns into a race to see who can undress faster. Anastasia wins and asks him to pleasure himself in front of her, as her reward. That leads her to pleasure him orally, which leads Nathan to think about telling her that he loves her and proposing to her. Afterward, they stand naked together and drink orange juice out of the carton, looking out the kitchen window at the beautiful snowy landscape.

Similar to the beginning of Chapter 36, Anastasia wonders when it will be okay to admit to Nathan that she loves him. She thinks he is perfect. She has been an emotional mess the last few weeks because of Aaron, and Nathan has made her feel valued even at her lowest moments. She has loved the trip so far and doesn’t want to return to Maple Hills, but she knows they will have to when Nathan’s dad arrives. She does not like the idea of meeting Nathan’s father. As they look out the window, they can see the Hawkins family ski resort. Nathan’s ancestor founded the resort, and it has been passed down from father to son across generations. Nathan does not want to take over the resort and hates that it will go to him instead of his sister, who is a skiing prodigy.

Later, Nathan takes Anastasia ice skating on the lake in his backyard, something she has never done. Afterward, Nathan cooks dinner while Anastasia gets drunk on fancy wine from the wine cellar. She worries she is going to get too mushy and confess all her feelings, but the mood changes when she asks why he hates his father. Nathan explains that when his mother Mila was dying of a rare blood disorder, his father cheated on her with a young ski instructor. Plus, when Robbie had his ski accident at the resort, his dad refused to let the company insurance help. Nathan explains that he doesn’t hate his father, but that he now knows everything not to do as a dad, accidentally saying “so our kids will be fine” (325). Anastasia blushes and then awkwardly says she wants to adopt. The next morning, Nathan goes on a “secret errand” (325), so Anastasia decides to go ice skating alone on the lake. She sees a deer and follows it. Nathan calls her and asks where she is, warning her to stay away from the trees. The warning is too late, because the ice cracks and she falls into the cold water.

The narrative shifts back in time slightly to describe Nathan’s perspective of that day. In the morning, he picks up an iPad that he bought Anastasia for Christmas. He knows that she might feel awkward about the gift because of the difference between their incomes, but he wants to spoil her. After the last few days, he believes she cares for him a lot, and so he plans to tell her that he loves her on Christmas. When he gets back to the house, he hides the gift and looks for Anastasia, calling to her when he can’t find her. When he realizes she’s on the ice, he tells her to get away from the edge of the woods, and then he hears her scream. He runs to the lake, grabs an orange life ring, and crawls out onto the thin ice, but he cannot reach her. He throws in the life ring and she grabs it, but by the time he pulls her out, she isn’t breathing. He performs CPR, and she finally coughs up water.

Nathan carries Anastasia to the house and puts her in a warm shower. He undresses her and gradually increases the temperature, then undresses and joins her, holding her and encouraging her while she sobs. She admits that she thought she was going to die, and as he warms her up, she tells him that she loves him. She clarifies that it is not from the trauma and that she has wanted to say it for a long time. He tells her that he loves her, too. They spend the night in the hospital, and Nathan wakes up by her side on Christmas morning. She feels better and wants to go back to the house.

Nathan doesn’t let Anastasia leave the hospital until the doctor checks her out. When she asks to leave, he tells her to shut up and let him take care of her. The nurse calls him “protective,” and Anastasia replies, “Very” (335). After the doctor releases Anastasia, they drive back to the house in good spirits and reaffirm their love. Because Anastasia’s phone is on the bottom of the lake, they call her parents to reassure them that she is well. For days afterward, she has nightmares of drowning, but Nathan calms her down. He books her multiple days at the resort spa and keeps the house warm for her benefit.

On New Year’s Eve, they finally get around to opening their Christmas presents. Nathan gives Anastasia pajamas and an iPad. She gives him two gifts: animal-print leggings and a mysteriously empty box. Nathan is puzzled until Anastasia takes off her robe to reveal a Hawkins hockey jersey. He immediately wants to have sex, and Anastasia leads him to the kitchen.

Nathan lies down on the kitchen island, and Anastasia ties his wrists with Christmas ribbon. She climbs on top of him, applies whipped cream to his body, and licks it up. Just then, the front door opens, and Nathan’s sister Sasha walks into the kitchen to find Nathan standing half-naked in front of Anastasia. The two girls are awkwardly introduced. Nathan asks what she’s doing there, and Sasha tells him she’s been texting him about their father’s latest “betrayal” (342). They decide to talk more after they go upstairs and change, because Nathan’s father is there, too, bringing bags in from the car.

When they go downstairs, Nathan’s father has already left for the resort and asked them to join him for lunch in an hour. Nathan asks Sasha why she came home early from her vacation, and she explains that the “vacation” turned out to be a body-conditioning camp, and she had to threaten to quit skiing before her father would agree to take her home early. Nathan is not surprised and wonders if his father has ulterior motives for arranging to meet Anastasia in a public place instead of at his house. Sasha asks Anastasia about her life, and the two of them get along well. Nathan misses his sister, and he thinks about how different she is when she is with their father versus when he is absent.