Chapter 34 Hazel – One Month Later
THIRTY-FOUR
Hazel – One Month Later
I couldn’t breathe. It was like someone had placed something heavy over my mouth, waiting for me to suffocate.
Jerking awake, I lurched my head back with a gasp, only to find Vermont huddled right up by my face on my pillow. He let out a demanding “Meow.”
My bedside clock told me it was just before nine.
I should be grateful he’d let me sleep in for once.
Typically, he was a lot more aggressive with his demands for breakfast earlier in the morning.
I practically had to set up formal negotiations with him to let me sleep in at least until the sun rose.
I rubbed underneath his chin before throwing the comforter off me. My tie-dye sweatshirt lay abandoned on the floor. I nabbed it and pulled it on.
The cans of wet food were all stacked on the windowsill. Reid had begged me to find a cabinet—any cabinet—but my kitchen was small and already bursting at the seams.
I took one down, opened it with a can opener, and set it down next to the water bowl on the floor. Vermont wasted no time trotting over to it and wolfing it down.
I threw on a pot of coffee and pulled my blinds open.
Fresh snow blanketed the street outside, covering each car still parked on the street.
I caught sight of mine, relieved I didn’t have to drive anywhere today.
It looked like we’d be getting a white Christmas tomorrow after all. Gran would have loved it.
I yawned and stretched, waiting for the ancient machine to finish brewing my coffee.
Jackson had dragged me to a Christmas pop-up bar last night.
He’d drank one too many ‘Dirty Rudolph’s and I’d had to drive him home.
We were out entirely too late, but I had been having so much fun I hadn’t even cared.
Plus, the salon was closed until the 27th.
I might as well take advantage of my time off.
I couldn’t wait to spend the next few days cozied up, eating good food, and spending time with my favorite people.
A knock sounded through the apartment.
I raced to answer it, my socks sliding on the floor right before I reached the door to swing it open. Reid stood there holding a large bag, smiling in the new glasses I’d bought for him, and a beanie tugged down over his ears.
“Merry Christmas Eve,” he said.
“I thought you were coming over later.” I threw my arms around him and held on tight, breathing him in like I always did.
“Couldn’t wait.” He kissed the top of my head. “Plus, I had to make sure you were still alive after Jackson drunk called me from your phone last night, begging me to order you two a pizza.”
I rolled my eyes. “I was fine. He, on the other hand, is likely regretting his decisions right now, since he has to drive two hours to his family’s house later this morning.”
Reid walked past me and set the bag underneath the silver Christmas tree that he’d helped me put up weeks ago. He’d tried to insist that we wear N95 masks while doing it.
Seeing him carefully arrange the bag of gifts underneath the tree hit me in a soft, unexpected way. I’d been so scared for my first Christmas without Gran—worried the loneliness and memories would consume me. But having Reid Mitchell as a boyfriend meant I’d never be lonely again.
For someone who claimed to appreciate his alone time, he always seemed to want me around.
And I mean always. Some nights, when I was too tired from a long shift to pack up Vermont and head to his place, I’d tell him not to come over because I was just going to crash.
He never listened. He’d come anyway, just to sleep on my “too soft” bed and hold me.
Ugh, I loved that man. I had a hard time remembering ever feeling as important as when he set his gaze on me.
He’d made a place for me in his life, and I never had to question, even for a second, if I fit there.
“Vermont,” he cooed, holding up a toy mouse. Vermont pranced into the room, immediately greeting Reid with a friendly headbutt to the leg. Reid scratched his back and set down the toy that was surely filled with catnip. “Gotta make sure I’m still his favorite.”
Reid was my cat’s favorite. And it was annoying. It was like he didn’t even know, or appreciate, everything I’d gone through to get him back. I could call the stinker ungrateful all I wanted, but nothing gave me more joy than watching those two cuddled up on the couch together.
“You spoil him,” I said with a laugh.
“I brought donuts for you, too,” he said, holding out a small brown bag.
“Yay!” I took the bag from him and brought it to the kitchen, arranging the donuts on a plate before pouring us coffee, splashing some peppermint creamer into both mugs.
Life had been good the past month. Like blissfully, amazingly, stupidly good.
After the whole ordeal with Callum went down, I’d thought we were in the clear.
Despite Reid begging me not to, the first thing I’d done was call Paul to rip him a new one.
It was his best friend, after all. I had to know if he knew.
But he was actually, genuinely shocked. Angry, even.
He’d called Callum a creepy bastard, told me he was sorry, and said that Callum would absolutely not be bothering me again.
I was ninety-nine percent sure Paul had gone over and beaten the crap out of him.
Probably did a lot more damage than Reid and I had.
Even though Paul was an ex for a reason, I was still a little bit happy that he’d stood up for me like that. And I was grateful the person who’d been threatening me all that time hadn’t been someone I’d been so close to. It offered a grain of comfort.
Reid wasn’t as willing as I was to let Paul handle everything.
He’d insisted we go to the police with every piece of evidence we had—the cameras, the messages, the letters.
It helped that Callum had left me two threatening voicemails right after we’d rescued Vermont.
With all that evidence, I was able to file for a restraining order.
Although I really didn’t think it was necessary, Reid said the added layer of security helped him sleep better at night.
I watched dreamily as Reid carefully arranged the presents he’d brought for me under the tree.
“What’s that one?” I asked, when he set a bright red card on top.
“Oh, just something small.” His cheeks turned pink.
“What is it?” I demanded, reaching for it.
“Just something small, it’s not your real present,” he added hurriedly. He was so cute when he was flustered.
“If it’s not real, can I open it now?”
“Umm…”
When his voice trailed off, I took that as my permission to tear the card open. My eyebrows shot up as I scanned the words, before a laugh burst out of me. “A gift card to a car wash?”
He shrugged. “Like I said, it’s not your main present.”
“You’re ridiculous,” I said, still laughing before wrapping my arms around him and planting a kiss on his cheek.
He chuckled. “Can’t blame a guy for trying. You’ll like the other ones more, I promise.”
I clapped my hands in excitement. “Can we open them tonight?”
“Of course.” He kissed my nose and my chest swelled.
Even though his family was a presents-on-Christmas-morning one, he wanted to open our gifts together the night before, because that’s what Gran and I had always done.
Then, first thing tomorrow morning, we’d head over to his family’s Christmas.
I couldn’t be more excited to spend another holiday with them.
Thanksgiving had been a dream—plates and plates of amazing dishes, Ruby and Regan taking me under their wing like I’d always belonged, laughing as his dad and West tried to walk me through the rules of football while the Lions played in the background.
Reid’s mom had hugged me every chance she got, making sure I was comfortable and okay. It had been perfect.
And tomorrow would be amazing too, full of new memories to cherish. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d been this excited for Christmas. Maybe it was because I had money to spend on presents, for once.
A few days after we got Vermont back, the lottery winnings were deposited into my account.
I nearly fainted when I saw the number. I had never seen my statement so far into the green before.
Reid was practically chomping at the bit to take a look at my financials and help me get everything sorted, but to his credit, he played it cool, acted like it wasn’t killing him not to help me.
I had every intention of paying off my debts—and I did—but first, I’d taken Reid to a nice restaurant to thank him for everything. He still tried to pay. I had to corner the waiter by the bar before they brought the check to the table.
And when I told Reid I wanted to go out to a casino one night to honor Gran, I thought he was going to have a heart attack.
But we went, along with West, his sisters, and Jackson.
Reid even won seventy-five dollars on a slot machine.
It was a sight watching him go from not wanting to be there at all, to jumping up and down with pure joy as the lights lit up around him. I died laughing.
Gran would have loved him.
Now, all of my ducks were in a row. I was more financially free than I’d ever been. Sure, I still had to work every day, but I was no longer living paycheck to paycheck. I had savings. I could splurge occasionally on something nice for myself.
And a few nice things for Reid, too. I was so excited for him to open the presents I’d carefully picked out for him. But mostly, I was just excited to be with him today, tucked under his arm.
“What should we watch first?” he asked, plopping onto the couch. Vermont followed, curling up on the back of the cushion. “I’m thinking all-day movie marathon.”
“The Grinch. It was always our favorite.”
“The Grinch it is,” he said, picking up the remote.
I set the donuts and coffee in front of us and curled into his side.
“This is perfect,” I whispered.
“It’ll be even better when we’re already in the same place,” he said, kissing the top of my head.
I pinched his side. Reid had been joking about me moving in with him again ever since I’d got Vermont back.
When I insisted it was too soon, he’d said I could still stay in the guest room.
I told him that would be ridiculous, and he’d backed off.
What he hadn’t backed off from was the security at my current apartment.
He’d even installed a new video doorbell at my door.
I think even with the restraining order, he wasn’t in love with the idea of me being here.
But I was hardly alone. Reid and I spent one, maybe two nights apart per week.
I was sure we’d figure out the whole moving-in thing eventually, but I wasn’t in any hurry.
His lips pressed against the top of my head as the opening credits to the movie played.
“How are you holding up today?” he asked.
“Better now that you’re here.” I squeezed around his middle.
Everything was always better when he was around. Every day I spent with Reid, I grew more and more confident that this was it for me.
He felt like more than my boyfriend, or even the love of my life. He felt like family. He felt like home.
He felt like forever.