Chapter 33
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
“TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS…”
Ethan shoots down a glass of champagne then reaches out and grabs the voluptuous red-head that is about to become my sister-in-law.
I like her.
A lot.
Her name is Annie and honestly, given the fact that both her parents have that fiery red hair like her makes them assholes like mine for giving her such a heavy name.
It means we get each other perfectly. Leave it to my brother to find someone actually capable of putting up with his bullshit in a loving way.
Annie and red hair will be synonymous for life and I’m here for it.
In addition to having incredible hair and this sexy boho style that I love and wish I could pull off without looking ridiculous, she’s pretty damn awesome. She’s been staying with us for the past week and her presence has livened up everything up. I can’t afford to be depressed in front of her.
I’m still trying to make a good impression.
“God, I love him!” She says to me as he kisses her on the mouth again and leaves the room to check on the vegan Christmas dinner he’s been preparing.
He made me replace almost all the sweets with healthy alternatives, citing worry over my cholesterol. I don’t have the heart, no pun intended, to argue with him, so I’m letting him have his way while he’s here.
Afterall, he’s five years younger than me and engaged.
Wonderful.
“Since I’m buzzed, I’m going to have to ask you a question that I’ll probably regret in the morning,” Annie says as she moves over to plop next to me on my couch.
“What’s that?” I smile.
She stares at me long and hard.
“Who is he?”
My breath hitches.
“No one,” I shake my head and speak in that small voice you use when you’re lying and Annie’s no dummy.
“Charlie. I’ve seen you mope around when you think no one’s looking and sometimes your eyes get all watery for no reason. When Ethan notices, you say it’s allergies, but I’m a woman, I know.”
Fine.
“He was just a guy that I met and knew I shouldn’t expect anything from, but I did, because I’m me. And then he hurt me by just being who he told me he was.”
“That doesn’t mean it’s over.”
Talk about optimism. I’m not near drunk enough to have this conversation.
“Trust me,” I hold my hand up with authority. “If you knew the whole story, you’d know it’s over.”
“Tell me,” she pleads.
“I can’t,” I shake my head.
“Come on!”
“I really can’t,” I think about the clause I signed and then I think about all the things I can say but I don’t know if I have the energy for it.
“Maybe another time,” I say. “Not on Christmas Eve.”
The doorbell rings.
Annie’s eyes light up as bright as the tree.
“Thank God!” She squeals in delight. “It’s the pizza I ordered!”
“Pizza?” I look at her in confusion. “I thought you and Ethan were vegan?”
“I’m going to cheat tonight,” she says. “He’s a terrible cook and I want pizza. I felt the need after that third drink. Nothing will hit the spot like it.”
I’m not mad about it.
“I’ll be right back!” she rushes off to the door and I sit back and stare at the tree. Mine is definitely lacking the flair of Stetson’s or anything I saw in Christmas Village, but something about it feels cozy.
I hear heavy footsteps in the room.
“I definitely want some,” I say over my shoulder, grateful that Annie ordered because I’ve never had a vegan Christmas before, and I’m all for it, but what if I’m still hungry?
“I definitely want some too,” his sweet, velvety voice moves around the room and my body like a dream come true.
My heart drops and I close my eyes.
Am I imagining this?
“No, baby,” he says. “I’m here.” As if reading my thoughts.
I turn around and stare at him with wide eyes, not caring that I said the words out loud, just hyper focused on the gorgeous man standing in front of me.
He looks exhausted.
His hair is mussed, and his beard is perfect, but his eyes… he looks like he’s been through a lot, the circles underneath his perfect lashes could tell tales. He’s dressed perfect for Naples, Florida in a t-shirt and jeans. Nothing remotely like something Santa would wear, but so hot.
“Isn’t this the busiest night of the year?” I remind him of his obvious job duties.
He smiles tenderly. Understanding washes all over his face that and what seems like a bit of thankfulness that I get it.
“My dad dropped me off,” he says almost sheepishly. “It’s his night anyway. I already did everything I had to leading up to it, thus being so tired, though that’s not all of it.”
I nod slowly.
“So why are you here, Stetson?” I find the courage to ask though it’s like the words get stuck in my throat on the way out. “The clause, your silence—all of it was very telling, not at all what I assume is the old Christmas cheer sort of thing you like to leave a person with.”
He takes a step toward me on the couch, but I hold my hand up.
“No,” I say. “I need to hear you out, but I can’t, if you leave again, I can’t—” Tears well in my eyes.
“I can survive a lot of things, I think I’ve proven that, but one night a man came to me with a clause and a magical background that shouldn’t exist but does and I can’t quite seem to get him out of my soul no matter how hard I try, so I don’t want comfort or fake words, I don’t want hugs followed by empty promises.
I signed a clause not realizing I was signing away something else entirely—and just because you said void doesn’t make it true. ”
He looks down, like he’s nervous, then his hot gaze clashes with mine. “And to think, I was stupid enough to convince myself I could have my cake and eat it too that just because I didn’t want to end up like my dad it wouldn’t happen. How’s that for stupidity?”
I shrug. “We all have a little stupid in us.”
He takes another step towards me, reaching out.
“I’m here because I can’t get you out of my mind.
You’re all I think about.” His confession sounds like it’s the worst thing in the world, missing me.
“I obsess over you. Have you eaten? Have you been sleeping? Are you laughing enough?” He lowers his voice.
“How many tears did you cry? Are you as sad as I am?”
He shakes his head. “I’ve been on your social media, checking it obsessively for any sign of your smile.
I close my eyes and dream about you. I can’t think clearly.
I’m not doing well at work. Everyone suddenly hates me, shit I hate myself, even Jayson’s ready to feed me to the polar bears and I’m supposed to be the likeable one.
There’s nothing cheery about me and I just… miss you.”
His words heal the parts of me that needed to be made whole again. I don’t need anything more, just those honest words that mean everything. But…
“Why did you ignore me?”
He looks away from me for a minute, like this conversation is taking everything out of him to have.
“I was spooked—terrified actually,” he says quietly, then captures my gaze again. “You spooked me.”
“I spooked you?” I repeat the words because I can’t believe he’s just said them. “How am I the spooker in this situation, I mean really Stetson, I’d like to believe I held it together like a champ when I met Santa.”
“Yes. And to hell with standing here…” before I can even blink he has me wrapped in his arms and is holding me close.
He sits down on the couch and pulls me on his lap and kisses me on the mouth.
“What if I spook you again?” I pull away from him and hold his face in my hands as I stare in his eyes.
“You might,” he nods with a smile. “But I’m here for it. All the scares and all the joy that I know we’re going to have together, if you’ll let me.”
He kisses me again, taking my breath away.
“I love you, Charlie Horse.” He whispers against my mouth. “And I have a new proposition for you.”
He loves me.
He said he loves me.
I’m so dizzy I can barely see straight. He snaps his fingers as the sound of bells fill the air.
“You see, every clause has an effect, the minute I hit void on it, the effect was pretty much hell on earth, certain torture, you even ruined cookies for me, the pantry has been complete shit since you left, and I’m still pissed about it—I even stopped labeling cookies. ”
I gasp. “You didn’t.”
“I’m not proud of my disorganization Charlie, I’m a man broken.” He shows me a new piece of paper, this one is the same sort of parchment only on this one it says naughty or nice with two boxes next to it and on the bottom a place for my signature. “All you have to do is sign.”
“And do I have to pick which one to be?” I cross my arms. “Might be tough.”
“Be both.” He leans in and kisses my neck. “Be naughty whenever you want, be nice just as much—just promise me one thing—”
“What’s that?”
“Be mine.” He says simply. “Forever. I don’t want to run.
I want love even if it means it hurts because no pain is even close to what it feels like to not have you in my life.
The effect of the clause you signed, I fear, is that I fell in love with you and I don’t want to go back.
So sign it. Please. I’ll make you love me if it’s the last thing—”
I interrupt him with a hard kiss. “Nobody makes me do anything I don’t want to do.” I tap my finger onto the paper. “I’m thinking I don’t need a pen if I just do this and you do your little magic jingle thing.” I trace my name on the paper while tracing his lips with my tongue.
The sound of bells fills the air and on the new contract under both checked boxes is my name.
Charlie Horse.
And beneath that in typed ink.
Mrs. Claus.