Chapter Sixteen
Balfour
I tapped once on Nik’s front door, before entering without waiting for anyone to answer it. Holding Kendrick’s hand firmly tucked in mine, Nik stopped on the stairs, Kieran on his hip, and stared at me wide-eyed.
Shutting the door behind us, I asked, “What? Why are you looking at me like that?”
Nik shook his head, a little grin on his face, and he walked the rest of the way down and deposited the baby in my arms. Kieran babbled happily, patting my face. I smacked a kiss on his chubby cheek.
“I’ve never seen you in color before,” Nik told me, catching Kacey as she ran in, hurtling towards Kendrick. He swung her in arms, murmuring in her ear.
“You sick, Uncle K?” Kacey demanded, looking him over with a discerning eye. “Daddy said you were sick and that’s why I couldn’t open all my prezzies.”
Kendrick held his arms out to her. “I’m fine, Kacey, all better. Come here.”
Nik handed his daughter over. “Everyone is in the living room. I think Pops and Diana made finger food to nibble on. Sorry you missed the big dinner.”
“It’s fine,” I told him, one hand on Kendrick’s lower back, as we followed Nik into his living room.
The fire in the fireplace warmed the room nicely. Kris and Oliver sat on one sofa, while Diana and Merv filled another. Keegan was fussing with the platters of food on the coffee table between them. Kacey wiggled to be let down.
The Christmas tree in the corner was lit with brightly colored lights, a smattering of unopened presents waiting under the tree.
Kacey danced around it, impatient to open the rest of her presents.
I could tell by the wrapping the ones I had bought the kids were under there, as well as ones from Kendrick.
Merv stood, motioning for his wife to move over. “Sit, sit. I’ll get your stocking, Kendrick.”
Kendrick sat next to his mom, while I squeezed in next to him, sitting Kieran on my knee. Wrapping one arm around Kendrick's shoulder, I tried to act casual and relaxed, fully aware of our thighs touching.
Keegan finally finished fussing, turning to greet us, his eyes going comically wide when he saw the sweater I was wearing.
“You're wearing blue!” he exclaimed loudly.
Giving him a bland look, like nothing out of the ordinary was happening, I reached around him for a sausage ball. Popping it into my mouth, I chewed slowly, not responding to him until I swallowed the tasty morsel down. “Your brother got it for me.”
Keegan beamed his bright smile at us. “It looks good on you.”
“I have good taste,” Kendrick grinned at his brother, digging into the stocking from his parents. More candy, some cologne, body wash, and an gift card. He thanked them both, then said we should let the kids open their presents.
Kacey didn’t need to be told twice, and ripped into her presents, much like her uncle had done with his earlier. Keegan had taken Kieran, to help him open his presents, while Nik tried to corral Kacey.
Leaning towards the table, I picked up one of the paper plates there, filling it with all kinds of nibbles. Handing it to Kendrick, I whispered in his ear, “Eat. You haven’t eaten enough the last few days.”
He gave me a soft smile, then held the plate out to me. “Share with me?”
“Thanks, sweetheart.”
I was fully aware we had both sets of parents’ eyes on us, watching.
While Kris and Oliver might be Nik’s biological parents, they were practically like my adoptive ones.
I was closer to them than I was my own mom and dad, and in the years Nik had disappeared–run away–to the human realm, we had grown even closer.
Kacey was playing with her new doll I had gotten her, while Nik put together a dollhouse from Kendrick, under her watchful eyes.
Every few seconds instructing him on what he was doing wrong, and maybe he should look at the ‘structions. Nik would grumble that he was The Santa and he didn’t need any instructions.
Keegan sat in the rocker recliner, rocking Kieran who sipped from his new sippy cup, while he blinked at us with sleepy eyes.
Diana turned to Kendrick. “Your dad and I wanted to talk to you boys together, before you go home tomorrow, Kendrick.”
“That sounds ominous,” Kendrick joked, but I heard the tightness of his words.
Keegan leaned forward, frowning. “Is everything okay?”
Diana glanced at Pops, who nodded his head, grinning. “Everything is fine. As you know, your dad and I have been thinking of retiring. And we’ve decided to take the plunge.”
“That’s great,” Kendrick told them, trying his best to sound sincerely happy and to not let on that he knew about their plans.
“You’ll have more time to visit now,” Keegan grinned.
“Well…about that,” Merv hedged, sitting on the arm of the sofa, since there wasn’t much room left for him.
He’d been trying to help Nik with the dollhouse, but since neither of them seemed inclined to actually follow the directions, it was slow going.
“We’ve been talking to Kris and Oliver, working some things out, and we’ve decided to move to Santa’s Village.
Afraid you’re going to be stuck with us all the time, Keegan. ”
I felt Kendrick tense next to me, but when I looked at him, his face was smiling, showing nothing of the tension he was radiating. “But…how?”
“Well,” Kris joined the conversation. “We were able to make some concessions, since they are Keegan’s parents, and Kacey and Kieran’s grandparents.
We definitely aren’t opening the village up to just any humans, but Keegan deserves to have his family here.
” He glanced at Kendrick. “If they want to live here, that is.”
Kendrick was quiet for a minute, before he quietly asked, “Will it be the same as when Keegan moved here? Will everyone forget my parents existed? In the human realm, I mean?”
Oliver and Kris exchanged a look, and Merv took his wife’s hand. “I’m afraid so. It’s one of the ways we can protect the village. We just can’t have it getting out that we exist, you understand.”
“So I’m going to be alone,” Kendrick asked quietly. “I can’t talk about my family to anyone because to them, I’m what? An orphan?”
“You could move here too, Kendrick,” Keegan said quietly, and Kendrick shook his head.
“I have a job I love. An apartment. Friends. A life.”
“I did too, when I moved here.” Keegan reminded him.
“You were a barista at The Sweet Spot,” Kendrick stood up, and Keegan winced. “I’m a teacher! Not the same. And,” he looked over at me, his eyes sad. “You had Nik, and you were pregnant. I can’t move here without being mated or married to someone from the village, can I?”
Kris cleared his throat uncomfortably, glancing at me.
“That is correct. We can only make so many concessions, I’m afraid.
If you and Bal decide that’s what the future holds for you, then you would be able to live here.
But the same rules would apply in the human realm. No one would remember you existed.”
The room was silent, no one knowing what to say. While I thought it was great that Diana and Merv were able to retire and move here, to be closer to their grandkids, I didn’t think they realized the impact of all that entailed and how it would affect Kendrick.
“Can you take me home now, Bal?” Kendrick whispered, his arms wrapped around his chest like he was cold. His eyes shimmered suspiciously in the low lit room and the glow of the fire. “I want to go home now.”
“Of course,” I stood, taking his cold hand in mine. “Anything you want.”
Twenty minutes later, Kendrick was packed and ready to go.
He was steadfastly ignoring his phone, which was beeping about every two seconds.
When mine started making the same noises, I glanced at it to see messages from Nik, Keegan, Pops, and Diana.
Taking Kendrick’s lead, I ignored my phone as well.
If he wanted to leave, he should be able to leave.
Even if I didn’t want him to. Even if I wanted one more day with him. More than one more day.
He swiped at a tear, sniffling, and my heart shattered, but I wasn’t sure what I should do.
Should I gather him into my arms, the place he felt so right in, like he had been made to fit my parts perfectly? Did I act like I didn’t see him crying, and let him sort out his feelings on his own?
Did I tell him I wanted him to stay? That I wanted this fake romance of ours to be real? But if he didn’t feel the same way, would I lose the friendship we had built the last few years?
“I’m ready.” Kendrick’s voice sounded tight and shaky. He glanced around my bedroom, taking one last look to make sure he had all his things. Suitcase clasped firmly in his hand, he took a wobbly breath.
Taking the heavy bag from him, I wrapped my other arm around his waist tightly. He clung to me, his head falling to my shoulder, and I swore his chest heaved with a deep breath he took in. Was he smelling me?
“I…” I paused, not sure what I wanted, needed, to say.
He looked up at me, brown eyes glimmering, looking so sad, so heartbroken, so small, and all I wanted to do was wave my hand and make his world right again. To see his eyes sparkling with mischief, to see his sassy grin.
I needed to kiss him. One last time. Before I took him back to his world. Before we staged our “breakup” after the new year. Before we went back to just being friends.
How in the world would I ever be able to go back to the way things were before?
Nothing had been the same since the first time I had kissed him under that damn mistletoe. Nothing had been the same since I had buried myself deep inside him, during his heat.
Nothing was ever going to be the same again.
“Take me home, Bal,” he whispered, looking away, his hands gripping me just a bit tighter.
I should tell him how I felt. I should tell him everything had changed.
I was terrified he would tell me he didn’t feel the same.
“Please, Bal, I just need to go home and think.”
“Of course.”
I didn’t kiss him.
I didn’t tell him how I felt.
I didn’t tell him anything.
Just transported him home, touched his cheek gently, and vanished back to Santa’s Village.
Kendrick
Present…
Grumpy Elf: It’s done. I’ve told everyone we broke up. Amicably, of course.
Me: I guess that’s why my phone is blowing up.
Grumpy Elf: I’m sure Keegan will want all the dirty details.
Me: What are the dirty details? We never really talked about it.
Grumpy Elf: Just gave them the vague ‘we’re too different, long-distance relationships are hard, we decided to just be friends’.
Me: So, I friend zoned you? They’ll buy it. I do that a lot, or so I’ve been told.
Grumpy Elf: How are you? I mean, with your parents’ move and all?
Me: I don’t know. It is what it is. I’m happy for them, I guess.
Grumpy Elf: You can still visit anytime you want. Like you did before. Maybe more now.
Me: I need to go. Sorry, I’m just really busy with the first week being back to school.
Grumpy Elf: Sure. I need to get back to work too.