Chapter 21 #3
“Probably not a beachfront condo.” Mom laughed and smoothed the front of her sweater. “As wonderful as that sounds, I think driving distance to the ocean will be sufficient.”
“The best part is, we think we’ve already found a buyer for the farm.” Dad, still standing, leaned over and planted his hands on the stool seat. His eyes twinkled as he slowly looked at all of us. Then his gaze landed on me.
I frowned. I couldn’t afford this place, especially not now. What was he talking about?
No, not me. He was looking at Nick.
Nick?
Now everyone looked at Nick, who shifted next to me, his fingers clutching mine.
“Dad, what are you talking about?” I laughed, though it sounded foreign. “Why would Nick buy our farm?”
“It’s been in the works for a bit. Nick here has a very worthy cause that your mom and I are happy to support.” Dad’s chest puffed as he smiled at Nick. “He can tell you all more about his teen camp later.”
Wait. Teen camp? Nick had mentioned a potential career change—but not that. Not here. “Why didn’t you tell me?” I whispered to him. Turning our family farm into a teen camp. I mean, yeah that was noble, and maybe I could get behind it once the surprise wore off, but…why hadn’t he told me?
Nick looked at me, a glimmer of pain in his eyes, then back at Dad, who continued.
“My point is, the last few days sealed the deal for us.” Dad nodded at Nick. “He’s a good man in need of good property. It’s a win-win.”
The last few days…I tilted my head. The last few days had been when Nick and I got together. First under the guise of Operation: Jack & Sally, and then for real.
Was Dad selling Nick the farm because we were dating? No. That didn’t make any sense. I was still missing something.
“Wow. This is all great news!” Axel reached in his pockets for more confetti, but Chloe stopped him.
Kat and Olivia smiled their joy, though Olivia’s smile immediately curbed as she caught my eye, realized I wasn’t smiling.
How could I?
Reality began a cold descent in the pit of my stomach, and I pulled my hand from Nick’s.
It was starting to make sense, one painful piece at a time.
To get the property, Nick clearly needed to keep Dad’s approval—and if Dad knew about the prank we pulled on Ryan, that would have complicated things.
And on top of that, Ryan had found out about Operation: Jack & Sally, but Nick wanted to keep the charade going.
Why?
Because our suddenly not being together would have forfeited my dad’s good opinion and the potential sale?
My stomach twisted. Then there was Nick’s urgent request to talk to me a few minutes ago. To what—backpedal his way out of this? Formulate an excuse to keep me from realizing what I was realizing at this very moment?
Too late.
All of it. Everything—too late.
He’d used me. And I’d fallen for it.
I stood abruptly, a throw pillow dropping to the floor. Humiliation flooded my chest with heat. I needed air. “Congratulations to you both.”
Nick stood and reached for my arm. “Holly, wait.”
I didn’t. I hurried out of the living room, tears pricking my eyes. I flung open the front door and thundered down the steps to the walkway. Above me, a star-studded sky stretched across the acreage I’d grown up on. The acreage I was losing. To Florida.
To Nick.
How had so much changed in just five minutes?
Nick caught me halfway to the driveway, his hand gentle on my arm. “Please.”
I spun to face him, crossing my arms over my chest. My face heated despite the cold wind skirting the edge of the house. “Did you name this one too?”
He stopped short. “What do you mean?”
“Let me guess. Operation: Reindeer Games.” I rolled my eyes. “No, that’s too cute. Maybe it was just Operation: Holly’s an Idiot.”
Nick ducked his head, eyes riveted on mine. “That’s not fair.”
“No, this isn’t fair.” Above us, inflatable Frosty tilted in the wind, his smile suddenly much more sinister than I remembered. “You came here as a favor to Ryan, but…no, it wasn’t even that, was it?”
The truth piled up in my mind, and my words tripped over themselves as I processed out loud. “You just wanted to get in with my parents the whole time. Wow.” I shook my head, my huff of breath clouding the air. “So you actually used me and Ryan.”
“It wasn’t like that.” Frustration warred in Nick’s eyes as he took a step toward me. Then he hesitated, brows furrowing. “Okay, well…maybe a little…just at first.”
I stepped back. He admitted it. “I knew all along your sudden interest in me was too good to be true. I mean, you clearly weren’t interested when you got here, and you only kept it going so you could get your camp.
” My heart cracked at the weight of my own words.
At the memory of our kisses. It felt like someone had taken a Sharpie and scribbled over everything I’d held dear the past week, canceling it out in permanent ink. “This makes so much more sense.”
Good grief, I’d been such a fool. I had even shared those doubts with Nick, reminding him that I’d been awful and annoying…which he’d written off in an endearing way by arguing that I’d been adorable and creative.
But it was all part of his plan.
“There’s a lot more to this story.” Nick’s voice pierced through the cloud fogging my brain. “But please know that everything I’ve told you in the last few days about us—about my feelings for you—is true.”
“How in the world am I supposed to believe that? The entire week has been nothing but lies. From both of us. To everyone.” I shuddered. I deserved this, didn’t I, after all the tricks? The operations.
All these years, and Christmas finally got the last laugh.
Pain shadowed Nick’s face. “Look, I get it. We messed up. And you’re right—I don’t know how to make you believe me.” His brown eyes held mine. “But I’ll do anything to try.”
A bitter laugh erupted from my lips. I was not falling for that again.
Sure, I was going to crumble later, but right now, staying mad seemed way better than allowing the building tsunami of pain to escape my heart.
“Don’t worry. I won’t stand in your way.
” I lifted both hands into the air. “You’re free to buy my house without having to pretend to like me anymore. ”
A muscle jumped in his jaw. “Holly.”
“Merry Christmas, Nick.”
Then I turned and walked away.