Chapter 12 #3
I raise an eyebrow. “So we need speed, coordination, and the delicate touch of a bomb disposal expert.”
“Exactly.” She’s grinning like this is the best news she’s heard all day. “Now you’re getting it.”
I ponder over it, already strategizing. Weight distribution. Matching stride length. Communication. And somehow doing all of that without destroying a piece of decorative tinsel that has the structural integrity of tissue paper.
We reach the check-in table and give our names. A teenager with braces hands us a number—‘47’—and a length of silver tinsel that looks like it would disintegrate if I looked at it wrong.
“Here you go! Good luck!” The kid is already turning to the next couple before I can respond. I’m examining the tinsel, testing its strength gently between my fingers, when Carol and Bob appear beside us. Carol’s cheeks are flushed from the cold, her eyes bright with excitement.
“Oh, you two look perfect!” She clasps her hands together. “Alexander, does yours fit okay? I had to guess your measurements.”
“It’s perfect, Carol.” I mean it. The sweater fits like it was made for me—which it was. “Thank you.”
Her smile could light up the entire town square. “Remember, this is about having fun.”
Bob leans in, lowering his voice to add, “And winning.”
“Bob!” Carol gives him a reproachful look.
I meet Bob’s eyes and whisper back, “We’ll win.”
Carol sighs. “All you two have been doing is eating and roaming around town. There are people who actually train for this race, you know.”
“Alexander goes running every morning,” Olivia points out.
From somewhere behind us, Sophie’s voice pipes up. “Yeah. Alexander runs really fast.” She doesn’t even look away from whatever she’s watching on her phone. “You’d better beat Chase and Amber, Alexander. Only sissies lose.”
“Sophie!” Carol’s scandalized.
But Sophie sneers. “What? It’s true.”
Carol shakes her head, giving us both a meaningful look. “Have fun. Focus on each other. Chase and Amber are not relevant to your happiness.” The words settle over Olivia, and her expression shifts, thoughtfulness replacing the competitive edge that’s been there since we arrived.
We move away from her family, and Olivia’s hand finds mine. But before she can say anything, Avery appears in front of us hobbling with a crutch under one arms and a rolled-up banner under the other. “Olivia!”
Olivia’s entire face lights up. “Avery!”
Avery throws her arms around Olivia, and the banner nearly hits me in the face as they embrace.
“I heard you were participating,” Avery says, pulling back and holding up the banner with obvious pride. It’s hand-painted in silver and red: ‘GO OLIVIA & ALEXANDER!’ with little Christmas trees bordering the edges. “I made this for you two.”
“That’s so sweet.” Olivia’s voice is thick with emotion, and I watch her blink rapidly. “What happened to your foot?”
Avery looks embarrassed. “I was clumsy and twisted my ankle while trying to climb down some steps. It’s better, but I have to use the crutch for two more days.”
Oliva looks worried, and Avery’s expression turns serious, almost shy. “I’m sorry,” Avery says quietly. “For not reaching out. After everything with Chase, I should have—”
“It’s okay.” Olivia hugs her again, tight and fierce. “Really. It’s okay.”
When they pull apart, Avery’s smiling again. “I got your thank you text. About the book.”
“Yes!” Olivia’s eyes shine. “I’m so excited to read it. I’m so proud of you, Avery.” The two women exchange a look—something knowing and significant I can’t quite decipher. Avery’s cheeks flush slightly, and Olivia squeezes her hand.
“I should let you get ready,” Avery says, backing away with a wave. “Good luck! I’ll be cheering!”
She disappears into the crowd, and I turn to Olivia. “Why’re you proud of her?”
“No reason.” But she’s smiling, that secret little smile that tells me it’s definitely something. “Come on, we need to tie the tinsel.”
We find a spot near the starting line, away from the thickest part of the crowd.
I kneel down, wrapping the silver strand around her left ankle and my right.
The material is delicate, but I can handle it.
My fingers work carefully, ensuring the knot is secure without putting strain on the fragile material.
“That feel okay?” I glance up at her.
“Perfect. You’ve done this before?”
“I have experience with delicate threads. Knots that need to hold without breaking what they’re tied to.” I look up at her and let my smile turn sly. “I’m more than happy to give you a private demonstration later.”
Her face flushes a brilliant red as realization dawns, and I have to bite back a laugh at how quickly her mind went exactly where I intended. “Perv,” she mutters, and I chuckle.
I’m focused on tying the final knot, testing the tension carefully, when a shadow falls over us.
“Olivia?”
The voice is familiar. Unwelcome.
Chase.
Olivia tenses beside me, her hand gripping my shoulder as I straighten slowly.
Chase is standing three feet away, Amber clinging to his arm like she’s afraid he’ll bolt.
They’re both wearing matching pink sweaters with enormous pale blue snowflakes, managing somehow to be even more garish than our intentionally ugly ones.
Chase’s face is flushed—whether from the cold or anger, I can’t tell. His pale blue eyes fix on Olivia with an intensity that makes my jaw clench.
“What the hell are you doing here?” His voice is tight, controlled, but there’s an edge to it. Then his gaze cuts to me, and his expression hardens. “With him?”
Olivia crosses her arms over her chest. “I didn’t know I needed your permission to participate in a town race.”
“This was our thing, Olivia.” Chase takes a step closer, and I move instinctively, positioning myself between them. He doesn’t seem to notice.
I give him a cool look. “Isn’t that a little hypocritical coming from you?” I glance at Amber and then back at him.
Chase gnashes his teeth. “This has nothing to do with you.” He looks at Olivia, an idea dawning on him. “You’re doing this to make me jealous, aren’t you? You picked a fight with Amber yesterday, and now you’re trying to get my attention?” His voice is smug, and even Amber is smiling now.
She immediately begins, “Olivia, you really need to move on. This is not fair to Alexander. Using him to make Chase jeal—”
“You guys live in some other reality, don’t you?
” Olivia cuts in, her voice amused. “Do you really think Chase is the only man in my universe, Amber?” She pushes past me and stands in front of them now.
“I told you before, Chase, I’m glad you cheated on me.
I get to be with someone who treats me like I’m the most important person in his life.
My family adores Alexander. And I love him.
You are nothing to me. I had hoped we could be civil, Chase, but you and Amber seem to be trying to prove some point that doesn’t exist.”
Chase stiffens. “You—”
“Ten years doesn’t make you special, Chase.
I’ve been far happier with Alexander in the short time we’ve been together than the ten years with you.
” Her eyes swivel towards Amber. “As for you, you can have Chase. Although I don’t know what you’re crowing about.
A man who cheats once is bound to do it again.
You want to be with a cheater, that’s your choice.
But don’t act like he’s some prize—because he’s not.
Also, a man who can send his side piece a voicemail mocking his girlfriend can do the same to you. I hope you remember that.”
Amber’s eyes glitter with anger, and her voice rises slightly, drawing attention from nearby couples. “Chase cheated on you because you couldn’t put out properly! A man needs a woman around—”
“So?” Olivia raises her brows. I’ve never felt more attracted to this woman. “He should have broken up with me like a man. Honestly, it’s really tiresome to have you two intrude in my and Alexander’s time together. Let’s go, Alexander.”
She turns around, but Chase’s hand shoots out, grabbing her upper arm. “How can you say—?”
I move before I can think. My hand closes around his wrist—firm, controlled, but with enough pressure that his eyes widen. “Get your hand off my woman.” The words come out low, dangerous. Every eye in our immediate vicinity turns toward us, the festive atmosphere around us dimming into tension.
“Let go of me,” Chase hisses, trying to pull his arm back. But I don’t release him. Not yet.
“Let go of her first.”
For a moment, we’re locked in a standoff. Then Chase releases Olivia’s arm, and I let go of his wrist. I pull Olivia against my chest immediately, my arm wrapping firmly around her waist, positioning her slightly behind me. She doesn’t resist, her hands coming up to grip my sweater.
In the movement, her scarf slips. The hickeys I left on her neck yesterday are exposed—dark marks against her pale skin, unmistakable evidence of exactly how thoroughly she’s mine.
Chase’s eyes lock onto them. His face cycles through emotions—shock first, his mouth falling open slightly. Then something that looks like betrayal, his eyebrows drawing together. Finally settling on fury, his face flushing a bright red.
“You’re actually sleeping with him?” The words come out strangled, almost disbelieving.
Amber’s gasp is theatrical, her hand flying to her mouth. “Oh, my god, Olivia!”
“Are you short a few brain cells?” Olivia’s voice is sharp, cutting through the crowd’s noise around us.
“I’m dating Alexander. I’m hardly just holding hands with him.
” Olivia turns in my arms, tilting her face up to mine.
Her lips press against mine, and my hand instinctively tightens on her waist as I pull her up.
But this isn’t the quick, chaste press of lips from before.
This is possession. Pure want. Her mouth opens against mine, and I don’t hesitate—my hand comes up to cup the back of her head, tilting her face to mine.
My tongue slides against hers, tasting peppermint and determination, and she makes a soft sound that goes straight through me.
I deepen the kiss, my other arm tightening around her waist, gathering her against me.
She melts into it, her fingers fisting in my sweater, and for a moment, I forget we’re standing in the middle of Main Street surrounded by half the town.
When we finally break apart, both breathing hard, there’s a beat of stunned silence.
Then someone whoops. “Get it, girl!” a woman’s voice calls out, followed by laughter.
“Now that’s moving on!” another voice adds, and I catch sight of a couple near us grinning and giving Olivia a thumbs-up.
Olivia’s face is flushed, her lips swollen, and she looks up at me, her smile pure satisfaction. “Let’s go.”
I keep my arm around her waist as we move away from them, navigating through the crowd toward the starting line.
Behind us, Amber’s shrill voice carries, saying something to Chase, but I don’t catch the words.
I don’t care. All I care about is the woman pressed against my side, breathing uneven, her fingers gripping my sweater like I’m the only solid thing in a tilting world.
“Sorry,” she murmurs, and I immediately come to a halt, drawing her closer.
My thumb rubs against her slightly bruised lips, and I murmur, “You can use me any time you want, any way you want. I have no complaints.”
Her gaze holds mine, and I can see something in her expression—uncertainty and just a hint of an emotion that makes my blood stir.
She drops her head against my sweater. “I wasn’t trying to use you.
I just want them to leave me alone. I can’t stand them.
” She looks up at me. “I don’t want this race to be about them, Alexander.
Mom’s right. Let’s just have fun. I don’t want to ruin my holidays trying to show them up. ”
I study her face, searching for any hesitation, any sign that she’s just saying what she thinks I want to hear. But all I see is certainty.
“I thought that’s why I was here.” My word comes out quietly.
Her cheeks flush slightly. “Well, change of plan. Let’s just enjoy ourselves.”
The competitive part of me wants to argue, wants to crush them into the ground just to prove a point. But the way she’s looking at me—open, trusting, asking me to just be with her instead of fighting her battles—makes my chest tighten. “As you wish.”
Her smile is blinding, transforming her face from the guarded expression she wore moments ago into something radiant. However her expression falls when she looks down at the missing tinsel around our ankles. “We’ll have to get another one.”
I laugh lightly. “Come on, then.”
We get a new tinsel, and after I tie it around our ankles, we take our positions at the starting line, our tied legs forcing us to stand hip to hip. The crowd presses in around us, other couples adjusting their tinsel and laughing. The energy is electric, anticipation crackling through the air.
Somewhere in the crowd, I catch a glimpse of Avery holding up her banner, cheering. Carol and Bob are nearby, Carol with her phone out ready to take pictures, Bob with his arm around her shoulders.
I glance down at Olivia. Her hand finds mine, fingers intertwining.
“Ready?” she asks.
“Always.”
The speaker crackles to life, and suddenly “Jingle Bell Rock” blasts through the square at eardrum-shattering volume.
The race begins, and I pull Olivia forward into the chaos.