Chapter 17 #3
“He’s everything I never thought I could have.” The words come easily, truth ringing in every syllable. “He loves me the way you never did, Chase. And I’m not talking about money or fancy dinners or expensive rings.”
Chase flinches, but I keep going.
“I worked hard for every single thing I’ve accomplished in my life.
You know that better than anyone. And you never liked it.
You never wanted me to surpass you in anything.
Every time I got a promotion, every time I succeeded, you made me feel like I was doing something wrong.
Like I should be smaller, quieter, less ambitious. ”
“That’s not...”
“And you never liked my family.” My voice drops, going soft and dangerous. “You tolerated them because you had to, but you never loved them the way I do. You thought my dad’s job was beneath you. You thought my mom’s shop was quaint and embarrassing. You thought Sophie was annoying.”
His mouth opens, but no sound comes out.
“Alexander isn’t like that. He’s the kind of man who will celebrate everything I do, every accomplishment.
My success is his success, and that...” I take a shaky breath.
“That’s the kind of man I want to be with.
Someone who sees my ambition and my drive and my love for my family, and who loves me more because of those things, not despite them. ”
“I can change...”
“I don’t want you to change.” The words come out gentler than I expected.
“I want you to find someone who makes you happy, Chase. Someone you actually want to celebrate. Someone whose family you genuinely care about. But that person isn’t me.
It never was. Not really. We just convinced ourselves it was because we’d been together so long. ”
He stands there, silent, his face a mask of pain and reluctant understanding.
“I wish you well,” I say again, and this time it feels like a benediction. A final goodbye. “But we’re done. Completely done.”
I turn toward the house, and even though I can feel his eyes on my back, I don’t look back. Each step toward the front door feels lighter, like I’m shedding weight I didn’t know I was carrying.
The door opens before I reach it. Alexander stands in the doorway, backlit by the warm golden light of the house.
Behind him, I can hear laughter. Mom’s bright and clear, Victoria’s sophisticated and amused, Dad’s deep rumble.
The sound of it pulls at something in my chest, makes me want to run the last few steps.
But I don’t run. I walk, steady and sure, and watch Alexander’s face as I approach. His eyes search mine, checking for damage, for hurt, for anything that needs fixing. When he seems satisfied that I’m okay, his expression softens into something so tender it makes my throat tight.
“Hey,” I say when I reach him.
“Hey, yourself.” His hand finds mine, fingers lacing together, and he pulls me inside. “Everything okay?”
“Everything’s perfect.”
I step over the threshold, and warmth envelops me immediately.
The house smells like Mom’s famous pot roast and fresh-baked buns.
Christmas music plays softly from the living room.
Nat King Cole crooning about chestnuts roasting on an open fire.
The tree in the corner twinkles with lights, and presents are already starting to pile up underneath it, including the ones Alexander and I bought at the airport and wrapped in my bedroom.
Dad’s ugly Santa trophy from this year is displayed proudly on the mantlepiece.
Victoria appears from the kitchen, her eyes bright with excitement. “Olivia! Come help me convince your mother that we need to add a chocolate fountain to the wedding reception.”
“Absolutely not,” Mom calls from somewhere deeper in the house. “Do you know what a nightmare those things are to clean?”
Jacob laughs from the living room. “Carol, let the woman dream!”
Sophie’s voice carries down from upstairs. “If we’re doing a chocolate fountain, I want a cheese fountain, too!”
“That’s disgusting!” Mom yells back.
I look up at Alexander, and he’s watching me with an expression I can’t quite name. Soft and warm and completely unguarded. His thumb brushes over my knuckles, a small gesture that somehow says everything.
“Welcome home,” he murmurs, quiet enough that only I can hear.
I squeeze his hand. “I’m exactly where I want to be.”
From somewhere outside, the church bells begin to chime, ringing out across the snow-covered town. It’s a Christmas Eve tradition in Silverbell Hollow, the bells ringing every few hours leading up to midnight mass. The sound drifts through the the slightly cracked windows, clear and bright.
Mom appears in the kitchen doorway, wiping her hands on her apron. “Lunch is almost ready. Olivia, can you help me set out the platters?”
“I’ll help, too,” Victoria offers, already heading toward the kitchen.
Alexander’s hand tightens on mine for just a moment before letting go, and I follow the women into the kitchen. But I glance back at him, standing in the warm glow of the Christmas lights, and he’s smiling at me like I’m the best present he’s ever received.
The chapter with Chase is closed. That book is finished, shelved, done. This—Christmas Eve lunch with everyone I love, church bells ringing, snow falling, and Alexander waiting for me—this is my story now.
And I wouldn’t change a single word.