63. Leo
Leo
“Merry Christmas, you two!” Mom says when Lucy and I walk up to her.
I hug her. “Merry Christmas, Mom.”
I step aside so she can hug Lucy. Most of my family and Mom’s friends surround us, talking and laughing while enjoying drinks and passed appetizers.
Mom is hosting Christmas dinner at Seb’on, a fancy French restaurant in the upscale Cherry Hill neighborhood of Denver. We’ve had family holiday celebrations here a handful of times over the years.
“This restaurant is so beautiful,” Lucy says to Mom.
She glances around, taking in the rectangular dining space with the open kitchen in the middle. It’s an island of stainless steel in a sea of black marble flooring and fixtures with dark walnut furnishings.
Mom smiles at Lucy. “I love it here. The food is incredible, and the staff is always so kind.”
“It smells amazing,” Lucy says.
The kitchen staff, who are all dressed in white coats and chef hats, are in the kitchen, plating and cooking.
Mom gives Lucy’s arm a soft squeeze. “I hope you’re hungry. The chef, Gage Grant, put together an amazing menu for today. Prime rib with roasted veggies and the most delicious potato gratin.”
“Oh, yum. Glad I didn’t wear a tight dress then,” Lucy jokes. My mom laughs.
I hand my mom the small gift bag we put together for her. “Here’s a little gift from us,” I say.
When she opens it and pulls out a small bottle of her favorite perfume, she beams. “Oh, this is perfect. I’m just about to run out.”
“It was Lucy’s idea.” I smile at her. “I was racking my brain to come up with a good gift idea for you, and she suggested I check and see what perfume you wear.”
Mom raises an eyebrow at me, but she’s smiling. “So that’s why I saw you coming out of my bedroom the evening of Thanksgiving.”
I chuckle. “Yup. So much for being sneaky.”
Mom pulls Lucy into a hug. “Thank you, Lucy. This is such a thoughtful gift.”
“It’s my pleasure. I just wanted to say thank you for letting me join your family for the holidays.”
Tenderness flashes in my mom’s eyes. “You’re always welcome, Lucy. I love having you. We all do.”
One of my mom’s cousins pulls her away to visit with some other relatives. I take Lucy’s hand and guide her over to one of the standing tables. I grab two glasses of champagne from a server walking by and hand one to her.
“This is so fancy, having Christmas at a restaurant,” Lucy says after taking a sip, her eyes bright.
“When I was a kid, I’d complain about having to come. I wanted to spend Christmas evening in my pajamas, playing video games.”
Lucy chuckles. “I mean, I get it. Most little kids would rather do that than go out to a nice restaurant.”
“I was kind of a brat about it sometimes.”
“We were all bratty little kids at one point. You’re not like that now though.”
I lean down and press a kiss to her lips.
“Thanks for coming tonight,” I say softly. “I love having you here with me.”
My heart beats faster in my chest when I see that brightness in her beautiful blue eyes.
My mind goes back to yesterday. That was hands-down the hottest sex of my life. But it was more than just sex. Something about it felt different. Deeper, more connected, more meaningful.
I think about the way Lucy looked at me, the vulnerability in her eyes.
I think about that feeling in my chest…how my heart felt too big. How everything felt heightened, yet just right.
It felt more like making love.
And that’s when I knew. I’m in love with her.
The words spark on my tongue as I look at Lucy. I want to tell her so bad.
I was going to yesterday when we were in bed together, but I held back.
I didn’t want to scare her by coming on too strong.
We’re already moving kind of fast. We just made our relationship official, and she’s spending the holidays with me.
I didn’t want to freak her out by telling her that I love her.
But it’s how I feel. I’m so fucking in love with her. I’ve never felt this safe, this content, this complete. Only with her.
I think about my life just a couple of months ago—how all I cared about was hockey. How unhappy I was.
But then I met her. This feisty woman who didn’t care that I was a college hockey star.
Who didn’t hesitate to give me shit when I deserved it.
Who made me laugh. Who’s been through hell but still has the biggest heart of anyone I know.
Who helped me realize I was more than just my performance on the ice. Who became my best friend.
Lucy came into my life, and suddenly, my world didn’t feel so empty anymore.
I swallow back the words. She flashes a sweet, beautiful smile at me.
“You okay?” she asks when I’ve been quiet for a while.
I nod and drop another quick kiss to her lips. “I’m perfect.”
I’ll tell her later. Maybe in a couple of months so it doesn’t feel too soon.
“Damn, you two. Get a room,” Matteo says as he walks up to us.
I roll my eyes and greet him. A second later, Alessia comes over. Lucy thanks her for all the work she did tracking down her dad’s family in Montreal.
“Hey, where’s your sister?” Alessia asks me.
“She should be here.” I glance around the restaurant, but I don’t see Zoey.
I check my phone to see if she texted me that she’s running late, but I don’t see a message from her.
A few minutes later, she walks into the restaurant with Jeff.
“Oh, there she is…” I trail off when I see the look on my sister’s face.
She’s frowning like she’s upset and sad. And then I see how red her eyes are. She looks like she’s been crying.
Jeff’s a step behind her. He’s frowning too, but he looks mad.
What the hell? Are they fighting again?
I watch as Jeff says something to her. Zoey closes her eyes and takes a breath, like she’s exhausted but trying to be patient.
She turns to him, and they talk. I’m too far away to hear what they’re saying through all the surrounding conversation and laughter, but I can tell it’s not a happy conversation. She looks tired and sad and annoyed. He looks pissed.
Protectiveness spikes up inside of me. I don’t like the way he’s looking at her. Or the way he’s talking to her. It’s borderline aggressive.
They both disappear down the hallway, toward the bathrooms. I tense up and head in that direction without thinking.
I don’t normally do this. I don’t follow my sister and her boyfriend around. But something is off between them tonight, and I can’t just stand back and do nothing.
I head down the darkened hallway, but they’re not there. I look around and see the back door. Did they leave?
I push it open and step out onto the alley behind the restaurant. And then I hear my sister’s voice.
“I told you, Jeff. It’s not what you think. He’s my boss. He owns the daycare. He gets all of the staff members a gift for Christmas.”
“Come on, Zoey. Are you really that much of a fucking idiot?” Jeff snaps.
Anger blasts through my bloodstream. What the hell? Why is he talking to my sister like that?
I head down to the end of the alley that faces the busy street where cars are driving by and people are walking along the sidewalk. They’re more than a dozen feet away from me and don’t notice me. But I can see them. I can hear them.
“Your boss got you a bunch of bath stuff. You know what that means, right? It means he has the hots for you. He’s picturing you naked in the shower, touching your body.” Jeff’s voice is hard and angry. He steps forward, cornering my sister against the alley wall.
“You’re being ridiculous.” She tries to step around him, but he blocks her with his body.
“I know you’re fucking him.” His tone is just under a shout now.
“Jeff. You know I’m not.” Her tone is so patient.
“Bullshit. You are.”
She closes her eyes and takes a breath. “I’m not. I’ve told you that so many times.”
“I don’t fucking believe you.”
She shakes her head. “I know you don’t. And because you don’t trust me, I don’t have a job anymore. So why do you keep bringing this up?” Her voice shakes, like she’s trying not to cry.
I stand there, stunned as I listen to them. Wait, Zoey lost her job? When? And it was because of Jeff?
I try to make sense of all this. I don’t understand how she’s so calm right now. Of course she’s not cheating. My sister would never do that. How come she’s not angrier? How come she’s not lashing out at him?
Unless she’s used to this…unless he talks to her like this all the time…
Dread slices through my gut like a knife as my brain begins to pull it all together.
Jeff is verbally abusing my sister.
“You’re such a fucking slut,” he shouts.
She tries to move past him, but he grabs her by the face and shoves her against the wall.