and cookies on a plate sitting on the coffee table.
A large four-poster bed sat along the wall on the right. It was covered in fluffy pillows of all shades of red and green. A small train ran around the tree, and every few seconds, it blew its whistle.
I felt like I’d stepped into a Christmas movie.
“This is amazing,” Em whispered.
“Well, I’ll just leave you two to get settled,” Ethan said as he set our bags down and then turned to leave.
For some reason, I wanted to say something to get him to stay, but nothing that made sense came to mind. So I just watched him walk out, shutting the door behind him. For a moment, I wondered if what Em had said was true. Was he the town’s pick for me? Was he supposed to be the aloof guy to change my grinchy heart?
Ugh. I felt like an idiot.
Not wanting Em to see my shame, I made my way over to the bed and flung myself onto it, burying my face into the comforter. The fabric smelled like cinnamon and vanilla. Even the scents in the place were full of Christmas.
I flipped my head to the side and watched as she wandered around the room, sliding open drawers and looking out the window. She looked like a kid in a candy store. The only time she stopped was when she was standing in front of the Christmas tree where she let out a big sigh.
“What’s wrong?” I turned to my side and rested my head on my hand.
“I was hoping that we were going to be able to pick and decorate a tree.” She turned to face me with her hands on her hips. “But they already did it.”
My gaze flicked over to the tree and then back to her. “I’m sure they could find another one for you to decorate.”
Em dive-bombed the bed and then stretched out next to me. “I hope so.” She lay on her back with her hands clasped and resting on her stomach. She sighed, and I saw her body begin to relax.
I moved to lie on my back as well so we were both staring up at the ceiling. There was a chandelier above our bed with iridescent snowflakes painted all over.
“Are you happy?” I asked.
From the corner of my eye, I saw her nod. “I am. This is the epitome of Christmas, and I’m excited to start.”
Even though I was hesitant to be here and had contemplated running away more than a few times, I was happy that my best friend was happy. “Well, my presence is your Christmas present, so…Merry Christmas.”
Em reached out and patted my hand. “Merry Christmas to you, too.” And then she squealed and buried her face in her hands.
I sighed as I turned my attention back up to the ceiling. I was going to be fine. I was. After all, it was just a few days, and then we’d be back home. I could survive a few days.
I could.
5
Ethan
Mom looked suspicious as she stood at the bottom of the stairs. I eyed her and walked down until I was standing next to her. Her eyes were wide as if she were asking me a question, but I wasn’t sure what that was.
Did she need an update on the status of the guests in Santa’s suite? Or did she have something else in mind? Something much more sinister and most likely something I wanted no part of.
“How did it go?” she asked as I passed by her.
I gave her a look which I hoped would tell her to leave it alone, but she followed after me as I made my way into the kitchen. For the most part, Mom had left me alone to work these last few weeks. I fetched the wood, drove around guests, and cleaned rooms once they checked out.
We’d fallen into a system. But from the way she kept trying to catch my gaze, I was beginning to realize that our system was breaking down, and if I didn’t intervene fast, it was going to disappear entirely.
“They are fine,” I said as I pulled a water bottle from the fridge.
She tapped her chin, and I could see that she was trying to piece things together. “How did you know to pick them up?”
I took a long drink of water and then set the bottle down on the countertop. “I didn’t. It was just a coincidence. Johnny asked if I could drop off a car