While You Were Creeping - Poppy Rhys Page 0,43

thing I’d said when he last made fun of my ornament. “It’s not sad. It has glitter.”

He smirked and, when I didn’t make a move, he asked, “Aren’t you going to open it?”

My guts twisted with nerves. My family watched me, Kye watched me, and all I could do was glare at the gift in my hands, feeling shitty.

“I’m sorry,” I said, staring at the present. “I didn’t get you anything.”

“Holly?” I slowly looked up at him and he dipped his chin. “Open it.”

Gradually, I untied the soft ribbon and tore open the ends of the gift before shredding it apart. The paper fell to the floor and I lifted the lid of the square white box.

Inside, on fluffy stuffing, sat a bracelet. Flat, wooden charms with carved snowflakes dangled along a fine rose-gold chain.

My vision went blurry as I peered into the box.

“Your dad spent quite a few hours teaching me how to carve these snowflakes.” Kye reached in, picking the bracelet up and draping it over my wrist. “And your mom kindly provided the chain of one of her old necklaces.”

Carefully, he twisted the clasp, securing it to my wrist before brushing his thumb across my knuckles.

“Do you like it?”

Did I like it?

No.

I loved it.

Loved it so much I couldn’t utter a word. I could only stare at it, even if my vision swam and I’d suddenly suffered an allergic reaction that made my eyes leak.

I wasn’t crying.

I was simply expelling excess saltwater. From my eyes. Which some people might’ve thought were tears.

But they weren’t.

I. Was not. Crying.

“Holly?”

“Yes,” I croaked, my voice sounding like a squeaky hinge. “It’s beautiful. I’m not crying.”

“I didn’t say you were.” I could hear the amusement in Kye’s voice, even if I couldn’t look away from the damn bracelet on my wrist.

“You were thinking it.”

“It does look like you’re crying.”

“I’m not. It’s water retention in reverse.”

Kye and my family chuckled before he said, “I don’t think it works that way.”

“It does,” I insisted, swallowing repeatedly and sniffling. “I’m sure of it.”

I’m a mess.

A complete and utter mess.

****

“It’s the fifty-seventh—and best—remake of How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” I whispered to Kye once I hopped on the couch beside him. “I mean... if I liked Christmas movies. Which I don’t. I’m just doing this as a favor to you.”

Kye’s eyes narrowed. He didn’t believe me. Hell, I didn’t believe me. That stupid holiday spirit had possessed my body after Kye’s gift that draped daintily on my wrist even now.

Everyone sprawled around the great room, knocked out from the day’s activities and the huge third meal. Kye and I were the last ones awake.

As the animated vid opened on the magical Whoville, Aunt Dot started loudly snoring in her rocking chair. Loud enough that the narrator’s voice was drowned out.

I looked at Kye in the same moment he looked at me. We snickered.

He leaned in, his lips close to my ear when he whispered, “Wanna take this upstairs?”

Maybe I shivered, maybe I didn’t.

But I did. We both noticed it.

His warm breath fanning my earlobe had goosebumps cropping up along my arms. I loved, and possibly hated, how easily he could get a reaction out of my body.

We quietly crept from the great room. As soon as I opened the door to my apartment, Kye had me pressed against him, his lips on mine.

How could I live without this? This daze-inducing pleasure that felt like a drug without all the dangerous side effects.

I wanted more of it, all of it, anything and everything Kye had to offer. It was dangerous for my foolish heart and still, I couldn’t stop it.

He pulled me down this rabbit hole I feared I’d never escape, and I let him. Jumped, skipped, and leapt toward it, honestly.

A chiming sound tried to distract me from winding my fingers into Kye’s mane. It attempted to pull me away from Kye’s lips as they traveled my neck and shoulder—

My eyes popped open.

“My comm!”

I struggled out of Kye’s arms looped around me, confusion written on his face. He let me go and I rushed toward the kitchen, snatching the palm-sized transparent comm off the counter.

Another off-planet call.

I answered. “Hello?”

“Ms. Zax?”

“Nankino?! Is that you?”

“It’s me. I’m so sorry about the last call. I was on a stormy planet and the signal was terrible.”

“It’s alright, I understand. Thanks for calling me back. I was hoping you could help me.”

“About the gift?”

I nodded, as if she could see me. “Yes. Can you tell me where you got it?”

Nankino made