His Holiday Crush - Cari Z. Page 0,63

is different.”

“Is it, though?” Hal asked, as gentle and ruthless as only my best friend could be. “Or are you gonna be in the same spot as him a few years from now, only without the wife and kids helping you keep up an appearance of normalcy?”

I wanted to hit him. I wanted to hug him. I picked the middle road. “Fuck you.”

“I’m not bringing any of this up to hurt you,” he said, and he was so damn earnest it was hard to hold onto my anger with him. “I’m just sayin’, I think you should consider all your options.”

“Options like what?”

“Coming back to Edgewood.”

I sighed. “Hal…I don’t think—”

“What happened tonight with your dad had nothing to do with you. Yeah, people will always talk shit, but forget them. You’re nothing like the guy. That’s obvious as soon as someone meets you. And we’d love to have you here.” He nodded toward the upstairs. “The girls adore you, more every day. You’re my best friend, not to mention I’d kill for you to stick around through basketball season. Nicky is terrible about setting his brackets. And Nicky…” Hal looked a little uncomfortable now, but he forged ahead. “You gotta see what you meant to him.”

My chest ached at the thought of meaning more to Dominic, but I shook my head again. “We haven’t known each other long enough for me to mean much to him.”

Hal made a pfft noise. “You’re kidding yourself now. Just think about it, okay? There’s a place here for you, whether you ever take us up on it or not. There’s always gonna be a place for you.”

Jesus Christ. I did not deserve Hal, not in any way, shape, or form. “Thank you.”

“Yeah, yeah, now get out of my sight.” I got off the couch and headed for the stairs. “And Max?”

“Yeah?”

“Thank you, man.”

I didn’t need to be thanked for anything. I didn’t press the point, though, just nodded and headed upstairs. I was quiet entering the guest room, but Dominic was out so hard he didn’t even stir while I got ready for bed. Sliding in next to him, I rolled onto my side and stared at the back of his head. It would be so easy to lean forward and kiss him there. The urge to wrap my arm around his waist was almost overwhelming, and not even because I wanted him to wake up and fool around, just because I wanted to hold him. What would it be like to do this every night?

My throat tightened.

Was Hal right? Was there really a place for me here in Edgewood? Everything I’d worked toward for the last three rigorous years was in New York, but was that really going to be enough to satisfy me?

I didn’t know anymore.

…

The next morning, I wasn’t sure at first what woke me. Part of me had been braced for yelling and whooping from the girls, shouting about Christmas Day. Instead, I got a warm embrace and a gentle kiss to the back of my neck.

I sighed happily. “G’morning.”

“Good morning.” Dominic kissed me again, right on the knob at the top of my spine. “Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas.” I rolled over so I could see him. He looked…still tired. “How d’you feel?”

“Better.” It was a whole sentence of sentiment in a single word. Not perfect, but better. Getting there. “And you?”

I was more embarrassed that I’d let gossip about my dad get me so upset yesterday than anything else. “Same.”

“Good.” He smiled at me, and I couldn’t resist kissing that smile.

We were a mess, but at least we were together.

At least for one more day.

“Christmas!” Marnie shouted from the landing. “It’s Christmas! Come on, Steph!”

The girls rumbled down the stairs like a thunderstorm, breaking the peaceful quiet of the morning. I whined and pressed my face down against Dominic’s collarbone. “Oh my god. Where do they get the energy?”

Dominic kissed the top of my head. “That was nothing. Just wait a second…”

“DADDY! UNCLE NICKY! MAX!”

Yep, he was right. “Ugh.”

Dominic chuckled and tightened his grip around me. With all that happened yesterday, I was glad he was able to laugh, even if it was at my expense. “Didn’t you ever get excited on Christmas morning?”

“Not really. It’s not like I had anyone else to get excited with, you know?” I was an only child, and my parents had resolutely forbidden me from waking them before eight. “I always knew exactly what my folks had gotten me, too—it was just a waiting