Page 13 of My XOXO Holidate

The thick hair.

His scent.

Something so reminiscent.

No, it couldn’t be. Wishing something for more than a month doesn’t make it happen.

Sam is frozen as he stares into my eyes. Everything stops for a moment. Time halts and the world stops spinning on its axis.

“Lady Catherine?” Sam whispers, his eyes never leaving mine.

“Alex,” I confirm.

He nods. “Sir Alexander. Yes.”

“I’ve been looking all—”

“Do you how long I’ve been trying to—”

We cut each other off. “You first,” I say.

“No, you,” he insists as he puts his hands on my shoulders.

“I tried calling and they didn’t have the records.”

“Me too. I found out they were lost in the flood.”

I laugh. “The flood. Yes. Lost.”

“Gone.”

We both laugh and embrace.

“I’ll be in the basement,” Steve mumbles and leaves me alone with his brother.

“I can’t believe this. Not only are you, Amelia Abbott. You are Lady Catherine.”

“And you are Alex.”

Sam straightens his stance and grins. “Sir Alexander.”

I laugh. “Exactly.”

“I’ve done nothing but regret that night— regret that I didn’t get your number. Didn’t get your real name.”

“Me too.” I hug him tightly. “I’ve become obsessed at grocery stores and the mall.”

“And you remember me, right?”

“From school? Of course.” We break our embrace. “I never knew what happened to you. Where have you been?”

“Let’s talk.” Sam wraps his arm around my shoulder and leads me to the living room couch. “Have a seat.”

Once I’m comfortable on the couch, Sam sits down next to me—with hardly room between our legs. He wraps his arm around my shoulders and pulls me into his embrace.

He smells like heaven. Memories from our evening at the masquerade ball flood my senses.

“So, what about you, Sam?”

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