Page 44 of Solitude

“Yeah…” I reply, gazing into his tired, blue eyes. He looks like he understands the gravity of my one-worded reply.

He leans closer to me and props himself up against crossed arms on the edge of the table. “Are you finished for the night?”

Nodding, I swallow. “Why?”

“I want to give you something.”

My eyes light up. “A gift?”

Beck chuckles, “Something like that, yeah.”

“Can I change first?” I look down at my costume and remember my makeup. I wince as I move to stand. “Let me run back to my house, then I’ll meet you at our spot?”

My cheeks heat at my wording, but Beck just grins and stands as well. “I’ll walk you home.”

“Oh, no. It’s okay,” I say, backing away. I’m not are why the idea of him seeing me in my elf get up any longer makes me want to vomit, but it does. “I’ll meet you in half an hour?”

“Win,” Beck says, reaching out for my hands I’ve held up defensively. His hands engulf mine, thumbs rubbingthe stretch of smooth skin on my wrist until my muscles relax. “I’m walking you home. Ben wants to finish his tiny painting, anyway.”

Ben pipes up. “Please put everyone in this establishment out of their misery, and let him walk you home, Winifred.”

I blink at Ben then Beck, my fingers flexing in his grip. I breathe out. “Okay…”

He tells his brother bye then grabs my one of my hands as we walk outside.

Beck

The Holly Jolly Festival has always been my least favorite time of the year.

Something about the holiday themed music and copious amounts of fake snow—I cannot remember the last time we had a white Christmas in Magnolia Hollow—makes my skin itch, which is another reason I’ve opted not to come home at our holiday breaks the last couple of years.

This year though…

I’ve only been back in Magnolia Hollow for a few hours, and I already wish I had more time.

Every year, our university hosts a holiday game on the twenty-third of December, and it just so happened this was also the year the administration forced us to wearjingle bells on our uniforms and listen to Mariah Carey in between quarters while we raised money for charity. It’s usually a pretty boring game, too. Our university always hosts a team that doesn’t compare to us skill-wise.

We played against our rival team this year, and it was an intense game.

The University of Texas got the victory, of course. We’re undefeated for a reason.

For the first time in my life, I didn’t want to play hockey, though. As soon as my skates hit the ice, my eyes wandered to the stands, searching for Winnie in a sea of orange and white even though I knew she wouldn’t be there.

It felt pathetic, but I couldn’t help the way she made me feel.

Which is probably why I spent the better part of my evening wandering around a festival I don’t like while I waited for my girl to finish being the hottest elf in Santa’s workshop.

My girl…

She’s not my girl.

I know she’s the only girl I want. The only girl I’ve wanted for months now. But Winnie doesn’t know that, and she won’t know until I tell her.

When she finds me later, I’m close to nodding off at the table.

Ben’s been silently painting on his ornament and huffing out a breath occasionally when something isn’t looking the way he wants. He spent fifteen minutescomplaining about the lack of art in Magnolia Hollow. I finally snapped and told him to open a goddamn art studio then. He stopped talking and focused after that.

I’m itching to talk to her. To confess how I feel. To take the risk of rejection and cast it aside.

---