Page 24 of Mistle-Ho

“I can’t just leave her at her apartment now that he’s found her.” Leo’s jaw takes on a murderous set. “You should be fucking happy I was there when he showed up. Otherwise, who knows what would have happened.”

“She would have called the police and let them handle it.” My mother’s voice shakes as she continues. “He would have been arrested for violating a protection order and been booked in jail.” She advances on Leo, looking more than capable of taking my fully-grown brother down. “Now he’s plotting how to punish both of you for making him look weak.”

My dad rakes one hand through his hair. “I need to call Matt Miller. See if there’s anything we can do since it’s your fault his daughter’s problems just got bigger.” He shoots Leo a glare. “If you’re smart, you’ll leave that girl alone before you make things even worse for her.” He storms off in the direction of his office.

My mother wipes at her eyes, giving my brother a final look that would melt the skin off most people, before turning away. Her watery gaze barely pauses on me as she passes. “I’m sorry. I don’t feel much like celebrating this morning.” She walks out in the opposite direction my dad went, leaving us alone with Leo.

He lifts his brows at us. “You two want to take a shot? Everyone else fucking does.”

I shake my head. For the first time in my life, I feel bad for my brother. He’s always made friends easily. Did well in school without trying. Managed to score a spot on one of the best rugby teams in the country.

Now he’s in the middle of a mess he’s not equipped to handle, and the guy who’s always cool, calm, and confident, looks like a cornered animal, ready to bite anyone who comes close. There won’t be any reasoning with him this morning, and I’m not going to try.

Leo turns his gaze to Gavin. “You?”

Like me, Gavin shakes his head, probably because he knows Leo just as well as I do.

“Good.” Leo stalks past, storming out the front door. The engine of his Charger revs as he races away, then everything gets quiet.

That’s when I notice Gavin’s hand moved to my hip at some point, holding me close. His fingers flex against the extra padding there as he slides the gifts in his free hand onto the counter. “What do we do now?”

I’ve never been faced with a situation like this. Sure, both Leo and I clashed with my parents when we were teenagers, but never like this. I have no clue how long the fallout will last or how bad it will get.

Idoknow I don’t necessarily want to be around to find out. “I guess we leave?”

“Thank God.” Gavin lets out a sigh so deep it ruffles my hair. “I was afraid you were going to say we needed to stick around and try to help them work their shit out.”

I turn, hating that the movement sends Gavin’s hand sliding from my body. “Am I a bad sister and daughter if I say I have zero interest in that?”

Gavin gives me a small smile as he reaches out to tuck back a strand of my straightened hair. “If it does, then I’m a bad friend, because I don’t want to deal with it either.” His eyes leave mine to roam around the kitchen. “It sucks because it looks like your mom worked really hard on everything.”

It does. Two pans of homemade cinnamon rolls are on the counter next to a giant tray of fruit. Two bottles of champagne and two bottles of orange juice sit next to a line of glass flutes. “It seems like a waste to just leave it all here.” I know I should feel bad about taking advantage of a situation like this but…

Gavin grabs one tray of rolls and a bottle of champagne. He tips his head at the juice. “Grab it.”

The guilt I was wrestling abates at his decision-making skills and I snag the bottle from the counter, following him out the door. He leads me to my car, opening the door and waiting while I get behind the wheel. Then he leans down, one hand braced against the top of the opening as he says, “I’m coming to your place and we’re watchingElfandA Christmas Story.”

I agree easily. “Okay.”

Gavin’s hand slides from the opening, his fingertips tracing a line along my jaw as his eyes roam my face. For a second I think he’s going to lean in and kiss me like he did this morning, but then he straightens, stepping back. “I’ll follow you.”

12

The Inevitable

Gavin

I WAS ALL prepared to act like shit was normal at Christmas breakfast. To do whatever it took to hide what’s going on between me and Alexis.

Then Leo threw the shit at the fan and no one even glanced at me or Al. Certainly not long enough to notice I had my hand on her hip and her body pressed to mine as the situation got more and more tense. Holding her was a complete accident, but one I didn’t rectify when I should have.

Now I’m pulling into the parking lot of her apartment building, planning to spend the holiday at her side, wondering how in the hell Babs and Dan would react if they knew. Surely not the same way they reacted to Leo and Maddie Miller.

Right?

“Hey.” Alexis gives me a soft smile as she gets out of her car, carrying the orange juice we poached from her parents.

I look her over. “You okay?” I grew up with parents who yelled all the fucking time, but she didn’t, and I can’t imagine what’s going through her head.

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