Page 100 of Christmas Criminal

My mom steps behind the kitchen island, grabbing a bottle of wine and pulling the cork out. "Who needs wine?" she asks.

Naomi throws her hand in the air, and I grab it and tug it down to her side. "You're twelve," I say.

"I'm literally sixteen," she says.

"Really?"

She turns to me, her eyes scanning me in a way that has me feeling incredibly self-conscious. "What are you, forty-two?"

My mouth pops open as Nick snickers into my hair. Naomi gives us a devilish grin.

I roll my eyes. "Touche, small fry."

My mom and Harriet take two large glasses of wine, and Naomi and Christina go for the cranberry-flavored sparkling water from my mom's fridge. Conversation is stilted at first as we trudge through the awkwardness, but eventually there's mild laughter, though it's not the Christmas jolliness we might expect.

"You did do good, Criminal," Nick murmurs against my ear, pressing a light kiss there.

I let out a long breath. "Apparently it wasn't enough."

"You can't change someone else. All you can do is speak your truth. And you did that. Really well."

I turn to him, pressing my chest against his as he brushes the hair out of my face.

"Even though it fell on deaf ears?" I wrap my arms around his middle and squeeze him. "It's not very rewarding when the other person doesn't listen."

He nods. "And that, Criminal, is why you're a criminal."

I roll my eyes.

"But to be fair, I think your dad is the biggest fucking asshole this town has ever seen and I hope he gets a hell of a lot worse than an egging." He shakes his head. "This iseverything," he says, his voice breaking just a tad over the last word. "This is everything and he's too much of an asshole to appreciate it."

I smile, standing on my toes to kiss his chin. "I'm really happy you're here."

He wraps his arms tight around my neck, squeezing me as tight as he can as his breath runs across my cheek. "I promise, I will never take a moment of this for granted."

I rest my hand on his jaw, my thumb running across the stubble there. "I know."

"And one day–mark my words–your dad will pay for this."

I can't help the laugh that jumps from my throat. "Wow, okay. What are you, mafia?"

He shakes his head, chuckling quietly. "No. I just... I'm so mad at him right now. His daughter told him to just show up and he can't even do that." He sighs. "I just don't get it."

"Because you're a nice person," I say, rubbing my hand along his chest.

He rolls his eyes. "You're giving him the most basic of tasks and he can't even do that."

I shrug. "I'm pretty used to it by now."

"That makes it even worse."

I press another kiss to his cheek. "For what it's worth, your support is really validating." I press my lips together. "And now that I know you, I just want to say fuck whoever told you you don't show emotions enough. Your simmer is everything."

He blinks. "My simmer?"

I nod. "Your mild rage on my behalf. Your subtle storm. I feel really supported."

He lets out a long breath as he tugs me close for another hug.

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