Page 9 of Stranded for Christmas with my Boss

“Yeah, she came in at the right time,” I say with a casual nod.

Holly smiles. “Well, that’s good!”

If only she knew how complicated things are. At times, it’s hard working with Alyssa, because all I can think about is how she dug her nails into my shoulders when she came or how sweet she tasted. I just have to figure out a way to move forward without getting caught up in those memories.

“Ollie, your school clothes are in the dryer. Can you go get them and lay them out on your bed?” Holly calls out to him.

Oliver pauses playing, his dirty blonde hair flopping over his ears and forehead. “I don’t want to wear the monster shirt.”

Holly sighs and frowns. “It’s a good shirt, honey.”

Oliver pouts and shakes his head. “They’re going to make fun of me again!”

My heart stops as my eyes snap to Holly. “What happened?”

Holly lifts her hand to motion for me to shut up. “Austin, can you help Oliver pick out another shirt, please?”

Austin nods and leads Oliver to his bedroom, leaving Holly and me alone.

Holly turns to me with guilt glimmering in her eyes. “Lately, some kids have been teasing Oliver about his clothes. His glasses. His name.”

Anger burns beneath my skin as I narrow my eyes. “Are you serious? What are the teachers doing?”

Holly shakes her head as she lowers her gaze. “There are so many kids that the teachers have a hard time monitoring everyone. By the time they know what’s going on, Oliver isalready in tears. They’ve been calling me at the hospital to come to the school to console him.”

Holly is a nurse, so I know how hard that is for her to take the time to leave. She shouldn’t have to leave in the first place because some little shitheads haven’t been taught their manners.

“You know what? Leave my number with the office. If something happens, I want them to call me,” I tell her, watching her eyes widen.

“You can’t make a scene, Jensen,” Holly says.

I shake my head. “I want to be there for him, Holly. Our parents were never there for us. Oliver needs to know that someone will always show up for him.”

Holly doesn’t say anything for a few seconds before sighing and nodding. “Okay…okay. You’re right. I just…I wish I could help him more.”

Her words hit me in the depths of my chest, prompting me to pull her into my arms. I hug her tightly, unable to find any comforting words to tell her. Hopefully, she can feel what I’m thinking.

She’s doing the best that she can, especially as a single mom. And she’s already doing a better job than our parents. I hope that brings her some comfort because I already know that she questions her ability as a mom every single day.

All we’re trying to do is not make the same mistakes our parents made. Not that I have a wife to berate on a daily basis, or two kids to ignore and neglect, but I’m so far from perfect, just like them. I see instances of that in almost everything that I do.

Bad decisions. Impulsivity. A cold, hard front to protect all the damage beneath the surface.

Sometimes, I wonder if the aftermath of the past is ever going to release me.

Chapter five

Alyssa

Light snowfall drifts through the cold air as I leave New York City in my rearview mirror and make the hour-long drive to my hometown. It’s a small, forgettable town for those who just pass through, but it’s where I spent most of my life. Where I have collected most of my memories.

Towering skyscrapers turn into small, old buildings. Packed, multi-lane streets shrink to one-way roads with light traffic. Kids skip down the sidewalks and adults walk at a leisurely pace instead of businessmen and women powerwalking from place to place.

Life feels slower where I grew up. I love this place, but I’ve always craved…more. I’ve wanted to live in the city, where life never slows down and where the lights shine the brightest.

Maybe I’m addicted to the chaos, but I’m definitely not addicted to the high price of living. The fact that I can afford a studio right now is a miracle, but my own bills aren’t the only ones that I’m taking care of right now.

After pulling into my parents’ driveway behind the one car that they share, I get out and make my way to the front porch,a thin layer of snow crunching under my boots. Memories from my childhood appear in the places people would least expect.

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