Page 63 of Stranded for Christmas with my Boss

I nod and lead her toward the middle, slipping past dancing couples and friends and feeling the shake of the bass in my chest as the upbeat music thumps through the building. “If this update pans out well, we’re doing a rooftop party next year!”

“You just have to go bigger and bigger, don’t you?” Alyssa laughs.

I turn and spin her toward me, excitement crackling through the air around us as the minutes to midnight tick down. “I don’t half-ass anything.”

Alyssa smiles and loops her arms around my neck, her body pressing against mine. “It’s one of the things that I love most about you.”

Love.

The word echoes in my head as I gaze down at her, the music becoming muffled in the background of my thoughts. I’ve been waiting for the perfect opportunity to tell her my true feelings, my honest emotions. Things have been so chaotic at work that I haven’t found the best time, but as this year comes to a close in just a few minutes, I think now is finally the time.

Why wait any longer when I know that I love her? That I want her by my side for the rest of my life?

And now, as I look into her eyes, I realize that there’s never going to be a perfect time. Life is messy, unpredictable, and chaotic, but love…love is the constant. It’s the one thing that makes all the madness worth it.

I squeeze her hand tighter, feeling my heart swell with emotion. This is it. I don’t need a perfect moment. I just need her.

“Two minutes!” someone shouts in the crowd, making people cheer and take out their phones to monitor the time.

Alyssa’s laughter sweeps around us as the crowd becomes more and more excited, voices mingling with the music as everyone prepares for the last minute to pass by. She leans even closer to me, our eyes meeting.

“Ten, nine, eight…”

I never expected my year to end like this: in love and more accomplished than I ever thought possible.

“Seven, six, five…”

Alyssa’s eyes slip down to my lips as hers curl in a warm smile, my heart rate picking up at the sight.

“Four, three, two…”

My pulse quickens, and I can feel the adrenaline rushing through my veins. This is it—the moment I’ve been waiting for. The moment to put everything on the line and show her just how much she means to me. I’ve never been one to hesitate, but right now, my whole world feels like it’s teetering on the edge of something monumental.

I pull her closer, my heart racing. Her eyes widen with anticipation, and for a split second, everything else fades away—the crowd, the noise, the pressure of the update. It’s just her and me, standing on the cusp of a new year and a new beginning.

“One!”

Alyssa lifts up on her toes and meets me in the middle, our lips crashing together in a kiss that feels like fireworks. The distant pop and crackle of actual fireworks shrieks outside, and miles away in Times Square, the ball has dropped while a huge crowd is bellowing with excitement.

But all I want is this moment right now with Alyssa in my arms.

I cup her face, our lips brushing in perfect rhythm until I’m left breathless. I still find my voice, though. “I love you.”

The words slip out, feeling both terrifying and freeing at the same time. I’ve never been good at vulnerability—at opening up and letting someone in. But with Alyssa, it feels right. It feels necessary. I need her to know that she’s not just some passing fling or a convenient romance. She’s the one I’ve been searching for, even when I didn’t know I was looking.

Her eyes widen, and I see the tears glisten there. I’m scared, waiting for her reaction. What if it’s too soon? What if she’s not ready? But then she smiles—a smile that lights up the room, outshining all the fireworks and celebrations around us.

And in that moment, I know. I know I’ve found my person.

Alyssa draws back an inch so that she can meet my eyes with her wide ones. “You do?”

I laugh a little and nod. It’s probably been obvious to everyone else. “I do. More than I can explain.”

Alyssa’s eyes start to gleam as happy tears glisten in them. “I love you too. So much.”

A strong surge of emotion fills my chest, taking hold of my heart. My soul. My everything. It’s all hers.

My forehead presses against hers as everyone around us cheers and celebrates the new year. The familiar chime of the app sounds on all sides, but the last thing that I want to do is pull away from her right now.

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