Page 8 of Holidays and Handcuffs

I let out a small sigh of relief, grateful that at least someone in my life is understanding. But the momentary calm doesn’t last long, because just then, another text comes through.

Hey, it’s Jack. Hope your brother is okay?

His message pulls me right back to earlier, and I suddenly remember that I agreed to have dinner with him tonight.

After this encounter with my family, I should want nothing more than to retreat to my apartment and bury myself under a blanket. But the thought of spending time with Jack—the way he looked at me, the way he smiled—makes me feel something I haven’t felt in years. Seen.

Still, my parents’ voices echo in my head.You only care about yourself,my mother’s words replay. I’m already emotionally drained, I always feel this way for every minute I spend with them, the last thing I want is to be in Jack’s presence only to come off as uninteresting or weighed down by my own insecurities.

I open the message, staring at the screen for a moment before I type back.

Yeah he is. Thanks for reaching out. I don’t think I can make it for dinner tonight. Sorry...

Chapter 4

Jack

I thought about Emily all day after watching her walk away. It hurt my chest to see her disappear towards the hospital. She said her brother is sick and then she canceled plans for tonight, but something in my gut tells me it’s more than that.

I pull up to Emily’s apartment at eight o’clock after changing out of my uniform. The town looks like it belongs in a winter postcard. Snow blankets the ground, and every doorway in her complex is decked out with Christmas decorations. Except for hers. Her doorstep is bare, just a thin layer of snow covering the mat, like she hasn’t had time to decorate or doesn’t care to.

When the door opens, her eyes widen in surprise. “Jack?” she says, her voice soft.

God, I love hearing her say my name. It rolls off her tongue like it belongs there, and for a moment, I just stand there, taking it in.

“What are you doing here? How did you know where I live?” She looks at me like she can’t believe I’m really here.

“I might have a few connections at the station,” I admit. “You cancelled dinner, and I just wanted to check in on you.”

She relaxes her shoulders and sighs, leaning her head against the door frame. “Jack, I’m sorry, I—”

“You don’t have to apologize. I just wanted to make sure you were okay. You left in a rush this morning.”

For a moment, she just looks at me, her guard faltering. Her shoulders drop ever so slightly, and I can see the exhaustionin her eyes, the kind that comes from carrying too much for too long.

“Yeah, I’m good,” she says with a forced smile. I can see right through it, though. Someone or something has upset her, and I want to drive my fist through a wall.

I take a slow inhale to calm my nerves. “Mind if I come in?”

Without hesitation, she steps aside, opening the door wider. “Yeah... sure.”

I walk into her apartment, and it feels like her, cozy, warm, comfortable. There’s a stack of books on the table, a blanket thrown over the couch the glow from the TV casts a soft light across the room, playing some reality show.

“You didn’t have to come all the way down here. I’m okay, really,” she says with a tired smile.

“I know,” I repeat, leaning against the wall. “But I wanted to.”

I can see the stress written all over her face, the tension in her shoulders, and I so want to take all her stress away.What is stressing you out, Princess?

"Why?" she asks, her voice soft with confusion. "Don’t you have some Christmas Eve party to go to or something?"

I give a small shake of my head, a hint of a smile tugging at the corner of my lips. "I do, but I’d rather be here with you."

She opens her mouth, but no words come out. She takes a deep breath before trying again. "That’s…really sweet.”

She says it like she never expects anyone to do anything sweet for her, and it breaks my heart. Has no one shown her how special and beautiful she is after all these years?

"You’re doing it again," I interrupt gently. "There’s no need to apologize."

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