Page 21 of This December

He pressed a kiss to my finger then pulled my hand away to hold it. “I didn’t, at least not until I met you.”

“Ouch.” I blinked and gave a little disbelieving laugh.

“Shit, I didn’t mean it like that. I just, I’ve never really had my celebrity affect someone else like this before. The few girls I dated kinda courted it—liked it. I suspect it was the entire reason they wanted to be with me. And it’s been so long since they’ve harassed my family… I forgot. I guess I got caught up in the little bubble I’ve made with you, and I forgot about the world outside.”

“I like our little bubble too.” I gave him a soft smile.

“But I can’t put the genie back in the bottle. Even if I were to go home, they’d still come and harass your family. I’m so sorry, December.”

I shook my head. “I’m not. I don’t regret a single second of being with you. And if this is the price we have to pay, then I’m totally fine with it. It’s worth it.You’reworth it.”

“You say that now.” He closed his eyes and shook his head. “But you don’t know.” He sighed heavily.

“So, it’s Christmas cookie night tonight. How about we go over to my parents’ house and fill them all in? I suspect that’s why I have…eighteen missed calls from my mom. Wow.”

“Shit.” Cole pulled out his phone and tapped away at the screen while I called my mom back.

“December Bailey James!” my mom answered without even saying hello first. “Do you not understand how telephones work? If it weren’t for the family tracker app, I would’ve reported you missing! How could you not call me back for hours and hours? What is wrong with you?”

“I’m sorry, Mom, but I was working. I can’t drive and talk. You know how I get distracted. So I put my phone on ‘Do Not Disturb,’ and forgot to take it off after work.” I was kinda notorious for having crashed into a parked car once while talking on my cellphone. My family never let me forget it. So ever since, I’d been so careful not to talk or text while driving. I didn’t want to repeat that mistakeeveragain. The teasing was too relentless.

“And when were you going to tell me that that wastheCole Jackson last night?”

“Uh…I kinda thought it was obvious.”

“Well, it wasn’t. Do you know how embarrassing it was to hear the news from Angela Agate? She assumed I knew since we spent all last night with him.”

“Um, I’m sorry?” I said it like a question because this was such a surreal conversation. I’d thought the media was pestering them. “Why are we even talking about this? What happened to ‘who I wanted to spend my time with was my business?’”

“It is. I mean…” She sighed. “I’m sorry. I was just surprised. And embarrassed. Seriously. Angela was such a bitch about it. You don’t even know.”

I choked, fighting to keep my laughter inside.

But I failed.

I laughed and laughed.

After a minute, I straightened and wiped my eyes. “Sorry. That just surprised me. It’s still weird when you talk to me like I’m an adult.”

“You are an adult, December.”

I heaved a sigh. “I know. I just forgot there for a minute. Listen, Mom, would it be okay if Cole and I stopped by? He wants to talk to everyone.”

Dead silence hummed on the line.

“Mom? You still there?” I held the phone away to make sure we still had a connection. We did. “Mom?”

“The house is a mess! We’ve got baking crap everywhere! I can’t, I don’t—”

“Mom, it’s fine. I promise. Cole will probably even want to stay and decorate some cookies with the littles.” I raised my eyebrows at him, and he nodded back.

Cole gave me a thumbs up. “Sounds like a blast. I can’t wait.”

“Did you hear that, Mom? He wants to do more Christmas with the crazy James family. You guys didn’t scare him off after all. We’ll see you in a few. Bye!”

I hit the end call button and sent Cole a wide-eyed look. “She’s seriously lost it.”

“Shit. Is the media all over them already?”

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