Page 71 of His Off-Limits Christmas Gift

“Late?” I asked sleepily. “For what?”

“The Christmas lunch.”

I groaned, wishing we could hide out in this cabin so I could pretend we weren’t even back in the small town we grew up in. Nestled in the woods, it felt like a whole other destination. No neighbors. No commitments…

Except this one, I supposed.

“Do we have to?”

“I want to,” he said as he stood. He whipped the blankets off me, chilling me and waking me all the way up. “Let’s shower and go.”

“To deal with my family?”

“Hey, Brandon’s my friend. I always see him on Christmas.”

I got up to join him in the bathroom. “Fine, but this will be the first Christmas where he’s got to come to terms that we’re together.”

He smiled under the water. “I like that.First. It means we’ve got so many more to come, sweet girl.”

I loved that we’d have a future, too. But that didn’t mean we could avoid the present. Realistically, I knew I’d need to talk to my family. I’d need to come right out and explain that Nate and I were dating. And that I’d move in with him. And… that I wasn’t coming back home but would be living and working in New York with him.

Those things would equal a clean break from my past here, and while I was aware it would be better to tell them these things in person, I didn’t want to have to deal with it yet.

“We’ll handle it,” Nate said. “Together.”

I sighed, washing up. “We will. We will.” It felt so good to be able to saywe.

After we cleaned up and exited the cabin, Nate held my hand on the way to his SUV. “Hey, before we go into town, I was wondering something.”

“Why the café always stays open on Christmas?” I guessed. “I know, I’ve wondered that too.”

“I think the owners just like hosting the Christmas lunch since they don’t have kids or a big family.” He opened the passenger door for me, ever the gentleman. “But no, I was wondering about something else.”

I waited for him to round the vehicle and get into the driver’s side. “What is it?”

“WhydidKyle break up with you?”

I drew in a deep breath. “I didn’t want to tell anyone. It’s his story to tell. Not mine.”

“Okay, you’ve said that before. And every time you say it, it makes me think that he’s hiding something big about his health, like he’s got something terminal. Or that he’s coming out.”

I began to nod, wincing as he drove.

“Wait, what?” He jerked his focus between me and the road. “He’s gay?”

“Yeah. I couldn’t out him.”

“Oh, damn. Well, now it makes more sense. How you’d be a virgin but with him and… wow.” He gave me a soft smile. “You’re loyal.”

I smiled back and shrugged. “He asked me not to tell anyone. And while it was kinda crappy to put that secret on me—with the news that he wanted to break up with me at a huge joint family dinner—I couldn’t.”

“That’swhy you were so adamant not to tell your mom.”

“Or his mom. Or Brandon. Or anyone. It’s not my story to tell.”

He nodded. “Brave, Rachel. That’s brave of you to let everyone badger you for the truth and keep his secret.”

“Don’t tell anyone.”

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