Page 123 of My Sweetest Temptation

Me

I can’t. We’re going to another friend’s house.

Nico

Whose?

I bit my thumbnail as I thought about how to answer. He was going to lose it if I said Liam’s. I could lie, but Nico had this annoying knack for knowing where I was all the time. Bastard probably had a tracker on me.

Nico

Winter.

I could feel the tension in his message. I might as well tell him the truth because there was no way around it.

Me

Liam.

My phone rang almost immediately. Great.

I took a deep breath and answered. “Hello, Nico.”

“What the hell do you mean Liam? I fucking told you?—”

“I know what you told me,” I cut him off, irritation flaring. “I’m not a child, Nico. I can make my own damn decisions without you dictating my every move.”

He sighed heavily, and I could picture him rubbing his temples in frustration. “I’ll be with Tabi and Tristan, okay? Plus, Liam’s dad is going to be there. They don’t have any family, and neither do I.”

“Then invite them to my place, Winter. I want you to be with me and my family.”

His voice softened, sincerity dripping from his words, and it tugged at my heartstrings. I hated how much I wanted to give in, but I didn’t want to lose this time with my friends; plus, I had already agreed to spend the holiday with them.

“So, you’d be okay if Liam came along?”

He grunted, clearly displeased. “Yes. As long as he keeps his hands to himself.”

“He’s like a brother to me, Nico. And I’m like a sister to him. There are no romantic feelings involved.”

“Fine,” he relented. “Just tell your friends to be at my place by eleven.”

“Nico, I’m not going to your place.”

“Winter! Don’t test my fucking patience. You are coming to my house, and that’s final.”

I let out a sardonic laugh. “No, I am not. I’m spending it with my friends. How about this: I’ll spend the day with them…”

He started to protest, but I cut him off. “And I’ll spend the night with you.”

He muttered curses in Italian, and I couldn’t help but smile a little at his frustration. Finally, he said, “Fine. Enzo will pick you up at five.”

“Thank you,” I said, relief washing over me.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said, and the line went dead.

Enzo picked up Tabi and Tristan on the way to Liam’s dad’s house. Liam had a job run to complete in the morning, so he told us he would meet us there. It was the first holiday without my parents, and the weight of their absence was almost suffocating. That morning, I felt a deep ache in my chest as I thought about how much I missed them and the reality that they wouldn’t be around today. It was a painful reminder of what I’d lost, but I was grateful to the friends I had now and that I wouldn’t be alone.

The sky loomed overhead, a heavy shroud of gray, and a light drizzle began to fall, each droplet tapping against the windshield.

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