Page 59 of My Secret Santa Daddies

Sierra is sitting across from me, her legs tucked beneath her, a mug of cocoa cupped in her hands. Her face is bathed in the flickering glow of the fire, her hair is tousled from the day. She looks hot as hell sitting there beside me.

I clear my throat, breaking the silence. “You ever think we’d end up back here? The four of us, in this mess?”

She glances up, her blue eyes catching the firelight. There’s a faint smile on her lips, a tired one. “No. I thought I’d left all this behind a long time ago.”

I lean back, letting my head rest against the cushion. “Same here. But it’s funny how life works, isn’t it? You think you’re done with something, but it always finds a way to pull you back in.”

“Yeah,” she murmurs, taking a sip of her cocoa. “It’s like that.”

We fall into a comfortable silence, watching the flames dance.

It feels like the years between us have started to blur, the sharp edges dulled by the fire’s warmth.

But I can’t let it sit like this.

Not anymore.

I take a deep breath, feeling the words push their way up. “You know, I used to hate myself for how I felt about you back then and how badly I wanted—you.”

Sierra blinks, clearly caught off guard. “What?”

“Yeah.” I give a small, rueful smile. “I mean, it’s not like I planned it or anything. You were with Griffin, and that was that. But there were times… well, times when I couldn’t help it.”

She’s quiet, her eyes searching mine. “Wyatt, I?—”

“I know,” I interrupt gently, not wanting her to feel like she has to explain anything. “I’m not saying it to make things weird. I just… I needed you to know. I never told you, and the one time I tried I ended up drunk and belligerent.”

“I had a feeling, but I don’t know, I guess I was too distracted and in my own world to really think about it. Plus, you never really showed it.”

I laugh, the sound rough and low. “I didn’t exactly know how. You were with Griffin, and I was… I don’t know. I didn’t want to screw things up more than they already were.”

She sets her mug down, her gaze steady on me now. “It wasn’t easy back then. I didn’t know what I wanted, or who I was supposed to be. I just… I felt lost. And I think you did, too.”

“Yeah,” I admit, my voice raw. “I was lost. Still am, sometimes. But seeing you again? It’s like… it’s like the fog’s lifted a bit. I can see things clearer now.”

“Wyatt, I don’t know what to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything,” I tell her, my voice gentle but firm. “I just needed you to know. I know things are complicated now—hell, they always were complicated—but at least it’s out there now. No more secrets.”

“Griffin. Cody. Everything. It’s all so tangled up.”

I lean forward, my elbows resting on my knees, my gaze never leaving hers. “I know. But I’m not asking for anything,Sierra. I just wanted to be honest with you, even if it feels messy.”

We sit in silence again, the fire crackling and popping between us, our thoughts swirling like ashes in the air.

“So,” I say, breaking the silence. “What now? You gonna hit the road once you get power again?”

She doesn't answer right away, instead staring into her mug like it holds all the answers. "I don't know, Wyatt. Part of me wants to leave this place and never look back. But..." She trails off, her gaze drifting to the fireplace.

"But?"

"But... I don't know if there's anything left for me out there anymore," she admits softly. "I mean, what's the point in running if all I'm running to is an empty house with no one in it?"

"You know you can always stay," I blurt out before I can stop myself. "Here, I mean. With us."

“I don’t know if I’d last very long here.”

“Why’s that?”

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