Page 76 of Lighting Up Christmas

She opened the door, bewildered and sort of pissed.

“What are you doing here?” she asked, not exactly at her friendliest. She’d talked herself out of not feeling hurt for the past chunk of days, but here he was. And her heart ached.

“Ummmm, making amends. This is step one.”

His list. Riley held on to her hurt and anger. She was not going to be casually ignored by him when he was busy and then played with when he wasn’t.

“Step one would have been sending a clear ‘thank you and see you sometime next week’ text the night of your party,” she informed him.

“About that,” Zhang said, looking so austerely beautiful that she wanted to hit him. It was barely dawn. She hadn’t slept well for days.

“Step two after the vague text would have been an apology. In person would have been lovely, but a text would have done in a pinch.”

“I’ll remember for next time.”

“Next time?” She gaped at him. “Are you planning to upset me often?”

“Upsetting you is not on my agenda, but it’s highly likely I will screw up.”

Riley took a step outside. Dang, it was cold. Definitely vest for the run.

“Step three,”—she added because she was on a roll, and he looked so good she was afraid she’d forgive him and get in a mess with him all over again. She’d always thought of herselfas resilient, but Zhang had really stomped on her heart—“is to not ghost me for a week after being a part of making me look like a fool and not thanking me for the vineyard scene and the dragons.”

He faced her, squared off like an old growth redwood facing a hungry fire.

“Anything else on your list?” He stood like he was waiting for her to roll out a scroll and start reading, but with her heart thumping like crazy, she could barely hear herself think.

“That’s it for now.”

He nodded. “May I come in and proceed with my apology?”

“I’m going for a run.”

“Good. I brought running clothes in case.”

“In case of what?” The spinning lights on the wheels of the bike were massively distracting. What had she been thinking motorizing them? Zhang had probably made the only bid, and it had been a pity one.

“In case you invited me in and agreed to spend Christmas Eve with me. Unless you have plans.” He walked toward her with each word. He stopped right in front of her, and she could smell his fresh pine and sandalwood clean smell.

“I have a lot of plans,” she said softly.

He stood so close now she could almost touch him.

“I made them so I wouldn’t have time to feel alone or sad, even though Sophia said that sometimes you have to experience the sadness, let it wash over you as a testimony to your strong feelings about the person or things you are missing.”

“I don’t want you to ever feel alone or sad,” Zhang said.

“It happens.”

Zhang nodded. “Too often, but I am hoping that it will happen less if you give me a chance.”

“A chance?”

“A chance to be your friend.” His fingers brushed hers. “And so much more.”

Riley searched his expression. So much tension. Anxiety. He was looking at her as hard as she was looking at him.

“You were right. I’m tired of being alone too,” he confessed.

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