Page 96 of If This Was a Movie

“She can stay with our parents!”

“Nate,” I say, giving him a chiding look. “She’s going through a lot. She needs something familiar. And I need to go to my place. Lessons start up soon, and I’ll have to be there for those.”

He glares. “But I want you here.”

“And I will be here, Nate. Just not…all the time.”

He looks at me, weighing his options and clearly understanding that they are slim. Then his face shifts, like he’s made a decision, something I’m suddenly nervous about.

“Sleepovers.”

“What?”

“We get sleepovers. Four nights a week.”

I scoff out a laugh. “Nate, four nights a week is over half the week!”

“And?”

I let out a sigh and roll my eyes. “How about we start at two?” It sounds reasonable to me, but I should know Nate isanythingbut reasonable.

“Three. And when you’re here, you sleep in my bed.”

“Nate—”

“I wasn’t going to push it, you sleeping in my bed because you’re close, which means you can stay late and come over early. But if you insist on spending four nights a week across town?—”

“Five,” I say with a laugh.

He ignores me, continuing. “If you insist on staying four nights a week away from me, I get you in my bed. I get to hold you.”

The idea of that is utter bliss—Nate holding me all night or waking up wrapped around him. But there’s other things to keep in mind.

“But Sophie—” I start.

“Sophie isn’t going to notice, Jules. Right now, you’re here before she wakes up, and you’re here until she goes to bed. Where will it be different?”

I scrunch my nose because he’s not wrong. That’s been my argument with staying at the cottage and insisting I go back to my bed each night. But he’s right: If I’m here when she wakes and I’m here when she goes to sleep, where is the difference?”

“Two nights,” I whisper, placing my forehead on his and smiling.

“Three, and we work up to four.”

As much as I love this new and improved version ofus, common sense tells me we should move slow. I should give Nate and Sophie time to be themselves without my hovering everywhere. I should give Nate room to really think about when and how he wants to incorporate me in this little family. Right now we’re in the honeymoon phase, and even though I’m secure in this relationship of ours, I’m worried about moving too fast and Nate having some kind of regret.

“Two,” I whisper, my lips now grazing his. “And you have to break the news to Sophie.” I’m testing my luck, I know, but it’s worth a shot. I shift my hips a bit, hoping I can use anything at my disposal to sway him.

“Oh, hell no,” he says with a laugh, pushing me back so there’s a gap between us now. “I know what you’re doing with your womanly wiles. You’re not going to trick me.”

I give him a very fake gasp, putting a hand to my chest. “I have no idea what you’re talking about!”

“Don’t play cute with me,” he says, then grabs my chin, resting his lips on mine before pulling back. “Three nights a week.” Then he flips us until I’m on my back on the couch, Nate hovering over me. He looks so fucking handsome like this, happy and smiling, broad shoulders holding him up. “That’s my final offer.”

My hand reaches up, grazing over his cheek, and I can’t believe we’re here, a year later, joking about making deals on how many nights he can convince me to stay here.

It’s real, true Christmas magic.

“Deal,” I whisper, and then lean up to press my lips to his, taking my prize.

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