Page 29 of The Merriest Christmas

He pretended to love me so well that I believed it.

With my whole heart, I'd believed in him.In us.

Thinking of the fool I'd been back then, I shook my head.

"If he loved me, he wouldn't have disappeared," I said."He wouldn't have stayed gone so long with no contact.Far as I know, he didn't even talk to Dex or anyone in the family."

I frowned.

"We had to hear everything second-hand."

"And I'm guessing what you heard wasn't good?"

"Apparently, he hooked up with a ton of girls.Seaver went off and became this big hockey star.And he left everything else behind."

Including me.

"So, that's why you hate hockey so much," Rose said."Makes sense now."

"Yeah, I hated it when the guys would watch his games on TV."

"Salt in the wound?"

"More like being stabbed in the heart repeatedly," I said, "but yeah, let's go with the salt-wound metaphor."

Rose bit her lip, but even she sounded unsure."Maybe he had a good reason?"

"Maybe."

"Have you ever asked him?"

I shook my head.

"Why?"

"Because he wasn't here to ask."

"But he is now," she said softly.

"It wouldn't matter anyway," I said."It's too late.He's moved on and so have I."

Maybe if I said it enough times I'd start believing it.

"Besides, we were just young, swept up in each other and first love.I should've known it wouldn't last."Sitting up, Istretched my arms."Hey, I need to go downstairs for a bit.Will you be okay here?"

"Of course," Rose said."Emmy?"

"Yeah?"

"What you said about love, sometimes it lasts.Sometimes it even comes back."

I smiled."That would be a good line for one of your books."

"It would—but it's also true," Rose said.

Stepping out of the room, I closed the door as quietly as possible.Even though Mom's room was at the other end of the house, I could hear the guys snoring.That was good.I'd waited this long, so hopefully, they'd all be knocked out while I did my thing.It was so dark in the hall that it took my eyes a moment to adjust.When they did, I noticed a human-sized lump sitting outside our door, and my eyes widened.

"Seaver?" I said in surprise.

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