Page 17 of Hostile for the Holidays

“Okay, Stellie. Let’s get you unpacked.”

Sadie pulls me and my suitcase past a forlorn looking Daniel whom Tom throws a comforting arm around and mentions they should go play video games.

When we’re tucked into the safety of my bedroom, Sadie starts firing off questions.

“How did it happen with Jasper? Did it start with hate sex? Are you in love?”

“Hate sex?” I ponder, because it never occurred to me that you could hate someone and want them to fuck you.

“Yeah, you know when you’re so mad at someone that you bang angry. Tom and I have done it a few times, okay only once, but then we pretended to do it again because it was so hot, but it was really hard to replicate. That anger and tension doesn’t create itself.”

“I don’t know.” I shrug. “It just happened.”

“That’s impossible. There’s been so much tension between you two there had to have been fireworks. An explosion of some sort.”

There had been an explosion on the plane. My stomach contents.

Now that I’m thinking about it, that was really gross and Jasper handled it like a champ. I’d have to say that if the tables were reversed and he was the one sick, I would not have let him put his head in my lap.

“I was sick and he took care of me, so I decided he wasn’t the worst person in the world anymore.”

“Aww, that’s so sweet.”

I can’t take her hopeful, lovesick face. It’s like she beats the truth out of me without even saying a word.

“I’m lying. He’s not my boyfriend. Not really. We’re pretending to date each other so Daniel doesn’t think there’s anything between me and him, and Jasper needs a date to his family’s Christmas party.”

“I knew something was fishy.” Sadie sighs, clearly disappointed with the truth.

“You can’t tell anyone. Especially not Tom. He’ll tell Daniel and it will all be for nothing.”

“Yeah, sorry about Daniel being here. Tom couldn’t spend Christmas without him, and I couldn’t spend it without Tom. It kind of snowballed.”

“It’s fine. I’ll pretend to be with Jasper and get through the next two weeks.”

“So how is that going to work?”

I shrug. “I think we’ll hang out a few times. I’ll go to his family’s party, he’ll come to your wedding as my date, then we’ll part ways.”

“That sounds so simple.” She hands me another packing cube from my suitcase. “You are aware this is you and Jasper, right? Nothing has ever been simple with you two.”

“Yeah, I know.”

Later, after dinner, I get ready for bed, then pause in front of my bedroom window, looking out at Jasper’s house.

For a moment, I let myself enjoy the beautiful light display, forgetting that it’s the house of my nemesis and now, fake boyfriend.

Then, I yank the curtains shut and crawl into bed.

“It’s awful here, Pip. Come rescue me,” I whine into the screen of my phone where my best friend, Pippa, is staring back at me.

“This doesn’t sound like the magical Cedar Hollow you’ve told me about.”

“Sorry, I’m in a mood. And it’s not the town’s fault.” I shift my eyes upward at the mountains around me and take a deep breath. People from all over the world visit Cedar Hollow and the surrounding area for skiing and other winter recreation and I am lucky to have grown up here. I love New York, the hustle and bustle, but when I come home to Cedar Hollow, a charming and cozy mountain town nestled in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, I immediately feel at peace. But the last twenty-four hours have been anything but peaceful.

“That’s understandable, considering you’re now dating your arch rival.” She arches an eyebrow for emphasis.

I told her everything about my plane ride, getting sick and Jasper witnessing it all, then Daniel showing up at the airport, and my genius plot to make Jasper my boyfriend to avoid Daniel’s unwanted advances. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but now that I’m living that reality it’s a different story.

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