Page 145 of Merry Me
NATALIE
The bed-and-breakfast glowed like a Christmas Eve dream.
The wedding was over. Paige and Levi had been sent off in a flurry of sparklers and champagne-fueled whooping, disappearing into the snowy night like a story that knew exactly how it should end. And now, just a handful of us were left—stray groomsmen, and tipsy cousins still half buttoned into their formalwear—humming with leftover champagne and sentiment, crammed into the parlor for the last tradition of the night.
The fire crackled in the hearth, casting light over the mismatched armchairs draped in plaid throws. Garlands of pine and holly framed the windows, and fairy lights twinkled from the beams overhead. In the corner stood the tree—massive, unapologetically extra, dripping in ornaments from every era. Some sparkled, some leaned a little to the left, and at least three looked like they’d been made by sticky-fingered toddlers with glitter vendettas. But somehow, it worked. It all worked.
The mug was warm in my hands as I stood near the fire, heart thudding quietly in my chest. People laughed around me. Someone spilled something. MeMaw was still holding court in the armchair like the Queen of Christmas Chaos.
And I was just…waiting.
Not for a sign. Not for clarity.
Just for five uninterrupted minutes with Easton.
Because I was already all in.
And I was done letting timing get in the way of telling him.
Across the room, Easton stood near the tree, talking to my cousin Jake, his hand curled around a glass of whiskey. He laughed at something, his head tipping back, and the sound sent a flutter through me—because I could picture it echoing through a future kitchen, or beside a summer campfire, or Milan…because, you know, he was a movie star.
But really? Anywhere we ended up together.
I could see it.
So clearly, it almost hurt.
He was beautiful. Not just in the movie-star way that made heads turn, but in the way hewas. Steady. Loyal. Kind. Mine.
He looked up suddenly, like he’d felt me watching, and our eyes locked across the room. My breath hitched. He smiled, just slightly, and my heart answered in kind.
Shit. I was so fucking in love with him.
Before I could respond, Margaret clapped her hands together to get everyone’s attention. “All right, everyone!” she called, her voice bright and enthusiastic. “It’s time for our Christmas Eve tradition! We’re going to write our wishes on these paper stars and hang them on the tree. It’s a little bit of holiday magic to bring good luck for the new year. Grab a star and a pen, and let’s get started.”
People began to shuffle toward the little table set up by the fire, already laughing and teasing as they picked through pens and glittered paper stars.
I set my mug down on the mantel, fingers tingling with nerves and something steadier. I knew what I wanted.
Easton was already there, his brow furrowed as he wrote something carefully onto his star. He looked so focused, so sure, it made my chest ache in the best way.
“Go on, girl,” MeMaw said as she passed by, giving me a knowing nudge with her elbow. “Wish for what you really want. And none of that vague ‘peace on Earth’ crap.”
I snorted. “You’re terrifying.”
She winked, the reindeer ears on her glasses bouncing as she moved toward the snack table.
I grabbed a star and a pen, my fingers steady now. No second-guessing. No overthinking.
I wrote one sentence.
To never lose him again.
The wish felt raw, vulnerable, like I was laying my heart bare for the universe to see, but it was the truth.
I folded the star carefully and moved to the tree, hanging it near the top, where the light caught the gold just right.
The moment I turned, he was there.
