Page 61 of The Mistletoe Bluff
Recognizing that as a dismissal, I left her bedroom, closing the door behind me to give her privacy. A few minutes later, she emerged wearing a cream-colored sweater dress with leather leggings beneath. She looked warm and cozy and Christmassy. She was so beautiful it took my breath away.
“You look lovely, Maya.”
A small smile curved her lips. “Thank you.”
I helped her into her coat, and she grabbed a small bag of gifts from the kitchen counter before we headed back to my Jeep. The ride over to Jameson’s house was quiet, but there was no tension or pressure to fill the silence.
Ten minutes later, I parked in the driveway, mentally preparing myself for whatever this night brought for Maya and me. We could call it pretending or faking all we wanted, but to me it was very, very real.
“Ready?” Maya asked, turning those blue eyes on me, stealing every ounce of air from my lungs.
I took hold of her hand, bringing the back of it to my lips, giving it a light kiss.
“With you, princess, I’m ready for anything.”
Maya
With you, I’m ready for anything.
The words kept ping-ponging around in my mind as we made our way up the snowy walkway toward Jameson’s house, my arm looped through Oliver’s so I didn’t slip.
The words themselves were simple, but I had learned that, with Oliver, nothing was simple, and I wondered what he meant by it.
After being convinced for so long that Oliver didn’t like me and was out to get me, all these things he kept doing, like wanting to kiss me or looking at me in the mirror and pointing out all of the thingshesaw, it was getting harder and harder to still believe that. If anything, it seemed that he felt the opposite.
And where did that leavemyfeelings? Just yesterday I had resolved to continue hating him; to not let him distract me from my end goals. And yet, after what happened in my bedroom tonight, I didn’t know if I could fight these growing feelings anymore.
What would happen if we…tried? What would happen if we agreed to stop faking a relationship and give a real one a shot? What if we stopped bluffing and admitted our feelings for each other?
The questions made my stomach swirl.
But then Elsie swung open the door with a huge smile and my thoughts came to a halt—or rather I shoved them into a box to examine later when I was alone.
“I’m so glad you guys came!” Elsie said, giving me a rib-breaking hug before giving Oliver an awkward side hug.
“Thank you for the invitation,” Oliver replied. He had a small present in one of his hands. Was that…for me?
We stepped inside and shed our coats and shoes, Jameson’s dog, Luna, bouncing around at our feet, waiting to be loved on. My senses were overwhelmed by the smell of ham and potatoes.
The Christmas decor was classy, and I suspected that it was thanks to Elsie more than Jameson. A frosted fake tree sat next to the fireplace, a few presents scattered underneath. Two stockings with each of their names hung from the mantle next to a mini one that had Luna’s name on it. A scattering of tea light candles were snuggled in various places throughout the room making it feel cozy and romantic.
I went over to the tree and unloaded my bag of gifts, making sure to tuck Oliver’s, which I made on a whim, in the very back, out of sight.
“Hey, Maya!” Jameson called from the kitchen before poking his head out of the doorway. “Welcome, Oliver.”
We both nodded in acknowledgment and followed Elsie into the kitchen. I sighed. I loved Jameson’s kitchen. With the light sage cabinets, black appliances, and gold hardware, it was a paradise in kitchen form. I didn’t even like cooking that much, but if I had a kitchen like that, I could definitely learn to enjoy it.
“Make yourselves at home,” Elsie said as she brought platters and glasses over to the table.
“Do you need any help?” Oliver asked.
She shook her head. “Nope. You two can have a seat on the couch and dinner will be ready in a few!” Elsie winked at me before disappearing back into the kitchen.
Oliver and I looked at each other awkwardly before we sunk down onto the couch. I kept a couple feet between us, and his hand twitched on the cushion behind me, as though it was annoyed that I wasn’t within touching distance.Luna settled onto her giant bed in the corner, watching us. I swear her big brown eyes were telling me to scooch on over.
A moment later, Elsie’s head popped out of the kitchen, eyeing us. “That doesn’t look very coupley.” She pointed to the space between us.
I scowled at her, and she smiled.
