Page 64 of Scrooged for the Holidays
I kiss his forehead before glancing down at Greer once more. She’s fallen asleep, her aura quieted now. It’s still gray, but if I squint and focus hard, I can see the threads of gold Remi spoke of weaving in and out like small stitches in sewn-together fabric along with hints of my blue. I don’t know exactly what it means, but Remi said she’s healing, and that’s the important part.
It will be interesting to see what happens next.
Chapter twenty
Greer
IfeelasifI’ve been fucked within an inch of my life, but there was no cock inside me. The orgasm I had on Remi’s thigh was just that incredible, like I touched the clouds of heaven and came back to earth. It was better than any orgasm I’ve ever had, including the one I gave myself last night. But both knocked me out.
When I woke up wrapped in a blanket on the couch downstairs, I wasn’t sure what had happened. For a moment, I thought I’d woken up in another weird dream before Remi assured me I was awake and Kai had gone to get dinner ready for the inn. I had half a mind to ask if Kai worked double duty at the bar and the inn, but that seemed like a self-answered question. Or one I can ask at dinner, because they invited me to eat with them, and I said yes.
I smooth my hands down the royal-blue silk blouse with a deep V that I wore under my suit yesterday along with my trousers. It will have to do since I’m out of options and my more casual pair are hanging in the bathroom to dry. When I made myself come on Remi’s thigh, I literally soaked my underwear and the crotch of my pants. I had no choice but to hand-wash them in the sink so they wouldn’t be ruined. I wish I had a dressor something sexier, but my trip to Garland wasn’t supposed to turn into a weekend away.
The thought reminds me I’ve been busy enough that I haven’t thought about work in hours. That’s very odd for me, especially considering I’m always thinking about work or something to do with work.
I do a final check over my appearance in the mirror. My makeup is on point, and my hair looks perfectly curled thanks to the curling iron I found in the bathroom.
I half turn away when a reflection of light stops me, and I look into the mirror to see where it came from. Behind me, hanging from the doorframe, is mistletoe. But that’s not what made the light reflect—that was caused by what’s adorning it, a glass ornament of some kind.
I turn and step closer to it. With my height and heels on, it’s easy for me to pull the single decoration off the nail.
The plant feels rough on my palm. And while I shouldn’t be surprised once I see what the ornament is, my stomach flips nonetheless.
It’s a crystal pair of angel wings.
“Is this a secret religious town that’s actually a cult or something?” I ask, as if the town is somehow personified and will answer me. This isn’t the first time I’ve seen angel decor—it’s been everywhere. Mostly things like this. Wings.
I hold the mistletoe in one hand and gently brush my finger over the glass feathers, a vision playing in my mind from last night, the one of Kai sandwiched between Remi and Sam. I’d forgotten about the tattoo on his back, a massive black-and-gray set of wings that spanned his shoulders, moving with his muscles as if they were alive and real.
The echoes of my nightmare still cling to me, refusing to fade the way they usually do after I wake up.
Nephilim.
Half angel, half human.
I’ve never heard of a Nephilim before. I’m not religious, and my parents weren’t, either. Avery and her family also weren’t, but she has always been a well of random information, and I know she watches paranormal shows. I bet if she were here, she’d know if that was a real thing or not.
Does it matter, though? It was a nightmare. Kai can have a tattoo of angel wings, but it doesn’t mean he’s a supernatural being. And while this town is kitschy, I don’t think it’s a religious cult. I’m just overthinking and getting into my head.
With a sigh, I toss the mistletoe on the bathroom counter and turn away. The ornament makes contact with the porcelain sink, and I hear a distinct crack, one that tells me I most likely broke it. I wince and think about turning back. That’s when I see it—a flashing light coming from my phone, which is plugged in on the bedside table.
I rush from the bathroom, hoping that means I have notifications coming in. “Please, please, please, let there be reception!”
I grab my phone from the plug and see there’s one text message notification. My heart does a little flip but my face immediately falls when I see there aren’t any bars and no internet. There must have been something for a brief second, but now there’s nothing.
I puff out an annoyed breath, the relaxation I felt after my orgasm and little nap exiting my body. My shoulders tense, and I tap the notification to see it’s a text from Avery. I expect it to be a question about if I made it to the Roads Motel safely, but it’s not.
AVERY:
Tim didn’t deliver the eviction notice.
My stomach turns over, and the back of my throat gets tight, but I don’t have time to fully react to her not checking in onme because I really read and take in her message. I read it again, irritation building until I feel like I’m going to explode.
“Fucking fuck!” I stalk over to the window and look outside. It’s after seven now, and it’s dark. Despite the lack of daylight, I see snow falling in heavy flakes again. There’s no way I can leave tonight, and I’m sure I won’t be able to leave tomorrow.
I shift my gaze so I can see the main street, the area I walked earlier to the bakery. It’s lit up with streetlights and holiday lights, and the behemoth tree near the ice skating rink glows in all its annoying multicolored glory.
I’d gotten semi used to the overdone Christmas decor during my time with Remi, but now, it feels even more oppressive. Why? Because idiot-sandwich Tim didn’t do his job, and he might lose it. Or at the very least get demoted to a lower-paying position.
