Page 9 of Holiday Unscripted
“Oh, now she cares.” I roll my eyes as she hugs me and swings me from side to side.
“It’s been two and a half hours since I landed, and instead of you guys tearing up the country looking for me, you’re all here. I could have been kidnapped and taken to some cellar somewhere.”
“Okay, let’s simmer down.” My brother Jack comes into the room, a huge smile on his face. He looks exactly like my dad. “I think you’re giving yourself a lot of credit.”
He takes me in his arms and gives me the biggest bear hug ever. “I’m prime picking.” I look over at my father, who rolls his eyes, and then at my mother, who smiles through her tears.
“All my kids together.”
“What took you so long?” Jack asks when he lets me go.
“They lost my luggage,” I reply and my mother gasps. “I know, so much for packing early.”
“You must be starving. Let’s get you something to eat,” my mother says, grabbing my hands and pulling me into the kitchen where I’m greeted with about forty family members. It takes me forever to make it through to everyone and then stop beside Joshua, who has his foot up on the table with a bag of ice draped over it. “Oh, here we go.” I roll my eyes. “What’s wrong with you?”
“It’s badly sprained,” he states as I bend to hug him and then ruffle his hair. He tries to get away from me, but given the fact he has one foot, it’s easy for me to fuck with him.
“You better go rub some dirt on that and get your ass up. Lots to do.” I clap my hand sitting next to him. “Chop-chop, groomzilla.”
He laughs at me and I can feel eyes on me. My head turns to the side and there he is. My brother’s best friend. My brother’s very hot best friend. The same best friend who shared one night with me right before I decided to go away on my semester abroad. The same guy who I had a crush on my whole teenage era. “Nate.” I nod my head at him, the same guy who ghosted me when I left. “Surprised to see you here.”
“I don’t know why.” He smirks at me, and his chestnut-brown hair is brushed to the side from his fingers, those green eyes of his shine bright. I could never forget those eyes. They change from green to gray to yellow depending on the moment. “I’m usually always here.” He is not lying. He and Joshua are almost joined at the hip. My whole childhood has stories with him in it. When someone was teasing me in ninth grade, it was Joshua and Nate who made sure the guy stopped. When I got drunk at a party and needed a ride home, I would call him before I would call Joshua. He’s also the only man I think I’ve ever sort of loved...until he fucking ghosted me and now shall remain public enemy number one.
“Yeah,” I respond, and then my mother calls my name.
“Elizabeth.” She comes to me, with a plate in her hand. “Here, eat something.”
“Mom,” I say, looking at the plate of pasta, “I would love to, but I’m exhausted. I’ve been up for twenty-eight hours. I just want a shower and a bed.” I get up. “So if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to head to my room.”
“Um…” She hesitates, looking at me with wide eyes as she looks over to my father. “About that.” I tilt my head to the side.
“About that what?” I ask, not sure I want to know, but somehow thinking I’m going to be sleeping on the couch tonight.
“You see there was a water pipe valve that exploded at the hotel,” my mother starts.
“Okay,” I say, not sure why this has to be part of the story.
“And, well, the guests have to be?—”
I hold up my hand. “Are you saying you gave away my bedroom?” I point to myself. “Like my bedroom with my stuff in it?”
I can hear Nate snickering from beside Joshua. “Snap,” he says under his breath.
“It’s okay. I think you can, maybe, stay with one of your uncles, but with the hotel being shut down, everyone is trying to get situated and accounted for.”
“Did you not think that I needed to be accounted for?” I ask her but she doesn’t say anything, just wrings her hands nervously. “So I have nowhere to stay?” I look at her, then at my father. My mother’s mouth hangs open as she tries to find the words and she looks at my father, who looks at her, both of them with eyes that look like they are about to explode from their heads.
“I mean,” Nate now starts, “if you want, you could stay with me.” My eyes look over at him. “I have a spare bedroom, and it’s not claimed, so it’s all yours.”
CHAPTER 4
Nate
IT’S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR
“So I have nowhere to stay?” My eyes train on Elizabeth, who stands there looking like her head is about to explode. You know, like in the cartoons when the character’s eyes widen and then they start glancing side to side, only for their eyes to pop out of their sockets and then steam comes out of their ears. I have to roll my lips together to stop from bursting out laughing as she looks at her mother, who has her mouth hanging open. Her mom looks over at Zack, who I think looks like he’s about to have a stroke.
“Oh my God,” she shrieks and throws her hands up in the air and then back down again.
