Page 154 of A Very Merry Enemy
I’m too distracted.
“It’s okay,” Bella says quickly as she rushes inside. “We’ll make another batch. No big deal. No use crying over burnt cookies.”
How am I supposed to perform tomorrow in front of the judges, cameras, and Dominic if I’m making mistakes like this?
I force myself to focus. The next ones come out perfect. By the time Wendy arrives at seven, we’ve got a few thousand cookies cooling, and more in the oven.
By nine, the line is wrapped around the building. Everyone wants to wish me luck, take photos with me, and tell me they’re rooting for us. I force smile after smile until my face hurts. Every time my phone buzzes, I flinch, expecting another text from Dominic. But he stays silent.
We sell out by one o’clock, and Bella shoos me toward the door. “Go rest. You need it for tomorrow.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes,” she confirms. “Wendy and I have this.”
“Thank you,” I tell her.
I drive home and force myself into the shower, trying to wash away the memory of that video thumbnail. It doesn’t work, but I try to scrub away the feeling of Dominic’s hands on me and his voice in my ear, along with all the things I did so he’d love me. I slide into some buttery-soft black leggings and an oversized cream-colored sweater, grab my overnight bag, and head to Lucas’s house.
“Staying with a friend,” I tell my mom and dad.
“Tell Lucas we said hi,” Mom says with a smirk.
I grin, then leave. The drive over to his house takes longer than I want because there is still a line to get into the Christmas tree farm. In December, they do sleigh rides, photos with Santa, and have live bands play. It’s an experience that everyone wants. Leaving the farm is easy, but returning is hard, even with the shortcut that leads to the Jolly loop where his entire family lives.
When I arrive, I look at the house he built, the one we talked about when we were teenagers. Christmas lights twinkle around the eaves. Before I make it to the porch, he’s opening the front door, smirking at me. He’s shirtless and wearing gray joggers. My eyes slide up and down his body, and I can’t believe he’s looking at me like this. It takes my breath away.
“Hurry, my nipples are so hard they could cut ice,” he tells me with a laugh, shoving his hands into his pockets.
My face cracks into a smile, and I pick up my pace. I rush up the steps, and he pulls me inside, closing the door behind me. The warmth of his house wraps around me immediately, and I can smell something cooking that makes my stomach rumble for the first time all week.
“There you are,” he says, taking my overnight bag and tossing it by the stairs. “Was starting to think you got lost.”
“Traffic was insane getting back onto the farm.”
“Yeah, December is nuts.” He pulls me against him, and I melt into his chest. “How are you holding up after this morning?”
“Better now that I’m here.”
He tilts my chin up to look at him. “That video he sent was bullshit. You know that, right?”
“I know. I just?—”
“Nope.” He puts his finger over my lips. “We’re not talking about him tonight. Tonight is about us. About getting you relaxed and ready for tomorrow. About reminding you that you’re a badass who’s going to destroy everyone at that contest.”
Lucas always knows how to make me smile. “A badass?”
“The baddest.” He grins and that dimple appears. “Now come on. I made dinner, and if you don’t eat, I’m gonna have to kick your ass.”
“I haven’t been hungry lately.”
Lucas takes my hand and leads me to the kitchen. “When’s the last time you ate a full meal? Not that girl dinner bullshit.”
I think about it. “I don’t remember.”
“That’s what I thought.” He guides me to the kitchen island, and I slide onto a stool. “I made your favorite.”
When I get stressed, I lose my entire appetite. I’ve been so busy, the only reason I know the date is because the contest is tomorrow.
