Page 186 of A Very Merry Enemy
“Thanks for hosting,” Holiday says, taking a glass.
“Are you kidding? I love New Year’s.” Claire beams.
“I love it, too, wifey.” Jake appears beside us with a beer in hand. “Ready to tell everyone?”
“I guess,” I mutter.
Jake climbs onto a barstool so he towers over everyone, and Claire yells at him to be careful. My brother cups his hands around his mouth. “Everyone! Shut up for, like, ten seconds!”
The music gets turned down and conversations die out as people turn to look.
“My baby brother has an announcement,” Jake says, gesturing to us.
All eyes turn in our direction. Holiday’s hand finds mine, and I give it a squeeze.
“So,” I start, pulling Holiday closer to my side. “We’ve got some news.”
Holiday holds up her left hand and the diamond catches the light. “We’re engaged!”
The room explodes with cheers.
Even though Wendy and Bella already know, they rush over. So do Sammy, Eli, Matteo, and Dean. Everyone is talking at once. The girls surround Holiday, squealing and demanding to see the ring up close. I catch snippets of their conversations. Theguys slap me on the back, and Jake makes a joke about me finally settling down.
“Dude, I knew you were waiting for Holiday,” Marcus, one of my old high school friends, says.
“That obvious?” I ask, watching her just a few feet away from me. Our eyes catch each other, and she grins.
I love that we can hold a full-ass conversation without saying a single word.
“Yeah, everyone knew you two had it bad.” He smirks.
Another friend, Ryan, hands me a beer. “Did you cry?”
“Like a baby,” I say with a chuckle.
Everyone laughs, and someone starts a round of congratulatory shots. Within minutes, Holiday and I are bombarded with the same questions over and over.
When’s the wedding?
Who’s in the wedding party?
Am I invited?
Holiday tucks some hair behind her ear as she shows off the ring. She’s glowing.
Every few seconds, she glances over at me. When our eyes meet, she smiles like we’re sharing a secret.
About twenty minutes into the celebration, I feel a hand on my shoulder. I turn to find Hudson standing there, looking slightly out of breath.
“Hey, man. Didn’t think you’d make it,” I say.
“I’m not staying.” He glances around, making sure no one’s paying attention. “Can I talk to you for a second? Outside?”
“Yeah, sure.”
I follow him out to the back porch. It’s freezing compared to the party inside. Hudson reaches into his jacket and pulls out a cream-colored envelope. It’s thick, bulging with something more substantial than just a letter.
“Emma wanted me to bring this to you.” He hands it to me. “Give it to Holiday at midnight. Not before. She was very specificabout that. And trust me when I say, you do not want to piss her off regarding this, okay?”
