Page 175 of A Very Merry Enemy
Afterward, we lie tangled together in my sheets. She’s tracing the tattoos on my chest with her fingertip, and her breathing evens out as she drifts toward sleep.
I hold her and stare at the ceiling.
She has to decide again if it will be her dream or me. Nashville or Merryville. And just like before, I have no idea what she’ll choose.
I think about asking her to stay without begging. I want to tell her I can’t lose her again, that I need her here, that Merryville is her home. But that would be selfish, and she’s already sacrificed so much. She’s already given up years of her life and career to Dominic.
I won’t be another person who asks her to give up her dreams, even if it destroys me.
Holiday’s breathing deepens, and she’s asleep in my arms.
I press a kiss to her hair and close my eyes as I inhale her scent.
Whatever happens, we’ll figure it out.
Wehaveto.
CHAPTER 36
HOLIDAY
Aweek has passed since we won the competition.
For seven days, Lucas has pretended everything’s fine when I can see the worry painted in his green eyes. It feels like forced normalcy as we continue our routine. We’ve prepped dough in the afternoons, had dinner with our families, and I’ve slept in his bed while he holds me like I’ll vanish. Lucas has been so damn supportive. It just breaks my heart that he thinks there is any choice other than him.
The day after the contest, he asked me to take the remaining nine days to consider my decision. It was important to him that I didn’t rush into it, and he made me promise to think about what I want. Lucas has always been concerned about me regretting my choices. And I get it. I would never want to hold him back from true happiness, either.
The opportunity I’ve been offered is huge. It deserves serious consideration, so I get his concern. This one decision could change the trajectory of my entire career.
Lucas and I haven’t talked about it recently. He doesn’t want to influence my decision to stay or to go and is leaving it solely up to me. Yesterday at the bakery, he opened his mouth like he was going to ask, then closed it and turned away to measureflour. Even when I begged him to tell me what he was going to say, he made a joke and said he forgot. I know better, though. We grew up together, and I can read him like a book. He knows that.
My reflection stares back at me from the bathroom mirror. I’m wearing a red sweater, dark jeans, and my hair is down in loose waves, exactly how he likes it. I hear Lucas’s boots on the hardwood floor as he gets dressed in his bedroom.
Tonight is the Winter Solstice celebration at the town festival. It’s one of the biggest Christmas events that Merryville throws. There will be a tree lighting ceremony, a bonfire, carnival rides, and so much more. It’s a time when the whole town comes together to celebrate the magic of Merryville. Myth has it that once people come here, they never want to leave.
I used to believe it was an old wives’ tale until I left. My heart brought me back here. It’s the only place that’s ever felt like home.
“You ready?” Lucas appears in the doorway, wearing a dark green sweater that makes his eyes look like the same shade as an evergreen.
“Yeah.” I give him a smile, admiring how handsome he is. “Just need to grab my coat.”
I walk past him, trailing my fingers across his abs, feeling his muscles flex as I pass. Touching him, just because I can, is one of my favorite things. For so long, I felt like I was in prison, forced to keep my hands to myself. Now, I take every opportunity I can get. So does he.
Lucas watches me pull my jacket on, and he looks at me like he’s trying to memorize this moment. Like we’re running out of time.
We’re not.
The drive to the fairgrounds takes fifteen minutes. One of his hands stays on the wheel while the other holds mine. Christmas music plays low on the radio, filling the silence, but neither of us sings along.
“You okay?” I ask.
“I’m better than okay, Peaches.” Lucas squeezes my hand and kisses my knuckles. “Let’s have fun tonight.”
When we pull into the parking lot, I can see how packed it already is. We get out, and in the distance, the bonfire blazes against the night sky. It’s massive. Christmas lights are strung everywhere, wrapped around trees, outlining buildings, and draped between lampposts. The Ferris wheel towers above it all, and it’s lit up like a rainbow.
“Wow,” I breathe out, closing my eyes. I feel like I’m being transported back in time. Lucas and I always went to the festival together. As we’d walk around, our fingers would lightly brush together, but even when we barely touched, I’d get warm fuzzies.
We walk toward the entrance, and I hook my finger with his. He turns and smiles at me, and I can’t help but smile back. In the distance, I can hear a mixture of different songs, kids screaming on rides, and laughter. Then I smell the funnel cakes and wood smoke from the bonfire.
