Page 10 of Say Yule Stay
“I didn’t think about it, Murph. I just left,” I tell him, looking outside at the falling snow. “I thought I’d get to Mom and Dad’s and then figure it out, but I ended up in Walker’s front yard instead.”
“Fine. I’m just mad I can’t get there till next week.”
“I know. And seriously, this isn’t how I planned on spending my time either.”
“I think there are worse ways than cuddling up with Walker.”
“What?”I whisper-hiss, turning and looking behind me as if Walker could possibly hear Murphy from the other room.
He can’t, but my heart beats wildly in my chest while my brother just chuckles. “Oh, come on, Lace. You two have always had something going on.”
“There has never?—”
“Okay, so now’s your chance.”
“Why are you pushing this?” I ask when the real question iswhy am I fighting this?
Shouldn’t I want my brother’s blessing to do…somethingwith his best friend?
“I’m not. I just think you guys would be great together, that’s all.” Murphy’s voice is gentle, and I feel a twinge of guilt for overreacting.
“I still live in Chicago and he lives here. He made the choice to leave, and I don’t want to come back here. I mean, we moved for a reason, right?”
My brother doesn’t respond right away, and I have to pull the phone away from my ear to make sure I didn’t drop the call. “We moved because we wanted to see things beyond Starlight Bay, and we have. There’s no shame in missing where you started, Lace. Going back home doesn’t mean you failed, just that you’re ready for a new adventure.”
“And you’re fine with that? Being out there all by yourself?” I snap, defensiveness in my tone.
Instead of backtracking or apologizing, he laughs.
Hard.
“I can see you’re completely in denial, so we’ll talk about this later,” Murphy finally says once he’s regained his composure. “Use a condom, and tell Walker I said hi.”
“What—”
I don’t get the chance to say anything else because the line goes dead and I’m left standing there in shock.
I have no idea how I’m supposed to unpack all that, but one thing is clear. I’m definitelygoing to need a drink.
10
WALKER
“Everything okay?” I ask as Lacey walks back into the kitchen and heads straight for the bottle of gin I keep on the counter. I could be more civilized, I guess, but I left all my sophistication in Chicago.
And the counter works just fine.
“Sometimes I feel like I’ve never met that man in my life,” she grumbles, taking a swig from the bottle before pulling a glass down from the cabinet.
Wow.
She glares when I take the bottle from her and cap it, crossing my arms as I wait for her to spill. She’s only had a donut since she got here, and there’s no way downing a bottle of alcohol is going to end well.
“Lace.”
“I don’t know, okay?” She throws her arms out wide as we face off. “It was weird and—” My phone buzzes on the counter as she growls and runs her fingers through her blonde hair. “Aren’t you going to get that?”
“No.”
