Page 28 of Fated Midlife Christmas
Amanda turned from the window. “I don’t see how we couldn’t be. Lars has a huge responsibility at home, one that his family has been carrying out for decades. I can’t ask him to leave that behind.”
Maeve nodded. “All right. And what about you?”
“I might not have the same history behind what I do, but I’m just as committed. I’ve got a duty to my coven and to my clients. Some of these people tell me that they don’t know what they’d do without me.” Amanda pushed off the windowsill and came back toward the couch. She’d left her hat on the end table next to the sofa, and now she picked it up and rotated the brim through her fingers. “I can’t leave, but if I did, it’d have to be for something good, not just romance.”
“Justromance?” Maeve gathered her long gray hair and pushed it behind her shoulders. “It’s not just romance when it’s your mate. It’s love, connection, and partnership. Everyone needs that.”
Those were all nice words, the sort of thing she’d fantasized about at one point in her life. Amanda wasn’t sure they were for her, though. “I don’t know that they’re aneed.”
“Amanda,” Maeve scoffed. “I don’t think you really believe that. I think you’re just convincing yourself of it because it’s too hard to deal with the truth. It’s difficult for anyone to look their own trauma in the face and tell it to leave them the hell alone. It’s much easier to just ignore what you need and take care of everyone else.”
“Sure, that would be easier,” Amanda relented. “But think about the alternative. If Lars and I tried to make this work, then one of us would have to make a huge sacrifice. These aren’t littlethings. It’s not deciding which sofa or fridge to keep. It’s our entire lives, and someone has to give that up.”
“Yes, but what you get in return could be absolutely magical.” Maeve got up and wrapped her arm around Amanda. “Even if you didn’tneedthat love and connection, don’t you think you deserve it, anyway?”
Amanda opened her mouth to reply, but no words came.
Apparently, the lack of reply was exactly what Maeve needed, because she gestured toward the couch. “Now, I’ll do what I can to help you get more in balance than you are. I can’t fix things, but I might be able to make them better.”
“All right.” Amanda put the hat back on the table and lay down. She closed her eyes and tried not to think about all that they’d discussed, but it was impossible. Was it right to ask someone to change their entire life for a relationship? And how could anyone give up everything they’d worked so hard for? Worst of all, what would happen if it didn’t actually work?
Amanda felt as though she had even fewer answers than before.
11
Lars admiredthe long row of construction paper Christmas trees stapled up in the hallway, still smelling of glue and crayons. “Did Arden make one of these?”
“That one.” Jace pointed out the correct artwork immediately. “He told me all about how he wanted to have every color of ornament on the tree possible.”
“It’s definitely colorful!” Lars laughed. “I’m glad that you invited me to come along tonight.”
“Of course. I know things haven’t gone as planned, with the Alexanders being sick and all, but there’s no reason why you can’t still celebrate with us.” Jace frowned. “I wish I knew what I could do.”
“So do I.” More than once, Lars had experimented with the ley line energy, trying to see if he could redirect it away from The Crimson Veil’s covenstead. He had to be discreet about his efforts. Something about Corinna Blackthorne made him worry about what the outcome might be if he were caught. Lars was ready to pay the price for anything he might do, but he knew his actions would also reflect on Artemis Eclipse. Unfortunately, whatever methods they were using to tap the natural energy ofthe earth were incredibly strong, and he hadn’t found a way to reverse their progress. Though it seemed most of the coven would be there tonight, Chelsea had stayed home to take care of Beck, Corbin, and the others.
“He’s all ready!” Erin announced as she came around the corner from a different hallway. Her cheeks were flushed and she was grinning ear-to-ear. “I just can’t wait for you all to see him in his reindeer costume. I took about a million pictures before I left him backstage, but that’s not as good as the real thing.”
“He actually let you take a picture?” Jace asked.
Erin shrugged. “No, not exactly, but I pulled mom privilege. I told him if he didn’t let me take a nice photo, then I’d go ahead and take one of him pouting. He changed his mind!”
“I guess we’d better get into the auditorium.” Jace looked toward the school's front doors as a new group of parents and families came in, bringing the chilly breeze with them. “Oh, there you are!”
“Just in time!” Maeve and Lucille had just walked in, along with Kristy and Jamie. “I forgot how hard it is to find a good parking space here when there’s an event going on.”
“I told you we should’ve left fifteen minutes earlier,” Lucille told her. “Oh, hello again, Lars. It’s nice to see you. Did Amanda come with you? I hadn’t heard from her this evening, and I wasn’t sure if she was going to get off work on time.”
“I haven’t talked to her today.” He kept his answer simple, but Lars could see the ripple of worry pass through the women when they heard this.
Jamie’s phone dinged. “Oh, she just sent me a text. She’ll be here, but not until right before it starts. I guess you can save her a seat,” she said to Lars as she moved toward the auditorium.
Tina, Dex, and Sage came in a few minutes later, and by the time they all got seated, they took up an entire row in the auditorium. “I guess we’re Arden’s Fan Club,” Kristy joked.
The aisle seat was left open for Amanda so she could duck in quickly once she arrived. Lars made sure he was next to it, though it was clear he didn’t need to make those arrangements. Everyone filed further into the row, thinking the same thing. Jace and Erin wanted to sit near the center, where they could get the best view with their cameras. Lucille and Maeve wished to be closer to the heating duct. He smiled to himself as he sat next to the empty seat, liking the idea that her whole family already knew what was happening between the two of them.
The details were still hazy. The wind had literally whipped away his chance to talk to her about it while they were skating, but he was still in Salem. As the coven members discussed other holiday plans, he thought about how he could get some alone time with Amanda.
The kiss on her porch had felt right in the moment, but his body wanted more. Lars craved that sense of connection with her, that intimacy that went beyond what any words could convey. Her warm body wrapped around his, her hair falling all around him…
