Page 11 of Holiday Ever After

“And to our very own Liam Cody. We thank you for your service.” I gaze at Liam while the town claps. He stares straight and nods his thanks. When the mayor announces it’s finally time, the entire town starts the countdown.

Ten. Nine. Eight.

“Tell me you’ll do this with me forever.”

Seven. Six. Five.

“One day, I’ll put the biggest ring on your finger and get you to marry me.”

Four. Three. Two.

“Tell me you’ll forever be mine, Holls.”

One.

The lights flash in the most beautiful array of colors. You can feel the surge of joy as the bright bulbs dazzle onto the smiling faces in the crowd. The choir sings, and everyone holds hands in the first annual town Christmas carol. Liam takes my hand, and I startle, barely registering it when my mom takes my other. He stares down at our hands, then locks his gaze on mine. The kiss we shared under the magical tree. The one that bonded us forever…which wasn’t forever at all.

“Tell me you didn’t. Tell me you didn’t!”

“Holly, please. Hear me out. You can come with me. They do housing for—”

“Stop. I’ve heard enough.”

“You’ve heard nothing. You’re not even listening to me.”

He grabs my hand, but I rip it away. “Don’t touch me. I can’t believe you did this. After everything that’s happened. This is selfish.”

“How is it selfish? I’m doing what’s right—what he would’ve wanted.”

“He would not have wanted you to go over there. He would’ve wanted you to stay with me.” My voice cracks, and I choke back a sob.

His tone is softer when he speaks again. “I’m going to be with you, Holly. It’s only for a couple year—”

“It’s a suicide mission!” I scream. “He said the same thing, and he never came back! That was his journey—not yours. We have a plan. Our own plan.”

He exhales slowly, his mind already made. “And things change. I’m asking for two years.”

I shake my head violently as the tears fall. “No, you’re asking me to wait behind until I get the same call my mother did.”

“You won’t.”

“You don’t know that!”

“I know I would never leave you—”

“But you are! That is exactly what you’re doing. You are abandoning our plan to go across the world and fight a battle with no good ending. You’re sitting here promising me things you have no right to. Do you think my brother signed up to die? When he waved goodbye to my parents, do you think he knew it would be for the last time? Do you think he knew he was going to get blown to smithereens all because he wanted to help someone? If so, you’re foolish. And definitely not the man I thought you were.”

My words are harsh, but I’m desperate. Backed up into a corner with no way out. He wants to leave me to fight a losing war. My pleading turns to anger. I spew out threats. It’s the only way. He’ll have to choose me. He’ll choose us. “I won’t be part of this. I won’t wait for you, let alone go with you. And don’t expect me to see you off. You’ll be nothing to me. Because that’s clearly all I am if you do this to us.”

My heartrate speeds up. My chest cracks. My breathing becomes rapid. I’m falling apart all over again.

I break away, tearing my hand from his, and turn around, pushing through the crowd. Tears pour down my cheeks as I tug at my jacket for air. I find solace down an alley and hide in the darkness, heaving in deep breaths.

“Holly.”

I throw my hand behind me as I almost keel over. “Get away from me.” He makes his way deeper into the alley. I whip around. “I said leave. I don’t want to see you. I want absolutely nothing to do with you.”

“Too bad. Because I think it’s about time we hash this out.”

“Hash it out? Hash what out?”

“We’re both still angry. That’s apparent. And I’m done fucking feeling this way. You probably want answers, and damn straight, so do I.”

Oh, the nerve. I storm up to him, jabbing my index finger into his chest. “Answers? You’re damn straight I want answers. For starters, was it worth it? Throwing everything away for someone else’s dream. To break my fucking heart and destroy the only path I knew—the only one I wanted. Was it worth it?”

“That’s a selective memory you have, Holls.”

“Pretty sure that’s exactly what happened.”

Liam tucks his hands into his jacket pockets. “Would’ve never made you give up your dreams. I would’ve done anything to make you happy. I just asked one thing of you.”

I scoff at him. “You asked me to give up our entire life plan so you could go follow someone else’s dreams. My heart broke once, I wasn’t going to allow it to break all over again.”

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