Page 37 of Holiday Ever After

“Say what?”

“Oh, okay. Hey, Holly, before I confess my everlasting love for you, let me tell you I’m being deployed again!” I scream.

“What the fuck are you talking about?”

“Don’t play coy with me. Mary told me everything. She saw you with a recruiter the day you went out for eggs. Said you signed up for another tour. And to think spilling my heart to you might have actually meant something.”

“Holly—”

“No! Don’t you Holly me! I was committing to you. I meant it when I confessed my love for you. And I meant it when I said it was only you.”

Liam throws his hands up. “Then what the fuck is that idiot doing here?”

“He just showed up! He begged me to talk, and it was right after Mary got to me. I said fine because I needed to get out of there. I was going to offer him thirty seconds and a kick in the ass on the way out, but then he started babbling, and before I could toss him to the curb, he was on one knee!”

He stares at me, his chest heaving. He rubs the back of his neck, and I wait for him to tell me off and turn around again. I won’t be opposed to jumping on his back this time.

“Are you going home?” he asks, worry in his tone.

“I don’t know,” I reply with honesty. I love Willow Falls, but there’s so much more to offer outside this small town.

“Do you plan on staying?” he asks again.

“I don’t know that either.” If he’s leaving, there’s no reason for me to stay.

He swipes his hand down his face, releasing a heavy sigh. His tone has lost its bite. This time when he speaks, it creates a knot in my belly. “Then what are we doing here? Why are we putting each other through this if we can’t decide what we want?”

“I do know what I want. But I know I can’t stay here while you leave me again. I won’t lose you twice. For you to do so after everything we’ve gotten back makes me question what all of this has been.” My voice sounds broken. Pained. My shoulders slump in defeat. I wipe at a chilled tear, fighting for a strong breath. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe this was just us trying to relive a past that’s just that.”

Liam walks toward me, stopping when his boots touch mine. He gently grabs my chin, forcing my tearful eyes to look at him. “Not a day went by that I didn’t regret leaving you. I can’t tell you how many times I wanted to quit and come home. Find you and tell you we belonged together. I was living half a life without you. And then, you were here, and my heart started beating again. This warmth melted the cold inside me. I didn’t care about the past or the time we spent apart.” His thumb brushes along my lower lip. “Because just seeing you brought me back to life. Nothing else in the world compares to you. Even before I had you in my arms, in my bed, I knew I would never again risk losing you. I would choose you.”

We stare at one another, tears soaking my face. “Then why are you leaving again?”

He brushes away a tear. “Holly, there wasn’t a recruiter here. The person Mary saw me talking to was Jensen Weller’s son, my dad’s best friend. He’s in town for his grandmother’s birthday. Not everyone who wears camo is enlisted. Jesus. She was just trying to get under your skin.”

My eyes widen. “Wait, you didn’t—you’re not leaving?”

“No. I never was.”

More tears well up in my eyes and pour out. I grit my teeth. “That bitch baited me, and I fell for it.” I’m going to stomp back over to the festival and rip her fake hair out.

“Holly.”

Then rip each cat nail off one by one.

“Holly.”

Her fake eyelashes.

“Holly!”

“What?”

“I love you.” Leaning in, he presses his lips to mine in the most breathtaking kiss. He parts my lips with his tongue, inviting himself to explore my mouth. All the tension bleeds from my body as I sigh into our kiss, wrapping my arms around him. He devours my mouth until it feels like I’m floating.

“I love you too. Only you. Always you.”

He deepens our kiss, stirring the nest of butterflies. I debate on dragging him to the nearest Christmas manger display and ripping all his clothes off—

“Holly.” Behind us, Vincent says my name, killing our magical moment. I send up a small prayer that Santa falls off the roof and takes him out. Liam tenses, and we pull apart. “Hey, man.” He waves at Liam, and I slap my hand against Liam’s chest to stop him from going after him. “Holly, you mind if we finish that conversation. Inside. Without him.”

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