Page 93 of Endless December (Sleepless November Saga 2)

Jason cheers and wraps his arms around me. “Not a single word from him, I promise.”

Once he lets me go, he takes out his phone and heads toward the door, shouting that he will see us all tonight. I lean against the counter and throw my head back.

“So much for not seeing Holden.” Dawson remarks, yelping when Sky smacks him in the arm.

WE PULL UP TO the house, everyone in the car looking at me to make sure I don’t crumble into a million pieces. If it wasn’t Jason’s birthday, I’d make Dawson turn around and drive me home right now. Instead, I give myself a second to breathe and get out of the car.

“Just stay by my side. You’ll be okay.” Dawson tells me.

I give him a knowing look. “I can’t cling to you, you’re engaged.”

“Uh, hello.” Sky sasses. “It’s not like I’d think anything is going on between you two. If that’s what helps you feel better, hang all over him.”

I give her thankful smile and we head inside. As soon as we get in the door, people start looking at me and whispering to each other. Apparently, word travels fast when it comes to the most wanted guy on campus.

Looking in the kitchen, I can see Holden standing there talking to Jo and some other girl next to him. As the whispers make their way through the house, him and I make eye contact. I half expect him to try to talk to me, but instead he just frowns and goes back to talking to his sister. I guess J

ason kept his promise.

Speak of the devil, the birthday boy comes up and wraps his arms around me – picking me up and spinning me around. “You came!” He shouts excitedly.

“I told you I would.”

Caleb comes up behind him and kisses my cheek. “How’re you doing?” He questions.

Nodding, I play it cool. “Good.”

If he knows I’m lying, he doesn’t call me out on it. “Glad to hear it.”

In the middle of a conversation with Jason about them preparing for the NCAA Hockey Championship, I glance over his shoulder to see Holden with his arm around the girl he was with when I walked in. My stomach drops at the sight, and without a second though, I step closer to Dawson. He hesitates for a second but when he sees Holden, it clicks and he wraps his arm around my waist to pull me close. Jason gives us a strange look but when he glances back, it all clicks.

“You two are exhausting.” He jokes, referring to Holden and me.

The night goes on and it honestly starts to feel like a pissing war. However, I don’t think there is a single part of him that honestly believes Dawson and I are anything but friends. He knows he’s engaged, so despite the amount of physical contact between us, it’s obviously platonic. If he had left Skylar for me, she wouldn’t be here with us tonight. It isn’t until Dawson wraps his arms around me from behind, the same way Holden used to, that my ex looks like he got stabbed in the chest. I smirk victoriously and try to go on with my night.

“What the fuck are you doing?” Josephine snaps, grabbing my arm and yanking me from Dawson’s hold.

“What?” I ask, caught off guard by her anger. “I’m not doing anything he’s not doing.”

She crosses her arms in front of her defensively. “Oh please, I think if anything he gets a free pass. I mean you broke up with him when he needed you the most.”

“Needed me most? What the hell are you talking about?” I grow angry at her words. “Is that what he told you?! He wouldn’t talk to me! I asked him a million times to tell me what was wrong, and he wouldn’t tell me! Instead, he confided in Bianca about it.”

Her jaw drops and she looks at Holden and then back to me. “Wait, so he didn’t tell you?”

“Tell me what?!”

“That it’s the ten-year anniversary of his parents’ death.”

As her words register in my brain, the entire world stops moving. My body goes cold and the pain in my chest is excruciating. Visions of Holden’s behavior two weeks ago play through my mind and suddenly, they all make sense.

“Oh, my god.” I gasp. “Why wouldn’t he tell me that?”

Jo shakes her head. “I have no idea, but you need to talk to him.”

“No.” I refuse. “He’s with that girl. I don’t think that’s a good idea. He’s clearly moved on.”

“Please.” She scoffs. “You and I both know he’s only using her to make you jealous. Go!”

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