Page 36 of Christmas in Vines

If you did set the flashing lights and glitz and glamour of the season aside, it truly was a season for bonding or re-bonding. I spied a young couple, a guy grabbing at his girlfriend as her ankle twisted. There was an older couple gliding around the rink with seasoned practice.

“It’s an actual rink,” I murmured.

Willow grabbed my hand and squeezed it. Her breath escaped in a filmy cloud. “I told you.”

The skaters swirled and spun like dancers on a stage. “Do you know how to skate?” she asked.

“I used to skateboard,” I said, “I had a scooter even, but I don’t think those qualify.”

“No, they don’t,” Willow pulled me to a booth where the rentals were handled, and we soon got skates.

I looked at the thin blade. “You want me to balance onthis?”

“Yes,” she said, standing on the skates like she was born on them. “C’mon.”

Bracing my hands on the edge of the bench, I tried to stand, got up too fast, flailed a little and nearly face planted—but Willow grabbed me. Her lips twitched. “Creep before you walk or run, bronco.”

“This is your fault.” I felt uneasy standing on a thin blade, an inch off the ground. I grabbed the rails and hobbled toward the edge of the rink, with her skating like a pro at my side.

She even turned and skated backward, and I glared at her. “Show off.”

Appearing at my side, she said, “Give me your hands.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

“No.”

“Yes,” she pried my hands from the rails and pulled me forward. “You’ll be fine. Let me teach you—" My balance faltered, I dug my heels in… I soon learned that was the wrong move to make. I plopped—bottom first—onto the cold, hard ice and took Willow with me. She landed on my chest with an “—Oof.”

Winded, I tucked my head up. “You were saying?”

“Okay, fine,” Willow laughed and untangled our octopus legs—while people laughed around us—then stood and brushed her knees off. “So, it’s harder than it looks. But you can learn the basics.”

I let Willow guide me around the rink, and I did my best to keep on my feet, despite the subtle scent of her perfume and her nearness tempting me to say fuck all this and kiss her. She finally coaxed me off the hand holding and let me take my baby steps alone—with windmill arms.

After five minutes of torture, Willow had mercy on me and looped her arms around my neck and we swayed and staggered for several seconds, mostly me struggling to remain upright. My arms were around her waist, and it didn’t matter that so many people skated around us, or that kids were around.

Brushing a loose curl from her cheek, I leaned forward and kissed her. It was gentle at first, a tender kiss; her lips were soft, sweeter and I wanted more. Willow wrapped her arms around my neck and drew me closer.

I deepened the kiss—briefly, I didn’t want to be told toget a room—and the rest of the world fell away; as far as I was concerned, we were the only two people that existed, wrapped up in a blanket of warmth, hope, and happiness. When we came up for air, I held her as if she was the most precious thing in the world. Because—I was honestly starting to feel like it.

“I think that is enough for me tonight,” I said while my eyes roamed over her face. “Nearly broke my neck, probably fractured my back, I am pretty sure I shattered my coccyx.”

“Your coccyx,” her eyes lightened with a tease. “Someone learned a new word. Have you been reading the dictionary behind my back?”

“Oh, that’s it.” I forgot that I was on skates, dipped to haul her over my shoulder, and mid-lift—pitched back and landed flat on my back again.

With her laughing on top of me, I grunted. “That’s it. That’s all for me tonight. I may need a hospital.”

“I’ll kiss your boo-boo’s better,” Willow said while untangling us—again—and pulling us up.

I limped to the railings, inched to the front and plopped on the bench while Willow retrieved our shoes. After handing the rented skates over and ducking outside, with my arm around Willow’s shoulders, my eye landed on Harry, my asshole housemate, and I froze. He looked away to make it seem like he had not seen me, but Willow’s face was in plain view, and I knew he had seen us.

“Tyler?” she asked, and I felt her concerned gaze on the side of my neck. “Are you okay?”

Turning back to her, I smiled—or attempted to, at least. “Yeah. I’m fine.”

---