Page 64 of Stealing His Christmas Present

“Why? You didn’t have to do that.”

“Because I want you to have it. But now we need to get ready. Santa didn’t give you those ice skates for nothing.” She winked at me.

A smile tugged at my lips. “I see. Then let’s go.”

***

“I THOUGHT THIS WOULDbe easier,” I said as I clutched Claudia’s hand, trying really hard not to slip on the ice and fall on my face.

“It just takes some getting used to. And it’s not the end of the world if we fall.” She grinned.

I smiled back at her.

She was so nice and so amazing I didn’t understand how it was possible she didn’t have a boyfriend.

Sure, she was a mafia princess who was constantly protected, but that wouldn’t have stopped her, and she must have had plenty of chances to meet someone, especially when Stella often threw parties for everyone because of her schools.

Maybe I should just ask.

“Have you ever been here with someone you liked?” I asked.

“Um, my family. You.”

“Did your family not let you go on dates? There must’ve been someone you liked. Or did you prefer to go somewhere else?”

Her forehead creased. “Wait, are you talking about a boyfriend? No, I never had one. I was never interested in anyone. Not like that. No dates or anything. I was too worried they’d turn out to be gang members or serial killers.” The corners of her mouth lifted up, but her eyes were serious.

“Because of me?”

“Well, you were the first guy I found attractive and actually liked. The first guy who wasn’t connected to my family in some way. But then I found out who you really were, and I almost got killed, so... I just didn’t want to risk it.

“I’m a mafia princess. I had to accept that. People will always try to get to my family through me. And you broke my heart. I just didn’t feel like going through that again. Even if the guy turned out to be normal, what was I supposed to do? Lie to him forever about who I was and what my family did? I don’t know. It just didn’t feel right.”

I stared at her in shock.

It was my fault.

My fault that she hadn’t been living her life the way she was supposed to. And like an idiot, I’d always thought about what the two of us meeting had done to me, and not about what it might have done to her or how it had affected her.

I’d believed she’d ruined my life, but I had ruined hers.

What was I even doing right now? Pretending that she and I could be together? Living some Christmas fantasy that was never going to become real?

I was sure Claudia’s family only tolerated me because they believed Claudia’s lie. If they knew the truth, they’d kill me.

Maybe they didn’t want to contradict her now so they wouldn’t upset her after what she’d been through, but there was no way they were going to let her waste her time and life with someone like me.

She deserved so much better than me.

Someone who wasn’t so fucked up.

Someone who could give her the kind of life that she needed.

“Oh, we need to hurry,” Claudia said. “We don’t want to be late for Christmas dinner.”

I should leave.

I should let her enjoy her time with her family, but I want the best Christmas of my life to last a bit longer, even if it was selfish of me.

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