Page 58 of A Christmas For Holly

He studied me, a soft smile tugging at his lips. “And how do you feel?”

I took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “I feel… at peace. I don’t know how to explain it. Usually, I’m on edge all day, but here, with you… I’m just… okay.”

Lucas’s smile widened, his hand squeezing mine. “Maybe you don’t need the meds as much as you think. Maybe you just need some quiet.”

“Or maybe I just need you,” I blurted before I could stop myself, and Lucas chuckled, pulling me closer.

“Healed by my magic cock, you mean?”

“Asshole.” I launched myself at him, and we wrestled until I gave in and wriggled under him.

“I’m not going anywhere,” he said, his voice soft, and kissed me. “So, let’s see how long we can keep this peace going.”

We woke up to sunshine, the light streaming through the windows, casting a warm glow over the snow-covered world outside. We ran the generator and had power again, and the soft hum of the refrigerator in the corner reminded us that, at least for now, we weren’t completely cut off. The main power was still out, but this was the middle of nowhere, so that wasn’t a surprise. What did surprise me was how much I liked it—this quiet, this isolation.

I looked out of the window, but all I saw was snow—no sign of the road, no sign of anything except endless white. Still sleepy, Lucas stretched beside me and casually said, “Road’s probably not cleared yet. Maybe later today or probably tomorrow.”

And that was the moment it hit me—anxiety creeping up from the pit of my stomach. The snowplows coming meant the road would be open. Open roads meant we’d be digging the cars out, which meant… Lucas could go home. The idea made mychest tighten, a prick of something uncomfortable, something I didn’t want to face.

I tried to keep my voice steady, “Cool?”

It was so not cool. It was about as far from cool as possible.

He nodded, sitting up and running a hand through his messy hair. “Depends on how much snow is still blocking the mountain roads.”

I didn’t respond immediately; I watched the sunlight dance over the snow. This peaceful, quiet bubble we’d been in was about to burst. And I wasn’t sure how to handle it.

Becauseout theremight break me when reality hit home.

Chapter 24

Lucas

Now that Iknew the road might get cleared later today or, at worst, early tomorrow, my brain started to focus on the meeting I’d called about the parade. The meeting that never happened, thanks to this snowstorm. It floated to the front of my mind—as front and center as possible while I gazed down at Holly, sprawled across the bed, snoring softly. He clutched my pillow like he didn’t want to let go, as if maybe… he tried to hold onto me when I woke up feeling unsettled and slipped out from his arms.

Being here with Holly meant the pieces had fallen into place. It wasn’t only about wanting to kiss him, touch him, or be close. It was about more than that. It was about feeling like I wanted to be with him, waking up next to him, having breakfast, and holding his hand. I wanted to know what he was thinking, what he dreamed about. I wanted to be the one who made him feel safe, the one he leaned on.

I never expected falling in love to feel like this—so slow, deep, and all-encompassing. I didn’t even realize I could feel this way about anyone. But, with Holly, everything was different. And that scared me. It terrified me. Because if that was whatattraction was, then it wasn’t something I was used to handling. It was messy, and I didn’t know how to navigate it.

But at the same time, I couldn’t help but want more. I wanted everything with him.

It was waking up together, hugging all day, staying close, and sharing silences that didn’t need to be filled. It wasn’t just desire—it was something bigger, something more permanent, that scared the hell out of me.

Was this what love felt like? Or was this some temporary obsession that would fade once the snow melted and the roads opened? I didn’t know. All I knew was that the thought of leaving this, leavinghim, terrified me.

“You’re staring,” Holly mumbled, his voice rough with sleep.

“Thinking,” I replied, my eyes still on him.

“About what?” He stretched, propping himself up on his elbows, mussed and adorably confused.

I panicked, plucking the first thing that wasn’tfalling completely in love with Hollyout of thin air. “Health and safety,” I said.

He blinked, his eyebrows knitting together in confusion. “Huh?”

I sat up, rubbing the back of my neck, trying to make my rambling sound halfway coherent. “The Christmas parade. It’s dark, you know? The lighting outside the school—it’s a problem. We need more floodlights or something. The last thing we want is someone tripping in the dark and hurting themselves, and then the whole town is going to be on me about it. We could string some extra lights along the trees, but then there’s the issue of how we power them. There are safety concerns, and it’s on me as chief marshal to ensure everything’s up to code.”

I kept rambling about the parade, the lighting, and safety precautions, filling the space with words because the truth—that I was falling for him—was too much to admit.

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