Page 73 of Only Ever You

Their bodies clashed. The mistletoe landed on the ground again but Faye didn’t care, because when his arms came around her, she was safe.

Burying her face in Bash’s neck as much as his coat collar would allow, she inhaled the woody and spiced scent of him.

“Thank you.” Her voice warbled, but being in his arms was more soothing than anything else could be.

Bash’s woolly beanie brushed the side of her head. His voice went to someplace deep, like he held back emotion that tried to claw out. “Never thank me, Faye, for wanting to keep you safe.”

That’s all he had ever done.

Faye didn’t know how long they stood like that as the light flurry of snow turned to something heavier. Her heart eventually slowed down its rhythm and they broke apart to walk the short journey home.

Bash didn’t let her go completely though, keeping her hand in his every step of the way.

Whoever invented super soft Egyptian cotton towels could take all of Faye’s money. And whoever decided to add gold accents to the natural wood theme of theen-suitecould take all of her money too.

Wrapped in a white length of that cotton that barely covered her bottom as she finished up her skincare, she didn’t think her skin could glowthismuch in the depths of December. Perhaps it was because of the warm light bouncing off of the white marble and golden metals, oreven her happiness these days, though the shimmer from her body lotion was more likely the culprit.

Bash had dressed and made himself scarce early so she could have the hour to herself to shower and get ready. He shouldn’t be back any time soon.

She’d just ended a quick call with her mum when her ringtone cut off the music playing from her phone on the counter.

“Merry Christmas Eve!”

Faye put her step-sister on speaker and set the phone back down amongst her serums and moisturisers. “You sound like you’re on a sugar high,” she said.

“I am,” Ellie blurted. “We’ve already gotten throughtwotubs of chocolates between us. Scott’s mum and sisters are entertaining all of the kids on the playmat, so I’ve got approximately three minutes of peace to call you.”

“It’s been hectic here too, Bash’s nieces are non-stop. We baked doughnuts today.” Faye offered a quick run down as towhy.

“This uncle sounds intolerable.” Ellie’s voice turned cold, like down the line her mouth curled in a sneer. “I’d have kicked him out already.”

Faye definitely agreed. “No one will,” she said. “He came all of the way from Cambridge just to barge in. I’m trying to be polite but it’s hard when he’s constantly upsetting everybody. I haven’t seen Bash this frustrated in years.”

She continued working various layers of product into her forehead and cheeks, though the towel wrapped around her decided to jiggle its way looser and looser with each of her movements, until she was left clutching it with her armpits and elbows.

“Are you two still sharing a room?”

Faye’d tried to recall, but nowhere in the last decade had they slept side by side for more than one night in a row. At least she wouldn’t forget this experience.

“Yes and it’s been … good. Not strange. But he was being weird on the family walk yesterday.”

“How weird?” Ellie wondered.

Maybe she shouldn’t have brought this up, but Faye needed someone whose last name wasn’tPhillips-Dumontto bounce her thoughts off of. “He couldn’t quite look at me until he helped me up and over a stile. Even then, I slipped and he caught me—stop laughing.I don’t do this stuff on purpose just to have him catch me.”

Ellie’s snorted laughter carried through the speaker. “You like it when he holds you, Faye, there’s nothing wrong with that!”

Faye glossed right over that particular truth. “He’s being … different. I don’t know if it’s because it’s Christmas and he’s home, but he’s being extra sweet, and also kind of extra naughty too.”

“Did you just say ‘naughty’?”

As soon as she had, Faye glared at her bottle of serum, wondering if someone had replaced the collagen in it withtruth.

“Yes, get over it,” she answered, point blank. There was no other way to describe Bash’s teasing right now; their “self-care” chat, the fireman pole and the uniforms. How he’d played along with Imara’s tactlessness today about their friendship. All of the “bush” innuendo Faye still hadn’t scrubbed from her mind.

She waited for Ellie to stop laughing.

“Explain yourself, Faye, please, or else I’m sending Santa to find out just how naughty or nice yourbest friendis.” If she wasn’t sitting down and kicking out her feet, Faye’d be surprised.

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