Page 58 of Jingle Bell Jilt
The jury’s still out.
Maggie
Haha. Why aren’t you happier? This is the first step in getting over Nathan.
But I think I’m already over him.
Maggie
That’s what I was trying to tell you. Rebound for the win!
She isn’t listening to me. Or reading me. But there’s no point arguing with her when she’s like this. Especially over text.
You’re probably right. I’ve got to go. Universal today!
I send party hat emojis. I’m excited to go. Especially because I’ll be hanging out with Evan. But there’s a small, tight knot in my stomach. The kind that’s so tight that even with long pointy fingernails, you can’t seem to work it loose. I just need to put all this imagined drama in a drawer and slam it shut. Maybe even lock it for good measure.
Maggie
Have a blast and drink a Butterbeer for me.
????
Maggie
I bet the Hogsmeade Butterbeer is better than the Pinterest knockoff version.
????
I walk down the stairs and meet Evan in the entryway.
“Hey, you ready to go? I’ve already got my Butterbeer fix going.” Evan pats his stomach. “I haven’t had one in months.”
I wrinkle my nose. “Will you think less of me if I tell you I don’t like it?”
“What?” He looks appalled. “How can you not like Butterbeer and call yourself a Potterhead?”
I shrug. “I don’t know. I just don’t.”
“Do you trust me?” He narrows his eyes at me.
I narrow my eyes back at him. “I don’t know. I have yet to see those brownies from my big sweater win.”
“Hey,” he holds his hands up in front of him. “I offered to make them on Christmas but you were too full and then fell asleep. Remember? I think it should count.”
I give him a shoulder bump. “Okay. You’re right. I guess I trust you. Why?”
He shakes a finger in front of my face. “Oh no, you don’t. It’s a surprise.”
“Well, then I suppose we should bust this joint.” I grab my fanny pack with my lip balm, hand sanitizer, and face sunscreen. Then sling my phone case over my head so it can hang down messenger style across my chest.
He grabs his wallet and car keys off the front table, and we head out the door.
As we drive through the Orlando traffic, I glance over at him. He’s smiling out the front windshield.
“Evan, I’m sorry you’ve had to be my holiday buddy. I’m sure you’ve had to cancel a bunch of plans with your friends just so you can humor me.”
He glances over. “Actually,” he cringes. “I had no plans. I’m not normally down here for the holidays, so I hadn’t reached out to anyone. And when I finally did try a few people, they were already busy.” He flicks wide eyes at me. “So I think what I’m saying is you saved me from being a complete loser.”
