Page 17 of Santa's Dirty Secret
I could hear the sound of Dad's shower running, so I gave Nick a quick kiss on his sleepy lips and slipped out of bed and down the hall to my room without anyone noticing. Although I’m starting to realize that may not have been the case.
“Should we wake up Nick and see if he wants some breakfast?” Dad asks.
“I bet Alexis would know,” Charmaine says, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively at me.
“Hey Charmaine, I think you drew on one of your eyebrows crooked.” I point to her forehead.
The smug smile is wiped from her face and she bolts from the room. Dad gives me a scolding look.
“What?” I shrug. “I was just helping her out.”
I don’t miss Dad’s smile when he turns back to the stove to flip the bacon.
"Alexis," he says, his back still facing me. "I want to explain what happened."
"You don't have to say anything. I get it. I shouldn't have sprung the decorations on you. But, I promise I won't do anything without giving you some warning next time."
"Thank you." He turns and offers me a piece of bacon off the plate he just filled up. "But I think you're right. We need to start celebrating the holiday together as a family. You, me, and Nick. Your mom would want it that way."
“Dad?”
“Yeah?”
"I need to tell you something," I start to say, but before I can get the words out, Charmaine runs back into the kitchen, looking red-faced and angry with Nick just behind her.
"Nick is sleeping with Alexis!" she yells out.
It’s like the sound of a record scratching to a halt shatters the peaceful family holiday breakfast we were about to enjoy.
"What?" Dad yells, tossing the ceramic dish in his hand on the counter, and it cracks into pieces.
The look on Charmaine's face and what happens next is the only consolation to him finding out this way. But, of course, she didn't factor in that the messenger often gets killed relaying the bad news.
"I just thought you needed to—" she starts to stammer, but Dad cuts her off.
“Get out!” He tells her and points in the direction of the door.
Charmaine's eyes narrow on him and then me before she storms out. My glee is short-lived when Dad moves around the counter, his murderous glare focused on Nick.
I step between them, but I’m not going to be able to do much if Dad really wants to get his hands on Nick.
“Is this true?”
“Yes,” Nick and I say in unison.
Nick loops his arm in front of me and gently pushes me, so I'm behind him. This only pisses my dad off more. He grabs Nick by the shirt, but Nick doesn't move to fight back. It's like he has some twisted sense that he deserves whatever is coming to him.
“Dad! You need to calm down and let us explain.”
“I’m not really interested in hearing about how my best friend took advantage of my daughter.”
“It wasn’t like that,” Nick defends. “I really care about her. I love her.”
Dad throws his arm back and punches Nick in the face. Nick wiggles his chin, but it doesn’t appear to be broken.
"Are you okay?" I rush over to Nick.
“Go to your room, Alexis!” Dad roars.
