Page 15 of Mistletoe Mistake
My eyes trace over every inch of her face, taking in the details I had never noticed before. From the dusting of freckles that cover her nose to the silvery scar that runs along her temple, I’m struck with the sudden need to memorize each and every one as though they are vital to my existence.
“When did you get so smart?”
She smiles softly. “I’m pretty damn special, Nick O’Connor, you just never bothered to notice.”
I’m definitely noticing now.
Before I can articulate the thought, she bounces up off the swing and starts to walk away.
But not before throwing a challenge over her shoulder.
“Get your shit together, Nick, and maybe one day you’ll deserve a girl like me.”
6
Holly
Do you know how many times you can walk from the kitchen to the living room in this house, in two hours? Four hundred and twenty-three.
How do I know this? Because I have been pacing that very path, back and forth, since I put Tahlia to bed.
I can’t stop my brain from replaying that moment with Nick in the kitchen, over and over and… well, you get the point.
He was going to kiss me. Iknowhe was going to kiss me.
So, why didn’t he?
I’m midway through lap four hundred and twenty-four when I hear a key in the front door and I run to the sofa in the living room like the hounds of hell are at my feet.
I have just gotten myself situated with a bowl of untouched popcorn on my lap when he appears. He gives me a lazy grin and I give him a quick once-over, doing my best to be subtle.
He’s in the same dark jeans and black T-shirt he was wearing earlier, the T-shirt molded to his broad chest and thick biceps. The artwork tattooed on his left arm catches my attention, and I wonder if I’ll ever get the chance to learn the story of each piece.
He doesn’t look any worse for the wear, slightly more rumpled than before, but nothing that tells me he was out doing something he would regret.
“What are you watching?” His voice is deeper than usual. Rough, the way it always used to sound first thing in the morning. God, I lived for the moments I would hear that voice growing up.
“Uh.” I throw a quick glance at the television screen and see an episode ofFriendsplaying.The One Where Nana Dies Twice. Classic. “Friends.” I wave a piece of popcorn at the TV.
“Huh, I’ve never seen it.” He stalks across the room, flops onto the other end of the sofa and immediately starts pulling his Chucks off.
I’m fixated on the flex of his forearms, so it takes a moment for his comment to hit home.
“Wait, you’veneverseenFriends? Like, ever?” I don’t even try to hide the disgust in my voice.
He reaches over and scoops a handful of popcorn out from the bowl between my legs, causing me to have a momentary lapse of concentration when I imagine his hand right there, doing decidedly dirtier things.
“You’re sounding kind of judgy there, Hols.”
“Oh, I am judging you. Harshly.”
“Ouch.” He clutches his chest. “I mean, I was born the year it started and was still firmly obsessed with cartoons when it ended, so it’s not that shocking.”
“It’s a classic, Nicholas,” I state primly, shocked at what I am discovering and suddenly second-guessing this sixteen-year crush. “I mean, you have Nick at Nite, right? I don’t know anyone who hasn’t seen at least one episode ofFriends. You know…” I pop a piece of buttery popcorn in my mouth and tap my chin thoughtfully. “There’s probably some academic out there somewhere who would like to study your brain to find out what’s lacking.”
He looks at the screen and watches as Ross falls into an empty grave, his eyebrows raising. “Okay, Obi-Wan, tell me what’s so great about it.”
“I mean, well, it’s just,” I stammer, trying to put its excellence into words. “It’s just so funny. It’s almost thirty years old, and it’s just as funny now as it was then. How many shows can say that? Most are dated only a few years after they screen. The jokes, the fashion, butFriendsstill feels relatable, even after all this time. God, I don’t want to think about all the hours Billie and I have spent watching it when we should have been adulting.”
