Page 145 of Frozen Hearts
“That’s what I said! Royce wanted scotch, can you believe that? Who drinks scotch on Christmas Eve?”
Shaking my head, my grin feels more real as I respond, “Royce. And probably Grayson.”
Ugh, no. Not thinking about him!
I follow Logan down the stairs to the kitchen, where Royce is filling a punch bowl with eggnog. The kitchen has been cleaned, and when he spots me, Royce lifts his head, eyes meeting mine as he silently enquires,are you good?
I give him a firm nod, which he returns, and that’s it. That’s all we need for me to know he was concerned, and for him to be content that I’m okay for now and if and when I’m not, I’ll let him know.
Glad to have that over with, I grab the pile of junk food off the counter while Logan gets glasses, and the three of us move over to the sofa.
“Which Christmas movie should we watch first?” Logan asks, snatching the remote and starting to flick through the movie choices. It’s a relief to see him back to his normal, boyish self. Even if it’s a front he’s putting on for me, it at least brings a sense of normality back to the day. “I vote forElf.”
“No. God, no. Anything but that,” Royce gripes. “Can’t we watchDie Hard?”
“That’s not a Christmas movie,” Logan protests, frowning at Royce as though he’s an idiot.
“I don’t give a shit. It’s better thanElforLove Actually, or whatever other crappy movie you’re going to suggest.”
Logan gasps. “You don’t likeLove Actually?” When Royce simply gives Logan a deadpan stare, he shifts the focus to me. “Tiebreaker… what will it be, Riley?”
“Ehh.” Looking at Royce, I wince. “Sorry, but I vote forElf.”
Rolling his eyes, he collapses against the couch cushions. “Of course you do.”
“But we can watchDie Hardafterward?” I offer, trying to appease them both.
“Don’t sweat it, James. After a couple of eggnogs, it won’t be so bad.”
By the time we’re halfway through the movie, Royce is smiling as Will Ferrell discovers all the best things New York City has to offer.
Movie bleeds into movie. My glass of eggnog never seems to diminish, and I find myself laughing and smiling more than I have in an incredibly long time.
I feel comfortable, relaxed even, huddled between Logan and Royce on the sofa as we binge Christmas movies. Not once is it awkward. I’m not sure when exactly things shifted between us—particularly between Royce and me—but we’ve gone from sex-driven dances to being comfortable in one another’s presence. It’s nice. I like it.
“This is nice,” I mutter aloud, my head resting on someone’s shoulder. My eyes are too heavy and my head spinning too much to find out whose, but I figure it doesn’t matter.
Warmth presses in on my other side before Royce murmurs, “Yeah, James. It is.” Someone kisses the top of my head before sleep rises up and claims me.
37
RILEY
“Mmm,” I groan, rolling onto my back as I blink my eyes open. “Ugh.” A drum starts up in my head as the daylight assaults my eyes, and I’m totally regretting my life choice to drink yesterday. Even if it was warranted at the time.
Turning my head to face Logan, I pause when I find his side of the bed vacant. Lifting my head, I look around the empty room before returning it to his pillow, where a folded piece of paper sits.
Reaching out, I open it and begin to read.
You looked so cute, I didn’t want to wake you. I’m at my parents’ for the day, but I’ll be back later tonight. Have fun with Royce. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do ;)
Merry Christmas,
Logan x
Realizing that Logan has already left for his parents’, I jump out of bed, panicking as I scour the room for a clock. Spotting his laptop sitting on his desk, I hurry over and open the lid. It asks for a password to be inserted, but thankfully I don’t need one in order to see the time.
A panicked squeak escapes my mouth. I have ten minutes to get ready and get to the park. Knowing my mom, if I’m not there when she arrives, she will turn around and leave, even with my warning to withhold her money.
