Page 21 of Their Little Snow Angel
I feel a little bad hiding this from him, but her love life isn’t his responsibility. And her sex life certainly isn’t.
“Thanks again for letting us stay up here,” I say. “This place is life-changing.”
It isn’t the cabin that’s life-changing, so much as spending time with Violet. But again, it’s not something I can say aloud.
“You’re welcome. I’m glad you’re getting some good use out of it. Merry Christmas, Heath. Tell Brody I said the same.”
“Will do.”
The call ends and I hurry out of bed. I want to beat Violet downstairs and see her reaction to the gift under the tree.
11
Brody
Heath and I hover near the Christmas tree, waiting for Violet. Her gift is here, wrapped in the festive-looking paper that adorned Heath’s fancy-ass instant coffee he always has to buy when we travel.
But Violet isn’t coming down.
Heath and I look at each other.
I start toward her room. “Maybe she’s sleeping in.”
He raises his eyebrows.
“If you say I’m obtuse again”—I hold up my fist—“I will be forced to punch you in the nose. Let’s see if she’s awake.”
He smirks but follows me upstairs to her room.
I knock on the door. “Violet? Are you up?”
“Oh.” Her voice is quiet, and she sounds genuinely surprised. “Um. Yeah.”
“Can we come in?”
“Sure.”
I open the door to find Violet sitting on the edge of her bed, fully dressed. “What’s going on?” I ask gently. “We’ve been waiting to wish you Merry Christmas, and there’s a little gift for you under the tree.”
“She’s leaving.” Heath glowers at the end of her bed, where all of her bags are packed.
I take a step backward. No. She can’t leave. Not early, not like this. “Violet, stay. Please.”
Violet shakes her head. “I should go. I should never have come here. It was stupid of me, and I’m only going to get my heart broken?—”
“No one is going to break your heart.” I shove away my panic and turmoil, and sit down next to her. “I don’t know what your dad said to freak you out, but Heath and I—we?—”
“We love you.” Heath’s voice carries finality.
I look up at him in surprise. He’s never uttered those words to anyone so soon. It took him almost a year before he said them to Juliette, and I got the impression that he wouldn’t have said them at all if I hadn’t started.
Violet’s also staring at Heath. “You can’t mean that.”
“I do.” He clears his throat. “I know it’s early, but I feel love when I’m with you, Violet. Come downstairs and open your gift, please. If you still want to leave after that…”
He trails off. We’ll have to let her go. It’ll feel like my heart is shredding, but we’ll have to do it.
She stands and we go downstairs together. I might have thought a single gift under the tree looked lonely, but this morning, it feels important, not lonely. This gift says everything our words can’t.
