Page 98 of Holiday Romance
As well as playing the radio at full volume, Andrew makes an effort to chat to her as we drive, helping to keep her awake, and she seems grateful as she catches him up on the latest news from the village and shares stories from home. Names and memories wash over me, meaning nothing, and despite the noise, the gentle rhythm of the car smoothly zipping along the empty streets soon has me closing my eyes.
At some point, I fall asleep. How I don’t know. It’s uncomfortable in the back, and the roads grow increasingly bumpy once we’re off the motorway. But I’m beyond exhausted and so sleep I do, waking up only when a phantom finger drifts a path down my cheek.
Of course, it’s not a phantom at all, but Andrew, and when I stir, he draws back, smiling softly in the dim glow of the dashboard as he twists in his seat to watch me.
“You alright?” he asks.
I nod only to immediately regret doing so when my neck screams in protest. “How long was I out?”
“About an hour,” Ava says. “We’re almost there.”
We are? I sit up, a smile pulling at my lips as I take in the passing fields before nestling back into my corner.
“Hey,” Andrew says. “Don’t fall asleep again.”
“You’re not the boss of me.”
“I mean it, Molly. Don’t make me wake you up.”
I ignore him, trying to get comfortable. I don’t actually intend to go back to sleep, but my lids are feeling heavier and heavier and—
“Ow!” My eyes fly open as Andrew pokes me sharply in the leg.
“I warned you,” he says, and turns back around. “We can walk from here,” he continues, pointing to the side of the road.
Ava shoots him a confused glance. “Seriously?”
“Seriously. We’re right over the hill. It’s five minutes tops.”
“What about your case?”
“We’ll manage.” His voice rises as he calls back to me. “We can walk, can’t we, Moll?”
I make a face seeing as how I’d much rather stay here in the warm car until it drops me off at the presumably warm house, but Andrew has other ideas.
“She can walk,” he says.
After a minute, Ava pulls into the side of a field and unlocks the doors. She’s too sleepy to protest further but still looks unsure as she hugs Andrew and then me goodbye, driving off with a “Merry Christmas” and a soft beep of the horn.
I wait until she disappears around the corner before I turn to Andrew with a frown. “Am I being punished?”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m freezing my ass off.”
“Want me to warm it?”
I don’t even dignify that with a response, walking ahead of him in what thankfully must be the right direction because he jogs a few steps to catch up with me.
The cold air wakes me up at least, though there’s still that dull ache behind my eyes that will take more than a cup of coffee to counter. The thought of having to put on a bright smile for Andrew’s family, on top of awkwardly explaining my presence there makes me groan and I clench and unclench my gloved hands, doubt filling me as I lengthen my stride up the hill just as the dawn begins to break.
This was a stupid idea. I’m crashing theirChristmas. I don’t care how nice they are. I don’t care how much Andrew likes me right now. No one really likes the strange lady who rocks up on Christmas morning. Way to make a first impression, Molly. Way to—
“So right now, what you’re doing is city walking,” Andrew calls to me. “When what you need to be doing is countryside walking. Especially on an incline.”
I stop just as we reach the crest. “Sorry.”
“No, please,” he says, slightly out of breath. “I’m impressed.”
