Page 49 of Merrily Ever After
“I could get a hundred thousand candles and line them along a path.”
“To where?”
“I don’t know,” I say. “Me?”
“I don’t think your parents would like that,” she says. “And neither do I because that sounds unsafe.”
“Molly, I really need you to work with me here.”
“I think you’re overthinking it. It doesn’t need to be that big.”
“Yes, itdoes,” I groan. “I need to show her what we have together. I need to—”
We both jump as an enormous crash sounds from the hallway.
Silence descends and a second later, Andrew’s voice calls from the other side of the door.
“Someone tripped over the air mattress.”
Molly rolls her eyes and goes to open the door as down below the dogs start barking all over again and, as I reach for a pillow to scream into, it hits me. In all the chaos and the noise and thepeopleof Christmas, I’ve got it.
“I know what I need,” I say, rising to my feet. “I know what will make her want to stay.”
Molly looks back as Andrew stands beside her, rubbing his elbow. “What?” she asks warily, and I smile.
“Privacy.”
Chapter Three
“I want all of you to leave me alone.”
Andrew frowns from the other side of the island. We’re in the kitchen. Mam, him, Molly and me, and their reactions are not what I expected. I wanted to see immediate nods of understanding and a chorus ofof course we will, Hannah.It’s only right as an adult and a good person that you get this one small thing that you ask for. Instead, they just look confused.
“No one’s going to leave you alone,” Andrew says finally.
“Now you will. For one night. I don’t think that’s too much to ask,” I add when nobody says anything.
“You’d be surprised,” Mam grumbles. “I’ve been asking for one night alone in this house for thirty-six years.”
“Then we’ll go somewhere else,” I say, crossing my arms.
“Oh yeah?” Andrew asks. “Like where?”
“I don’t know. The barn?”
“Thebarn?” Andrew blinks at me. “You want to show how much you love your girlfriend by making her sleep in a barn?”
“I’d make it look nice,” I protest, already immediately doubting myself. “You got a better idea?”
“Yeah. Several. Anywhere but the barn.”
“What about Liam’s camper van?” Molly says, leaning forward. “It’s not that cold this year. You could sleep out under the stars. Light a campfire. It’d be cute. Or you could take our room, and Andrew and I can sleep in—”
“No,” Andrew says loudly. “When she has a more than seven-hour flight, she can pick her bed. Until then, it’s ours.”
“Why don’t we just get some nice covers for the air mattress,” Mam suggests. “It’s amazing what a new color can do.”
Everyone looks at me, but I have already stopped paying attention, too focused on Molly’s idea. On Liam’s camper van.
