Page 41 of Holiday at Home
Somehow, I manage a quiet, “I’d like that.”
17
Simon
I walk Violet home, her arm draped comfortably through mine, fully aware that something has shifted. Somewhere between her pulling her shirt off this morning and then telling me I’m not her Simon anymore, my entire outlook changed.
She’s right. I’m not hers anymore.
But I want to be.
By the time we reach her house, the air feels charged. We stop in front of my car, and I press a kiss into the top of her hair.
“I’m gonna go home and shower,” I say, tugging at the sweaty sweater that’s imprisoned me most of the day.
I really did not think that “great idea” through.
“I’ll be back around six-thirty to pick you up. Dress for the weather but plan to be somewhere nice.”
Violet’s eyes hit mine, almost shy, like she doesn’t know how tobearound me anymore. “That sounds intriguing.”
What’s more intriguing is that I’m suddenly certain I have no intention of meeting my parents in Colorado. Simon Holiday will officially miss the first Holiday/Houlihan Christmas SkiTrip. I don’t know if I knew that from the start or if it’s a revelation as of today. Either way, it’s the truth. I feel it deep in my bones…
I don’t want to leave Violet again.
What I haven’t decided yet is how deep that statement goes. Do I mean it enough to move back to Stillwater Bay? To quit my job? To pull the plug on my plans for Holiday Jitters?
The immediate answer feels like yes—absolutely yes—but it’s only been a couple of weeks since I’ve been back in Violet’s life, and I’ve never been one to leap to conclusions. There are so many things to consider, one of the most important being: Where’s Violet at in all this?
What does she want?
And how do I discover the answers to those questions without scaring the bejeezus out of her?
Because come on, there’s something outrageous about sayingI know I abandoned you and our plans three years ago and it’s only been a couple weeks since I’ve been back in your life but I think I want to quit my job and move home and you know that whole Holiday Coffee & Cake thing? Yeah… let’s do that.
Obviously, I need to think this all through a little more.
“I’ll be back to pick you up around six-thirty,” I tell Violet, then pull her close, breathing in the scent of sugar and something that’s just her before I force myself to let go.
At home, the shower hisses to life, but all I can see is Violet standing in front of me this morning, eyes glinting with mischief as she tugged her shirt over her head and dropped it to the floor. That smile. That spark. The woman she’s become.
She’s no longer the girl I once loved—she’s softer in some places, stronger in others, and I want to know every version of her. Not just the shape of her body, but the shape of her thoughts. The way she feels when she laughs. The sound she makes when she exhales against my neck.
I brace a hand against the tile, the memory of her skin flashing behind my eyelids. It took everything in me not to react in that moment, to be the gentleman she deserved. But if it happens again—if I find myself standing in front of her like that one more time—I don’t know that I’ll have it in me to stay still.
When I’m out of the shower, I grab my phone, shoot a text to Mom and Dad apologizing and letting them know I won’t be coming to Colorado. I expect a guilt trip, but instead I get a surprisingly chill response.
Mom
I understand. I almost expected it
Violet is a wonderful young woman
Dad
Go get her, son
Funny how they knew exactly my reason for staying even though I never so much as said her name. It feels like confirmation that I’m on the right path. Grinning, I dig through my suitcase for something appropriate to wear tonight. This is more than a simple dinner with Violet. More than leaving silly little gifts on her porch to lift her spirits. This is the first real step toward opening a door we both thought was closed.
