Page 40 of The Christmas Playbook
RHYS
Fuck.
I stare at Mira’s entire family, their expressions ranging from horrified tosmug. Snide bitches. I feel my friends at my back, but they’re secondary to the judgment permeating the air. My gaze ticks from face to face, finally landing on Cammie—the meanest of Mira’s siblings and, arguably, the leader of the pack.
“You’re right,” I tell her. “There’s no way Mira and I would date.”
She sneers.
I hold up my hand. “But not because I’m better than her. It’s because she’s the kindest, warmest person I’ve ever met. She cares so fucking deeply. She’s a good person. She’ssmart. And for some reason, you hold those traits against her.”
The table’s silence only deepens.
I shake my head, my disgust unable to be hidden any longer. “I’ve watched you all degrade her with flippant comments all week. Why? She’s your sister. You’re supposed to love her, not tear her down.”
Thorne’s hand lands on my shoulder. He’s not telling me to back down. It’s a silent show of support. Same as on the field. He’s an anchor.
“This holiday trip has been nothing but a farce, but not ours—yours. Cammie doesn’t hide her loathing, but not a single one of you sticks up for Mira.” I inhale and square my shoulders. “You should all be fucking ashamed of yourselves.”
Her dad’s mouth opens and closes.
Her mom seems on the verge of tears.
Good.
Another part of me wants to push on the bruise harder, but… it’s not worth it.
Mira is, though. She’s worth chasing and pursuing and fighting for, and that’s exactly what I’m going to do.
I turn away from them and shove through my friend group. They part for me, but Jack doesn’t move fast enough. I catch his shoulder with mine. He stumbles, but he doesn’t say anything.
He’s an asshole for his comment.
Thorne follows me out of the lodge and down toward our cabin. Halfway there, he calls for me to stop.
I jerk around and hold my hands up in surrender. “I’m sorry, man. I’m sorry I lied?—”
“I don’t even understand what the fuck just happened,” Thorne grumbles. “Want to give me the CliffsNotes version?”
“Sure.” I run my hand down my face and wipe away my smile. “Mira and I were double-booked in the same cabin. She walked in on me shortly after we arrived, and we tried to fix it, but the resort was sold out.
“And of course, there’s the little fact that I know her and her family. We used to be neighbors. So when her sisters walked in, shit-talking Mira without realizing she was there, it just kind of happened that Mira went and introduced me as her boyfriend.”
I wince. “Fakeboyfriend. We hashed out the details later, but… I was willing to help her out.”
Thorne laughs. “Jesus, man.”
“You should’ve heard what they were saying.”
“If it’s anything like the preview we got in the lodge, I understand.” He steps closer. “You didn’t have to hide it from me, you know.”
“Yeah. I was just”—I lift my shoulder—”trying to respect her wish to keep it under wraps, even though that normally doesn’t apply to you.”
My best friend sighs. “This trip’s dynamics are kind of fucked up with you being the only solo one, huh?”
“Oh, you noticed that?”
“I’m sorry. The couple-y ness of it got out of hand, but we weren’t going to leave you out because you didn’t have a girl.”
