Page 32 of Better Not Pout
“Overheard Rosalie earlier,”Zander murmurs quietly beside me as we walk behind the girls to the other side of Town Square for the surprise I have planned. “About the Christmas village. I like her, Wells. You look good together.”
I shove my hands deeper into my pockets. “She’s…” I trail off, my gaze flicking to the woman in question.
The truth is that Rosalie Sullivan is something I never saw coming.
This entire arrangement, my undeniable attraction to her.
All of it.
“Incredible” is how I ultimately describe her.
Zander’s mouth twitches. “Yeah, she’s sweet. Like sugar, that is.”
“Fuck off,” I grunt on a laugh.
“Hey, only fair after the literal years of shit that you’ve given me about Ally. In all seriousness though… I’m glad you found her. It’s nice to see you finally have someone that you care about. It’s clear you do, and I’m happy for you, little brother.”
Apparently, we’re even more convincing than I thought we’d be, I realize as my brother’s eyes shine with sincerity. But it honestly didn’t feel like a performance at all. It’s effortless with her.
“Thanks, man. I appreciate it.” Pulling my hands from my pockets, I slap him on the back affectionately before tossing an arm around his shoulder.
We come to a stop at the meet-up point, and when Rosalie spots my surprise for her, she whips toward me. “No way. You didn’t!”
I shrug, my mouth twitching with a grin. “Told you… best date of your life, Sugar.”
“Damn, dude, you’re making me look bad in front of my woman. A horse-drawn carriage? C’mon,” Zander says as he walks over to the chestnut-brown horse with a thick, black mane. “Sorry I didn’t think of it first, babe.”
Ally’s eyes glisten with amusement. “There’s always next year. Wells, you’ve got brownie points for this, for sure. Enjoy your ride, Rosalie!” Ally says to us as she hops into their carriage.
They’ve been decked out in garland, lights, and bells to look more like a sleigh rather than a carriage. Even the horses have fake antlers on the top of their heads that are blinking with colorful twinkle lights.
Rosalie’s hand curves around my arm, pulling my attention to her bright smile. “How did you know?”
My brow furrows. “What do you mean?”
“I… I-I’ve always wanted to take a carriage ride through the city during Christmas. I just never have because no one wants to take a romantic ride… alone.”
The truth is I had no idea what I was doing when I booked this a few hours ago. It just seemed like something romantic for us to do, something I thought she might like, and another truth… I just wanted more time with her, just the two of us.
I would’ve done this if she were truly my girlfriend, so I booked it when I saw the flyer. I had no clue it was something she’d always wanted to do, so seeing her face light up with that pretty smile is honestly just icing on the cake.
“I had no idea, but now I’m even more glad that I did,” I murmur as I help her into the carriage before sliding in beside her.
The driver hands us a thick, plush blanket that I immediately lay over our laps, tossing my arm over the back of the seat behind her, tucking her in close.
“Have fun, you two,” Zander calls from beside us, shooting us a wink, and Rosalie giggles, rolling her eyes before tilting her head to look up at me.
“He is hilarious. Ridiculous, but also hilarious.”
I chuckle. “Yeah, he is. Always has been, but he’s a good guy. Good brother.”
The horses pulling the sleigh neigh loudly as the driver shakes the reins, and we start moving down the snow-covered street. There’s a light flurry of snow falling, and the temperature is starting to drop now that the sun has disappeared and taken the small sliver of warmth with it, so I pull Rosalie tighter against me.
“God, it’s freezing. Beautiful, but f-freezing,” she chatters, cuddling into my side, her teeth rattling together. She’s wearing fuzzy, thick gloves, and still, her hands are shaking beneath the blanket the driver gave us for the ride.
Reaching for her, I grasp her fingers between my palms and rub them together in an attempt to warm her up, our gazes meeting.
For the hundredth time tonight, I’m hit squarely in the chest by how beautiful the woman sitting beside me is.
