Page 17 of Back to December
“It’s really good to see you, too,” I whisper against his mouth.
Our foreheads stay pressed together, like we want to make sure the other is still here.
“What’s your sweet today, honey?” he asks.
“I got a pumpkin spice latte from Quinn.”
He grins. “That trumps me?”
“You know how I feel about pumpkin and caffeine…”
He presses another kiss to my lips, and I can’t help but smile. The obvious answer, especially on the first day we see each other, will always be him. But I don’t want to let that get to his head either.
“You’re here for Holly’s wedding? I thought Ella was handling that.”
I tip my head back so I can look at him. “What do you know about that?”
“Well, the wedding is at the farm. I take food out to the Storybook every day—it’s all anyone is talking about these days. More than the festival.”
“Is everything okay with the wedding?” I chew my lip.
His brows draw together. I want to press a thumb there and smooth it all away.
“I think so. No one has said anything.”
I nod, even though it doesn’t match my gut. Something is wrong.
“How can I help?” he asks, the first hints of worry seeping into his tone. “Is it your mom?”
“Probably,” I say. “Ella was supposed to be done working for her when she came here. It makes no sense, Holden. There’s no reason for her to oversee this wedding.”
“Maybe your mom thought she would be the best person for the job.”
Sweet innocent Holden. That’sexactlywhat worries me.
“She hates this place,” I whisper, frowning. “You know that.”
I’ve never forgiven her for moving us during my sophomore year of high school. That probably seems like a long time to hold on to something, but I can easily separate pieces of myself based on that one event. Before the move and after. It’s something Bridget, Ella, and I bonded over.
“I know.” He tugs me close again, and I squeeze my eyes closed. “Tell me how to fix it, honey.”
I sigh. “That isn’t why I came here. I’m not even sure what’s wrong to fix.”
“But you can feel it?”
“It’s a terrible feeling,” I murmur against his shirt. “It feels like that autumn all over again.”
Old ghosts don’t haunt me with chains—they whisper reminders of what I almost lost.
He’s silent, tightening his grip on me like I could vanish again.
I was so blissfully ignorant back then. My whole life revolved around Friday Night Lights, school, friends, andHolden. Life was one giant social gathering, and my happiness lived on a silver platter.
We weren’t overly wealthy, but I didn’t want for a lot either.
Ella did, and I was willingly oblivious to that part. Mostly because I didn’t know what to do about it. She was a sore spot with Mom, so I simply avoided it altogether.
I hate that the last time I was here in the fall was such a negative experience. I was angry at Ella for something completely unrelated to her to begin with, and I’m not proud of that. Those emotions sent me straight to Holden, and I let down my guard with him. One of the few times I’ve ever truly let him see who I am behind the curtain.
