Page 106 of The Holiday Grump
“It’s not your fault. I did this. Well, me and the bookshelf I should have torched long ago.”
“But…” I rubbed my forehead, causing the towel turban to unravel. “Spencer had a camera guy! They filmed the whole thing.”
“It was some dude he recruited off the street. And Jackson took his phone before anything happened, so all he recorded was himself saying obnoxious things.” He leaned in, his breath heavy and fast. It was making me dizzy. “Noelle. I’m not going to let him hurt either of us.”
“But… there were lots of people. Eyewitnesses.” My breathing matched his—erratic and labored—even though my ribs were fine.
“For some reason, nobody feels like testifying,” he said.
“How do you know? Spencer will contact each one and offer an obscene amount of money. He’ll get to them.” Tears burned the back of my throat. I wanted to believe him, but my experience told me otherwise. I’d heardSpencer talking about his legal victories, people he’d “taken down”.
“Felicity talked to everyone. She says it’s all good, and I trust her. Apparently, a lot of people didn’t see what really happened. They were too busy eating your pulla. Which was excellent.”
I smiled a little. There was still a hint of cinnamon in the air, and it transported me into his kitchen. Into all the moments we’d shared.
I sighed. “I’m so glad you found me.”
Fredrik grabbed the towel that hung loosely over my shoulder. “I’m so glad your store doesn’t have a bathroom. That you had to come here. That you needed something from me.”
Spencer’s earlier words wormed their way into my head and words tumbled out. “It’s true what Spencer said. I was living at his expense. I even ran off with his ring. Not on purpose, but I did. I cost him a lot.”
He shook his head. “He’s a dick, and you’re the most generous person I know. I could give you everything I own, and still feel like I’m in your debt.”
His eyes were so kind, his voice soft like a caress. But I wasn’t done getting things off my chest. “I gave that ring to my sister. She said she’d take care of it, but it turns out she sold it to buy blankets for the homeless. Apparently, she got a lot of blankets.”
Now that I could tap into Grace’s internet, I’d been talking to my sister every day.
“That’s the best use for his money I can imagine.” Fredrik swiped a strand of damp hair off my face. “I wish you’d taken more than a ring.”
His eyes glistened, reflecting the fairy lights outside. He looked nothing like when I’d first met him. There was a fighting spirit in him. A hope. I wanted to inhale it. I was so tired of running and hiding. So exhausted of living in fear. And here he was, bruised and battered, yet waiting to catch me. Waiting for me to come around.
My chest felt tight. “I’m sorry I ran.”
“It’s okay. I figured you didn’t go far, so I waited.”
His words stole air from my lungs. “You knew where I was?”
He smiled. “I had a hunch.”
His eyes were dark as the night, lingering on my face, adoring me. Even after everything I’d put him through, Fredrik looked at me like I was some kind of miracle, and it broke me.
“I thought I had to leave. I thought it was the only way to save you.”
He caught me when the tears burst out, securing me against his chest. There was the heartbeat that made me feel whole. There it was, pounding through me, finding a rhythm with my own.
“You already saved me.” He stroked my hair, his fingernails grazing my neck. “And you don’t have to run. Ever again. I promise.”
He held me as I cried, letting all the stress and fear melt away and wet the collar of his cardigan. It had a mustard-yellow diamond pattern that looked antiquated in the best way.
What would it be like to stop running? To stay here.
“I don’t have a job anymore,” I muttered into his chest. “Ihave to go with Grace and take that job on the cruise ship. We’re leaving tomorrow.”
“What if you had another job?” he whispered into my ear.
“Another job?”
“I heard of a bookstore that’s looking for a store manager. It’s a tough job, though. You need to redecorate and create a new business plan. The place is a bit tired, and it’s not doing well. It’s in desperate need of a refresh. New paint. New books. New merch. A whole new setup. The owner really wants some color. Do you know anyone suitable?”
