Sliding behind the wheel of the driver’s side, I slowly turn my head to look at Dani.
“If you don’t speak of this, I’ll never breathe a word about the mailbox incident.”
She raises a brow. “Pinky promise?”
She juts her pinky out to me and I wrap mine around it. “Pinky promise.” Letting our fingers drop, a little smirk tilts her lips. “Don’t worry, when we get home I’ll kiss it and make it better.”
Chapter Four
I blink my eyes open to find Dani rolled over in bed, head propped in her hand, staring at me.
“Mornin’,” I croak, my voice thick with sleep.
“It’s Christmas Eve,” she whispers conspiratorially, her nose crinkling with excitement.
“Is it now?” I groan out, looking at the time on the clock. “Why are you up early?”
“I was baking.”
Even though there’s nothing wrong with her getting up early and baking if that’s what she wants to do, I see the darkening in her hazel gaze and know she’s probably been up for hours dwelling on things. I wish I’d known. I would’ve gotten up with her, talked to her, but something tells me she wanted time on her own to sort through her thoughts.
“What’d you make?” I ask and she smiles at the reprieve, knowing there’s no way I haven’t puzzled things out.
“You had a couple of those boxes of muffin mix. I burnt the first batch,” she admits, her teeth digging into her bottom lip. “I was … distracted.” She looks away, toward the curtains closed over the window overlooking the backyard. “But the second and third turned out great. There’s chocolate chip and blueberry to choose from.”
“Bake anything else?” I raise a brow. I have a feeling she’s been up long enough to make a lot more than that.
“No,” she insists. “I’m not at the bake from scratch stage yet. I can barely handle the box kind, as evidenced by the burnt lemon poppyseed muffins in the trash.”
I chuckle, shaking my head. Reaching for her I place my hand on her cheek, threading my fingers in her hair. “Are you okay?”
Her eyes fall to my chest and she smooths her fingers over the dusting of dark hair sprinkled there. “I’m okay. Not great, but okay.” I’m glad she’s being honest. Without my prompting she adds, “I think it’s hitting me harder this year, because I’m settled. Does that make sense? The first year I was stuck in a hospital. The next, I was…” Her cheeks pinken. “Wrapped up in my feelings for you,” she finishes with a soft laugh. “Last year I was in Paris. Now, I’m … I’m home.”
“Home, huh?” I try not to smile too big, but it makes me so happy to hear her refer to this place, to me, as home.
“About that?” She sits up fully, pulling away from, and crosses her legs. Her fingers wringing together.
I sit up too, worried by her nervousness. “What?” I lay my hands over hers, stilling her movements.
“I’m ready,” she blurts, her eyes meeting mine. “To move in here. I don’t want to renew my lease.”
“Are you serious?” Surprise overtakes me.
“Yeah.” She grins, the smile lighting up her face. “I’ve been spending more time here and less at my apartment and when I am there it doesn’t feel right. This place, you,” she emphasizes, “is home.”
“Yeah?” This time I’m the one grinning.
“Mhmm,” she hums.
“Best Christmas ever.”
I dive for her lips, capturing them in a breath stealing kiss.
She falls to her back on the bed, my body tumbles over hers. I settle between her thighs and soon her giggles turn to moans.
I keep eyeing the front door, but luckily Dani has been oblivious to my odd behavior.
“Are you coming with the popcorn? It shouldn’t take that long,” she calls from the family room, the opening credits of whatever movie she’s chosen already playing in the background.
I check my phone for the hundredth time this evening.
The text that came in ten minutes ago reads, Almost there.
I blow out a breath. “What drink do you want?”
“I already have one!”
Finally there’s a knock on the door.
“Can you get that?” I ask her, my hands shaking with excitement.
“Are you expecting a package or something?” Her voice sounds hesitant from the other room. “It’s kind of late.”
“My mom said she was sending something to come today,” I lie.
Ever since we finished dinner an hour ago I’ve been waiting for this moment.
I step into the hall just in time to see Dani open the front door. “Oh my God!” she screams. “Ansel!”
“Surprise.” Her best friend laughs when she dives into his arms.
At one time I believed Ansel was the better choice for Dani. I never told her that, it wasn’t my place to push her into the arms of someone else. But I would’ve understood if she chose him over me. I know nothing romantic ever happened between them, but it doesn’t change the fact that at one time he was very much in love with her. In a lot of ways I believe Ansel could have been a better choice. But fate, or whatever you want to believe, always pushed Dani and I back together. Where we belong. Now, I hold no ill will towards the guy and I’m happy Dani has someone like him in her life. I reached out to him, willing to pay for a plane ticket to bring him here for Christmas, knowing it would mean more to Dani than anything else, but he confessed his parents had already bought a ticket, he was just hesitant on coming back. After some coaxing I convinced him that a short visit was what everyone needed and he agreed to keep it a secret.
“You knew about this!” Dani releases him and turns around to look at me with accusing eyes.
“Merry Christmas.”
She runs down the short hall, tackling me in a hug this time, then a kiss. “Thank you.” She releases me quickly and goes back to yank Ansel inside the house. “I can’t believe you’re here.”
“Me either,” he admits, scratching the back of his head. “Movie night?” He questions, pointing the movie playing on the screen in the background, the smell of popcorn permeating the air.
“I was stalling,” I explain with a shrug.
“How was your flight?”
“Long. I got in yesterday morning.”
“And you didn’t say anything?”
He chuckles. “I was sworn to secrecy.”
Dani’s eyes move from her friend, back and forth to me. “I can’t believe this.”
“Believe it, babe.” Ansel steps inside, closing the door behind him. “This your place, huh?” he asks me, his eyes swiveling around to take the place in.
It’s a work in progress, but I think it’s starting to look pretty decent with the updates I’ve made.
“Soon to be my place too.” Dani bumps him with her elbow. Smiling at me, she adds, “I told Lachlan I’m ready to move in this morning. My lease isn’t up for another two months, but I practically live here anyway.”