Devon gasps and puts his hand on his heart dramatically before smirking. He looks ridiculously cute when he does that. I shuffle from foot to foot and laugh at his acting and feel like this whole getting emotions out in the open isn’t so bad, though the sweat forming on my brow tells me otherwise. I remind myself that I will be OK, no matter what Devon says, but find my breath hitches when Devon opens his mouth.
‘I’m sorry if you felt like I was barging into your world and acting like you should have been the same sixteen-year-old girl you were when I left. That was wrong of me, but I could still see that spark in your eye, and I didn’t want to believe you had given up drawing because you are beyond talented. I guess a part of me just wanted to pick up where we left off and put the past behind us but that wasn’t right nor fair. I want to know all of you and understand all of you and it pains me that you had such a difficult time when I left.’ He clears his throat and eyes sparkle with tears.
‘But that was on me, Devon. You were sixteen. I should never have blamed you and given up on what I wanted. That was my fault. I should have fought for who I was, and I should have fought for our friendship. You had your struggles too. You moved to a brand-new place; you had to deal with new cliques, rejections, good auditions, bad auditions, your parents; and still you fought for your dream, and look at what you achieved,’ I say, absent-mindedly playing with a button on his coat.
‘I like us together, Scar. I like us grown-up and together. I want to fall asleep with you and wake up next to you. I want it all with you, Scarlett. Adult sleepovers are fun,’ he says, wiggling his eyebrows.
I can feel my cheeks flush and I fiddle with the bobbles on my gloves, trying not to think about Devon in my bed right now when we are having a serious conversation.
‘I like us together too,’ I reply as Devon grabs my hands, which instantly warms my fingertips with that electricity again.
‘Scarlett, will you promise to dance with me when everyone’s watching, eat cookies with me under blanket forts and always be my partner in crime?’ he says.
With Devon’s words I feel like Christmas spirit just exploded in my heart; it’s full of so much joy.
I look up into his beautiful brown eyes, that no matter where I am in the world, Springhollow or New York, make me feel like I’m home. I clear my throat to encourage my words to come out clear and not wobbly, but I can feel my whole body shaking.
‘Devon Wood, will you promise to skateboard with me even when we’re old and wrinkly, eat ice-cream for breakfast with me and always be the Robin to my Batman?’
‘Yes, I do,’ he says with a dazzling smile.
‘Does this mean you’re my boyfriend now?’ I grin, a giggle escaping my lips.
‘Do you want me to be your boyfriend?’ he asks, matching my grin.
‘Yes, yes, I think I do,’ I reply, confidently this time.
‘Well, OK then. I will… wait… why do you always get to be Batman?’ he asks but I ignore his question and tug on his coat to bring him down to my level so I can kiss him. The minute my lips touch his that spark of electricity zips around my body and down to the tips of my toes. His kisses make me feel like the whole world disappears and we’re the only two left. I don’t want to pull away, but a Christmas shopper bumps into me with her giant bags, making me wobble on my tiptoes. Devon steadies me with his arms wrapped around my waist.
‘You know, I still haven’t seen this giant tree you’ve been boasting about,’ I say, snuggling into the warmth of his chest. He drops a kiss on top of my head and my toes curl under; I love it when he does that, such a simple but sweet gesture that makes me feel safe and secure. Devon relieves my waist of his hands and moves them to my shoulders, turning me around on the spot. Then he wraps his arms around me and starts walking. It’s a little awkward at first but we soon find a choppy rhythm as he guides me around the bakery and a short distance down the street.
Laughter and chatter grow louder. I can see golden reflections bouncing off the shop windows and when we make a slight turn to the left Devon is absolutely right: I cannot miss it. Right there next to the giant flags, gold poles, statues and gleaming white ice rink stands the most regal and mighty tree bursting with colour and magic.
‘Wow,’ is the only word I can form.
‘Right?’ Devon says enthusiastically, squeezing me tighter against his chest.
‘Now, what would you say,’ he starts after giving me a few minutes to enjoy the sight before me, ‘to Christmas in New York and New Year’s Eve in Springhollow?’ he asks. I pry my eyes off the gleaming tree sucking me in with its enchanted glow and I turn to him once more.
‘I’m supposed to be getting on a plane tomorrow morning,’ I tell him. I can’t possibly afford another night at the hotel and all the cheaper hotels had been fully booked. He quirks an eyebrow at me, like he can read my thoughts, knowing that I really don’t want to leave him. ‘Maybe you could accidently miss the flight and we can have a sleepover at mine instead,’ he suggests. I have no desire to move away from Devon’s arms or our spot in front of the tree anytime soon.
‘I think we can make accidently missing my flight happen,’ I say with an intrigued nod.
‘I think we can too – we do make an unbeatable team,’ he concurs, smiling down at me. I smile back but then my eyes crease as a little worry flutters over me. ‘I must ring my mum and dad though and let them know as it will be their first Christmas without me, I hope my mum will be OK and I’ll let Hope know in case she needs me; she and Jess usually pop round to escape a bit of the madness at their house and say hello and she’s surprising Jess with a dog. I had wanted to see his face.’
Devon leans down and kisses me softly on the lips. ‘We can call them right now,’ he says, putting my worries at ease. ‘And we can call them on Christmas Day and make sure you can see Jess’s face.’
‘Thank you,’ I tell him, getting lost in his glistening eyes for a few moments. ‘Can we just enjoy this big tree for a while longer and then I can call home? I quite like this new tradition.’ I turn around so my back is now nestled into Devon’s chest, his arms snug around my neck keeping me toasty.
‘I think we’re going to create lots more new traditions together,’ he whispers into my ear.
‘I think so too,’ I reply, unable to help the wide smile that curves my lips and reaches all the way to my ears, where Devon’s lips just grazed; making me tingle all over. With Devon by my side I don’t feel so terrified of embracing all of me; the me that I have been hiding for so long. It’s time for new adventures, a new job title and a new wardrobe… which might just include a cape.
24
Christmas Day saw Devon and I watch as many superhero movies back to back that it was possible to fit into one day, with a break around midday to pop over to his parents to exchange gifts and wish them a merry Christmas; which wasn’t without the customary inquest as to what I was doing with my life, my plans for the future and the critical once-over of my mustard-coloured beanie-clad head. It seemed twenty-six-year-old me wasn’t any better off than sixteen-year-old me in their eyes, but some things never change, I guess, and I kept a smile on my face as we tucked into the mince pies that I had bought at a World Market Devon had taken me to. I couldn’t quite tell if Devon’s parents cared for or missed the British tradition, but it had made Devon smile.