Page 93 of Santa Baby

“You’re going to have a good time, trust me.” He scanned the subway car for a moment.

I tapped my nails on the plastic seat, going over the last twelve hours in my head. My chest still ached from my heart shattering to pieces but I’d managed to sleep and eat, which meant my brain was in working order, at least.

“You’re not really dueling over me, are you?”

“Nah, I don’t have time for that. Maybe later. I’m catching a movie with someone before going back to Mom and Dad’s house for dinner.”

Yeah, so was I, but I wasn’t planning on seeing a movie today. “With who? Liv, by chance?”

“I’m hoping the girl I’m taking to the movies today gets Liv out of my head, if I’m being totally honest.”

I raised my brows. Colin caught the look on my face and rolled his eyes. “I’ve had a bit of a crush on her for a while. She’s cool, smart, funny. I like her little bookshop.”

“Her little bookshop?”

“You know the one.”

“It’s the way you said it.” I chuckled, rolling my eyes. “Has anything happened between you two?”

“Isn’t that my business?”

“Well, after what you did last night, you don’t get to draw boundaries like that,” I said.

“I went to her shop a few weeks ago for a totally innocent reason, okay? I was looking for a book for Mom, a cookbook, to give to her for Christmas. You know that chef on TV she likes? His book. Anyway, I saw Liv there, and it had been some time since I’d seen her, and we got to talking and I just felt like I wanted to keep talking to her.” He shrugged, trying to hide the emotions playing behind his eyes by scowling at an empty chair a few feet away from us. “I asked for her number and she laughed at me, which made the feeling worse. So I’ve been dropping in and she finally agreed to get some coffee sometime.”

“You don’t ever do coffee dates.”

“Well, now I do. We’ve been on three.”

I gaped at him. “Three dates with my best friend? You sneaky little shits.”

“I don’t think she considers them dates.” He looked almost disappointed.

“Why not ask her to the movies instead of bringing some rando you found on a hookup app?”

He shook his head. “Because I feel like Liv could be it for me and I’m not sure if I’m ready for that.”

The words hit me hard. What an admission! My brother falling in love with my best friend?

I didn’t have time to press him further. He hauled me out of the subway car and through Grand Central Station, which was buzzing with activity and more crowded than I’d ever seen it before. Carolers sang Christmas songs that drifted above the noise as we walked out onto the dreary street. It was still snowing. In fact, Dad had spent a good hour this morning standing in front of the TV with his hands on hips, watching reports of a winter storm warning blare in all red across the screen.

Dressed in one of Mom’s fancy wool coats and a beige winter hat, I trudged behind Colin as he purposefully led me to Central Park, busting a path with his boots.

We reached the lake and skirted around it, neither of us speaking until the path became familiar, a memory from not too long ago fizzing to life. The hill where those kids had thrown snowballs at me and Mason came into view. The park was empty, though. Barely anyone was out enjoying the snow.

It was Christmas day, after all. Everyone was home with their families right then—everyone except Mason.

He rose from the bench where we shared that kiss that changed everything. He was dressed impeccably, his hair brushed back away from his face with a freshly shaven jaw. He was wearing a suit under his jacket as he faced me, and Colin stepped up to him, grabbing his arm and leaning in to say something in his ear before clapping him on the shoulder and walking away, out of sight.

I stood in the center of the pathway, unsure of what to say or do. Mason stared at me for a moment before dropping his gaze and walking over, only lifting his eyes to mine again when he was less than a foot away.

“I messed up.”

“Yeah, you did.” I bit down on the tip of my tongue to try to stop myself from saying anything I would come to regret.

“I’m sorry. I know it doesn’t mean much. I just need you to know that I am sorry for walking away last night, for ruining your Christmas.”

I huffed a breath. “It was Colin’s fault.”