AllFreeNovel
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She just laughed. “I wasn’t gonna.”
“Let’s go home.”
Looking around our home, I was surprised to find how much I missed the ski trip. Being surrounded with laughter, all our friends. Even if I’d spent every moment possible with Cam,we’d still spent the evenings playing card and board games with our friends, seeing who would do the most ridiculous things during truth or dare, watching movies, and enjoying the peaceful snowfall of the mountains. Adam and Sutton had cooked for us, not letting us in the kitchen because they wanted to show off their skills—and because they didn’t trust the rest of us. Fine by me.
But most of all, I missed how easy it had been up there.
Ella
I miss you.
I wish you could have come home with me.
Cam
I miss you too, Princess.
How’s your Christmas?
Fine.
I frowned. Justfine?I hated that for him. I wanted him to be having a better time with his family.
“You texting Cam?” Audrey asked, glancing over at my phone.
“Yeah.” I tried to hide my face in my shirt.
“You really like him, don’t you?”
I nodded. There was no point in denying it—I really, really did.
I really wished he had taken me up on my offer and come home with me. After all, Christmas at the Ashford house had always been a joyous occasion. Even when we were growing up, our parents had done their best to spoil us, and above all, we were loved. The fireplace was on, and we cuddled up under blankets, watching Christmas cartoons until the early hours of the morning, when our parents finally made us go to bed.
We always complained, but they’d told us that Santa wouldn’t show up unless we fell asleep, so we’d curled upunder our comforters, in the bedroom we’d shared, giggling until sleep finally took us.
This Christmas wasn’t much different. Audrey and I were still cuddled up on the couch, sharing a massive blanket, yawning as we watched our favorite cartoons from childhood. There were no longer any presents from Santa wrapped under the tree when we woke up, but all we really needed was family.
But it felt like I’d left my heart behind in Vermont. I knew Cam’s relationship with his parents wasn’t great, and I hated to think of him being miserable over the holidays.
Ella
Just fine?
Cam
Eh. Dad’s working. Mom is, well… Mom.
Oh. Sorry to hear that.
It’s okay. How’s your family?
“So, who’s this boy?” My mom asked as she sat down on the chair next to us, a bowl of freshly popped popcorn on her lap. I gave her a weird look, but she just laughed. “Ells, you’ve been buried in that phone all night. I know you’ve been texting someone. Is it the same guy as you were talking to this semester?”
“It’s… He’s no one.” I said, burying my hand in the bowl of popcorn and throwing a few pieces into my mouth to avoid her gaze.
“He’s notno one,”Audrey interjected, and I stared daggers at my twin, who was clearly all-too eager to throw me under the bus. “He’s the president of the frat that Ella’s been working with.”
My twin senses were clearlynotworking. I shoved at her with my foot. I didn’t need her spilling my newfound relationship to my parents before I’d even had the chance to tell them I had a boyfriend.
