Endless December (Sleepless November Saga Book 2)

by Kelsey Clayton

I bend down, place my lips next to his ear, and speak low enough for only him to hear. "I don't have sex with her."

  His breath hitches and he quickly nods. "Touché. Carry on."

  THE RIDE TO THE club we decided on is only about fifteen minutes, but Holden is ready to cut Carson by the end of it. The way he keeps telling Bree what to do and say, as if he controls her – it’s ridiculous. Even I need to bite my tongue. If it wasn't her birthday, I'd tell him exactly where he can put his opinion.

  "That guy is a fucking dick." Holden growls as soon as we're out of earshot.

  I sigh. "I know, but Bree likes him so we have to be nice. At least for tonight anyway."

  He groans before reluctantly agreeing. "Fine, but only because you asked me to."

  Smiling, I stretch on my tippy toes to kiss his cheek. Being with him again is everything it used to be – comfort, safety, passion, romance. For the past few days, we haven't been able to keep our hands off each other. We've even gone as far as having sex multiple times a day. Neither of us can get enough, and it's magical.

  The music pounds loudly around us while we move to the beat of the song. Holden stays firmly pressed to my backside, grinding against me like it's his soul purpose in life. Bree and Skylar dance together while Dawson is getting them drinks. Carson is nowhere to be found.

  When we finally tire ourselves out, we go back to the VIP table that Holden managed to score from knowing the manager. Apparently, he's a massive Black Bears fan. We were skeptical at first, but it made Bree happy and she's who matters tonight.

  As we sit around talking and slightly swaying to the music, a woman brings over a bottle with a sparkler sticking out of it. It’s definitely a fire hazard but it's mesmerizing to watch.

  "Happy Birthday!" She tells Bree, causing my best friend’s face to light up.

  "Happy Birthday, Bree!" We all shout in unison.

  Carson comes back to the table and sits down beside her. "Look what I got you, baby. Aren't you happy?"

  We all roll our eyes while Bree smiles and kisses him. As I look over at Holden, I can almost see the gears turning in his head. Just when I'm about to ask him what's wrong, he look at me both confused and full of amusement.

  "Wait a damn minute! When's your birthday?!"

  Shit. I'm about to change the subject when Bree answers.

  "November 18th. Exactly one month after mine." I slap my palm against my forehead. "Wait, you didn't know?"

  Holden shakes his head. "No. She didn't tell me. Why didn't you tell me?"

  "I don't like my birthday."

  He chuckles and presses a kiss to my forehead. "You sneaky little..."

  I shrug. "I got away with it for a year."

  Rolling his eyes playfully, he gives Bree a knowing look and I can only imagine what it means. Seriously, can they please stop conspiring together? It's dangerous.

  Chapter 16

  "Kayleigh!" Sky yells as I turn to look at Dawson.

  I snap my head back instantly. "Sorry, sorry."

  "Don't apologize to me. You're going to be the one with a crooked wig."

  We're currently getting ready for the Halloween Party over at Kappa Delta Phi. Everyone else is already there, except for the three of us. I needed Skylar's help getting ready. Someone, who's name rhymes with Tree, came up with the great idea for Holden and me to go as Danny and Sandy from Grease. Oh, and by great, I mean absolutely horrific.

  The high-waist black leather pants are so tight, they may as well be painted on. Also, the sleeves on this shirt hang off my shoulders, which means the only thing keeping it up is the elastic around the top. Going naked sounds like a better idea. At least then I'd be owning it.

  "Okay, pucker." Sky says as she applies my makeup, including fire engine red lipstick. "Good, you're done. Now you just have to put on the heels."

  I groan audibly. "Do I have to?"

  "No. You can just go as a weirdo in leather and Uggs." Dawson quips, causing me to stick my tongue out at him.

  The red heels match the lipstick, and scare the ever-living crap out of me. I don't have much experience walking in shoes that aren't flats, let alone two inch heels. I practiced for a little while yesterday, but after the seventh time I tripped, I took them off. The last thing I need is a broken ankle.

  I slip my feet into the shoes and find my balance. "Okay. You guys ready?"

  They both nod, and Dawson stands up from the couch. "Don't forget your jacket."

  Taking it from him, I drape it over my shoulder before looking in the mirror. "I've never worn so much leather in my life. Between the pants and the jacket, PETA is going to come after me."

  The two of them laugh and while I look myself over once more. As much as I would never wear this outfit on my own, I must admit I've looked worse. For once, I'm not judging every inch of my body. It's refreshing.

  Dawson follows Sky and I out of the apartment, locking the door as I take my time on the stairs – I take one at a time like a small child. When he's done, he jogs past me, making sure to stop and chuckle at my lack of coordination.

  "Ignore him." Sky says as she waves him away.

  I smirk as I respond. "I do, constantly."

  The ride to the party is quick, only being a few minute drive away from the frat house. When we get there, I can tell it's one of the bigger parties of the year. People are already overflowing from the house onto the front yard, which usually means the backyard is already full.

  Dawson parks down the street and we all climb out of the car. I hold onto Sky's arm to help steady myself until I get the hang of walking in these god-awful things. Thankfully, by the time we get up to the front door, I have a little more balance.

  Walking inside, my eyes immediately look around for Holden. When I spot him, he's standing with Josephine, Jason, and Caleb. He's not facing me, but I can see his hair is slicked back. His black leather jacket has the collar popped and goes perfectly with the black jeans and converse. His white t-shirt provides the perfect contrast to the costume.

  Jason spots me first, and smiles as he smacks Holden in the arm to get his attention. It all seems to happen in slow motion. Holden turns to face me and as soon as his eyes meet mine, his jaw drops. I look down at the ground and smile, feeling suddenly self-conscious under his stare. When I look back up, he has the widest grin I've seen all year.

  "Wow." He says as soon as we meet in the middle, looking me up and down.

  "You look good." I compliment.

  He raises his eyebrows as he looks me over again. "You look fucking phenomenal. My god. I am the luckiest guy here."

  Rolling my eyes playfully, I stretch to give him a kiss. Judging by the way he reacts, I know exactly how tonight is going to go. His hand grips my lower back and he pulls me as close as possible.

  Within seconds, Bree comes over with her phone demanding to take our picture. We comply, knowing there isn't much we can do to get out of it. Besides, we don't have enough pictures together, and I know how much Holden hates that. She takes a couple – one with us looking at the camera, and another when we're looking at each other. They both come out great, but my favorite is the latter. The look in our eyes says everything.

  "You know, you’re hot as a blonde." Bree remarks.

  I laugh softly. "Eh, I think I'll leave the bleached look to you."

  "Suit yourself."

  A COUPLE OF HOURS into the party, Holden is decently buzzed. Even I have allowed myself to have a couple of beers. Not many, but just enough to play beer pong and have something to sip on afterwards.

  I'm sitting on the couch, talking to Jo as Holden goes to get another drink. Finally getting her away from Jason, I figure now is the best time to inquire about their situation.

  "So, how are things?" I start.

  She blushes slightly. "Pretty good."

  "In general, or with a certain guy we know?"

  "Both."

  I must admit, it's great to see her happy. She seems completely smitten with him, yet at the same time, s
he has this attitude about her that maintains her cool.

  "Are you two dating or have you not figured that out yet?" I inquire further.

  She runs her fingers through her hair and takes a sip of her drink. "No, nothing like that yet."

  "Nothing like what?" Holden interrupts, draping his arms over my shoulders and down my chest from behind the couch.

  I look to Josephine to see if I should change the subject, but instead, she smirks and raises her eyebrows deviously.

  "We're just talking about Jason and me, and how we're nothing serious."

  "Oh." He sounds relieved, until she continues.

  "Yup. Just casual sex."

  I choke on my drink while Holden groans and shoves his face into my neck. "I don't want to hear this! You're my sister!"

  "Oh, please. You've messed around with half my friends, but me doing the same with one of yours is too much?"

  "Yes."

  Jo rolls her eyes. "I guess I won't tell you about how good he is at it then."

  A bark of laughter emits from my mouth as I quickly cover it with my hand. Holden gags before whining about needing to go wash his brain in acid. I've never seen someone get him freaked out so easily. It really is an admirable quality of hers.

  "Has he been better about it?" I ask as soon as he's out of earshot.

  She tilts her head from side to side. "Yes and no. It's kind of one of those 'don't ask don't tell' situations for the time being. Though, that's a lot better than H kicking his ass."

  "You think he could?"

  "One hundred percent. Jason's strong and all, but I've seen Holden in fights before. Jason wouldn't stand a chance."

  The thought of Holden getting into a physical altercation makes me feel sick to my stomach. As much as Jo seems confident in his ability to hold his own, I still don't ever want to see it happen. I don't know that I could handle that.

  THE WARMTH OF THE fire counteracts the cold perfectly. I stand close, talking to Bree and Skylar about wedding plans. Once Holden is done setting everything up for the bonfire, including putting the hose near it as a precaution, he comes up behind me and wraps his arms around my waist.

  "Can I take this costume off you yet?" He murmurs low enough for only me to hear.

  I push my ass back, applying pressure on his groin and making his breath hitch. "Soon, baby."

  "Not soon enough. Christ, your ass in these pants. They're so tight, I'm surprised you can't see an outline of your underwear."

  Turning in his arms, I place a soft kiss on his neck before whispering into his ear. "That's because I'm not wearing any."

  He throws his head back as he attempts to keep his composure. "You're trying to kill me, woman."

  "Maybe a little." I quip, smiling as he bends down and kisses my lips.

  "Alright, enough." Jo remarks teasingly. "Your level of PDA is vomit inducing."

  Holden looks as if he doesn't want to listen, but I back up anyway. His drunk self pouts but allows me to lead him over to one of the chairs. He sits down, immediately pulling me onto his lap. I giggle as he nuzzles his face into my hair. He’s still such a clingy drunk.

  The few of us who are hanging around, start to play Never Have I Ever. The last time we played this, it was the first party of the semester. Holden and I weren't speaking, and I was convinced he was dating Abby. Thank God things have changed.

  "Okay." Jason starts. "Never have I ever been walked in on by my parents during sex."

  Out of everyone, only Dawson and Skylar drink. My jaw drops, and I'm about to ask about it when they cut me off.

  "I don't want to talk about it." They tell me at the same time.

  The rest of us laugh, seeing the mortified look on both of their faces. Caleb's turn is next.

  "Never have I ever said the wrong name during sex."

  Holden drinks along with a few others. Bree squints at him and I can see the gears turning in her head. I feel like she's more curious about it than I am.

  "Do I even want to ask who?" She questions hesitantly.

  He shakes his head and brushes it off, leaving us all to wonder. I make a mental note to ask him about it later. Next is Josephine's turn.

  "Hmm." She ponders. "Never have I ever given oral sex in a public place."

  The amount of people who drink is alarming, but nothing beats the way Holden wails. He starts lightly hit his head against my shoulder.

  "The fact that she even knows what oral sex is..."

  Jo rolls her eyes as everyone else chuckles. "I'm twenty, not two."

  "Don't remind me."

  A few more people go, naming silly ones like 'never have I ever stolen a car' and 'never have I ever flown a plane' – all things that really no one has done. Holden, however, seems to have something up his sleeve. When it reaches him, he takes a deep breath before speaking.

  "Never have I ever met the person I could see spending the rest of my life with."

  My stomach sinks at first, hearing the words that make it sound like we're temporary. However, when he lifts the bottle to his lips and tilts it back to drink, I need to bite my lip to conceal my smile. He winks before glancing down at my drink. I roll my eyes jokingly as I take a sip. Sometimes, he can be the sweetest person I've ever met.

  Chapter 17

  Iwalk quickly down the sidewalk, running late for my shift at Dolce. As I push open the door, I almost run directly into a ladder as Skylar yells for me to watch out. I stop dead in my tracks and look around, confused by what's going on. Standing on top of the ladder is Dawson.

  "Uh, what are you doing?" I ask, looking up at him and stepping out of the way.

  "Taking off this stupid sensor. If I have to listen to that stupid ding one more time, I'm going to lose my mind."

  I roll my eyes as I walk around to the other side of the counter. "Did you ask permission to do this?"

  "Kind of."

  Skylar chuckles beside me. "He lied and said it was broken."

  The sound of something clattering to the floor causes the two of us to jump. Our heads turn toward Dawson and see the sensor lying on the floor in pieces. He simply shrugs and begins his climb down the ladder.

  "Well, it's broken now."

  I smile fondly and shake my head. "Never a dull moment with you, is it?"

  A FEW HOURS LATER, I'm sitting on the counter while Skylar asks Dawson and I for our opinion on wedding stuff. On slow days like this, it's the best way to pass the time.

  "What about this one?" She suggests, showing me a baby blue dress. It's a floor length gown that’s practically transparent.

  "Eh, maybe not so revealing."

  She scrolls through a few more before landing on one and laughing. "This is it. I found my bridesmaid dresses."

  Instead of turning the phone around, she sends Dawson and I each a screenshot. It's a bright yellow dress with poufy arms and a big yellow bow. Picturing Bree wearing it causes me to laugh hysterically.

  "I'm so glad we found the dress. You'll wear it, right?" She giggles.

  Dawson looks over to me with amusement and back to Skylar. "Yeah, okay. You have a better chance of seeing Kayleigh at another one of Holden's hockey games."

  Skylar's eyes widen and she starts shaking her head, signaling for Dawson to shut up. He doesn't get the message.

  "What? You know how much she hated going there."

  I follow her line of sight past Dawson and turn around to look behind us. Holden is standing there, looking broken. I close my eyes and cringe.

  "He's right behind me, isn't he?" Dawson asks. Skylar nods slowly.

  As I open my eyes, I see Holden walking out the door. I immediately take off my apron and toss it on the counter, jogging to chase after my boyfriend.

  "You just had to take the damn bell off the door." I chastise Dawson. "Holden, wait!"

  I run outside and over to Holden. He's standing beside his motorcycle and picking up his helmet. He's about to put it on when I catch up to him.

  "I can explain."

&nb
sp; He turns toward me, visibly upset. "Explain what? That my own girlfriend doesn't like one of the few things that are really important to me? You could have just told me, instead of lying about it."

  One leg goes over the bike and he stands it up. I put my hand on his arm. "I didn't lie, I promise. Let's just go somewhere and talk."

  He takes a deep breath before taking off his helmet and handing it to me. I realize I've never been on his motorcycle before, but if I don't want this argument to linger, I have no other choice. I put it on my head and quickly climb onto the back of the bike – wrapping my arms around his waist before he revs the engine to life.

  I watch the pavement pass beneath us and feel the wind on my legs. It’s obvious why he got this thing. The feeling when you're on it is liberating. As soon as he gets out of town, he increases the speed. I squeal happily and tighten my grip. I can see his smile in the reflection of the mirror. He's enjoying this.

  He drives for almost fifteen minutes, which tells me we're not going to Kappa. I don't care though. I need to get this sorted out before it becomes something bigger than it needs to be.

  By the end of the drive, he pulls up alongside a lake with a big gazebo. He brings the bike to a halt and puts the kickstand down before signaling for me to climb off. I take off the helmet and hand it to him.

  "That was amazing!" I tell him excitedly. He smiles, but it doesn't reach his eyes. The two of us walk over to the gazebo and sit down. "How did you find this place?"

  "I came back to school a little early to buy my motorcycle, and I drove around to practice. Just stumbled upon it one day."

  "It's beautiful."

  "Yeah. I love it here."

  The conversation turns to silence and I realize I'm going to have to bring the topic up myself. I sigh and turn my body to face him.

  "Holden, you have to believe me. What Dawson said wasn't true."

  "So, you didn't hate going to my game, and decided to leave early?"

  I tilt my head to the side. "Well, I did, but not for the reasons you're thinking. I love watching you play, and I love hearing about it."

  "Then what's the problem?"