“Yes. And by ‘talk’ I mean rudely point out all the ways I was a horrible mother to you. He said some things that made me realize that no matter what choices you make, I want to be a part of your life. But… maybe from now on, we can include each other in our decisions a little more.”
“You mean no more secrets?”
“Exactly.”
“Deal,” I immediately blurted out, holding out my hand to shake on it.
She glanced down at my palm and her lip wobbled, instantly bringing my own tears right back to the surface. She bypassed my hand and unfastened her seatbelt to lean over the center console and give me the tightest hug she could manage in the awkward position.
“I love you, sweetie. I’m so, so sorry.”
“So am I. And I love you, too.”
And right there in the abandoned lot of the grocery store, I found the holiday spirit Brenda had teased me about lacking.
I just had one person left to forgive.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Jonathan
“You think Leslie changed her mind? Or maybe it was Fiona. Maybe she wasn’t ready to forgive her mom yet and didn’t want to come back. Maybe I should call Brenda. Do you think I should call Brenda?”
I turned away from the window to find my dad staring at me with a twisted up expression that could only translate into one thing: ‘What the fuck is wrong with you, boy?’
“I think you should have a little patience. You’re getting worked up over nothing,” he said before lifting the mug of fresh coffee to his lips and taking a long swig. “And I also think you should stop pacing.”
I hadn’t even realized I was doing it—but I immediately stopped when he brought it to my attention. He was still frowning at me when I glanced back, but I turned away to stare out the window and watch the road for Leslie’s car.
It really wasn’t normal for me to be this nervous about anything, but there was a lot at stake here. The biggest concern was the part that was totally out of my hands—Leslie and Fiona’s car ride home together. It only made sense that they’d use the alone time to talk and the fact that I couldn’t jump in if I needed to…
Well, I really didn’t like that. I had absolutely no control.
So there I was. Waiting and absentmindedly pacing. Which pretty much summed up how I spent most of the previous night, only substitute the pacing with tossing and turning in my bed while I went over all the things I wanted to say to Fiona in my mind.
Assuming she actually comes back.
Just as the thought popped into my head, the bright shine of headlights cutting through the falling snow drew my attention back to the street. I held my breath as the car pulled into the driveway, cursing the fact that I didn’t have an angle good enough to see into the car windows.
When the passenger door opened and Fiona cautiously stepped out onto the snow-covered ground, every ounce of nervousness poured out of my body and a relieved smile spread across my lips.
I was vaguely aware of my dad walking up to my back and giving me a fatherly pat on the shoulder as he said, “See? They probably just stopped somewhere to talk.”
I considered rushing outside and helping her with her bag like the gentleman that I wasn’t, but I had stupidly ditched my shoes and coat the moment I got in the door. By the time I finished rushing around and getting dressed, she’d probably already be inside.
And soon enough, she was. Dad walked over to give her a hug and wish her a merry Christmas while I hung back in the living room and waited for a sign.
After she let go of my dad, her eyes flickered around until they locked on me.
When she smiled, I knew. Leslie had told her about yesterday and she wasn’t angry about my meddling. If the way her eyes lit up was any indication, she was happy about it.
I did good, I thought as I smiled back. Now I just need to find a moment to tell her the rest.
Of course, finding a moment to ourselves was easier said than done. After she greeted me with a slightly awkward hug, both of us very aware of who was watching the exchange, Leslie pulled her away to help with dinner. She looked back at me as she was being dragged to the kitchen, the expression on her face telling me she was just as eager to talk as I was.
Knowing that felt good, but it didn’t ease any of my irritation as Leslie and my dad continued to stick close by at all times like we were liable to start having kinky sex if they left us alone for five fucking seconds.
While the turkey was in the oven, Leslie insisted we exchange gifts, which was pretty ridiculous to me considering we all knew what kind of financial situation Leslie was currently dealing with. But still, she had gotten a few small things for everyone with her last paycheck and help from dad.
New tools for me—ones I had specifically requested that I needed for work—and things like adorable pajama sets for Fiona. I didn’t even see what our parents had bought for each other, too caught up in the look of delight on Fiona’s face when she unwrapped a pair of Christmas-themed knees socks that had bells attached to the tops.
“I’m sure I’ll annoy many people with these,” she pointed out with a chuckle, shaking the socks and proving her point as they loudly jangled.
Picturing her walking around in what was now my house in nothing but those socks and one of my shirts was about as far from annoying as you could get, but I wasn’t about to point that out.
Maybe later. Definitely later.
We ate Christmas dinner as a family, even though both dad and I raised the argument that this should really be referred to as ‘Christmas lunch’ considering it wasn’t even two o’clock. I resisted the urge to play footsie with Fiona under the table while Leslie and Dad reminisced with stories from past holidays.
After being put through the tradition of watching Rudolph together after dinner, I was about ready to blow.
And not in the fun way. More in the ‘I’m-one-holiday-movie-away-from-blowing-my-brains-out’ kind of way.
I was already nervous enough about Fiona’s gift and the anticipation of her reaction was slowly killing me. At one point, I began to question whether Leslie was stalling on purpose, knowing damn well that I was waiting for an opportunity to ask Fiona to move in with me.
I narrowed my eyes in her direction and she glanced over, frowning when she saw my expression. We must have stared at each other like that for a full minute before her eyes widened slightly as it finally clicked in her head.
Maybe it was intentional, maybe it wasn’t. Either way, I gave her a tight smile after she finally said, “Wow, I didn’t realize how late it was already.”
Thank you, I thought as I pulled my phone out of my pocket and quickly shot off a text message before sliding it back into place. Fiona glanced around nervously, too afraid to ask whether she was allowed to spend the night here or not.
“Can I talk to you for a minute?” I asked, standing up from the couch and offering her my hand. “Alone,” I pointedly added, looking back to confirm that both of our parents heard me.
She smiled awkwardly at her mom before accepting my hand, trailing behind me without a word as I led her down the hall to what was once her bedroom. I gestured for her to step inside and softly closed the door behind us, flicking the lock into place and smiling when I saw her eyes widen.
“Get your head out of the gutter, angel. I just don’t want your mom barging in with another fucking movie for us to watch while I’m trying to talk to you.”
I got a grin from that one and it eased some of the nerves that were making my stomach flip. I shoved my hands in my pockets and felt around for the box, rubbing my thumb over it for a moment while I pondered how to begin.
Funny how I spent nearly my entire night planning out the conversation, but the words failed me when I was finally standing in front of her. I wasn’t entirely sure where to begin, but I figured an apology for meddling in things would be a decent enough start.
She cut me off as soon as the first word came out of my mouth. Her palm was covering my
lips and I drew my eyebrows together, shooting her a glare before pulling her hand away by the wrist.
“That was rude.”
“I’m sorry. Just—Just let me say something first. Okay?”
While I knew I had a hell of a lot to get through myself, I was too curious to hear what she had to say that was so important that she felt the need to interrupt me.
I waved a hand through the air and said, “The floor’s all yours.”
“I forgive you,” she said firmly, nodding afterwards like she was trying to make sure her words were embedded in her mind. “I can’t promise not to ever bring it up again, but I want to move forward. I want to be with you.”
I hid my elation behind a sarcastic smirk and a raised eyebrow. “What about figuring everything else out first?”
She froze for a moment and I began to regret my words, until she finally shrugged and said, “Screw it.”
“Damn. I guess that means you won’t be very excited about your Christmas presents.”
Her eyes went wide and lit up. “You got me a present?”
“Not exactly,” I said, toying with the small box in my pocket. “It’s more of an obligation.”
The smile dropped and she frowned as she tried to solve the riddle. She shook her head as she looked up at me and said, “I don’t follow.”
“I talked to Jimmy down at the shop and he agreed to hire you. It’s only a temp position—no more than two months—but I thought having something lined up to bring in some cash would make you feel a little better.”
“But… But I don’t know anything about cars.”
“You’ll probably just be making coffee and answering the phone, sweetheart. This is more of a favor to me than a legitimate job. But it’s a start.”
I wasn’t expecting her to throw her arms around my neck and hug me just yet, but I wasn’t going to pass up the moment either. I pulled my hands out of my pockets and locked them behind her back, squeezing her tightly to me and trying not to let her feel the small box that contained her second gift.
“Thank you so much,” she murmured against my shoulder.
“There’s still one more thing.”
She pulled away and looked up into my eyes and the sudden urge to kiss her and throw her down onto the bed was damn near overwhelming. But the looming reminder of where we were was enough to keep my arousal at bay.
Besides, if this went well, I’d have my chance soon enough. I brought the box around and watched as the look on her face turn to terror.
“It’s not a ring,” I quickly assured her. “Even I know that it’s way too soon for that.”
Her expression melted to one of relief, and then the curiosity appeared. “So what is it?”
“Well, you gave me a list of things you needed to deal with before you could get involved with me. Remember?” I flipped open the box and watched her eyes widen. “Dad’s letting me rent the house and I want you to move in with me.”
“You—You’re serious?” she asked as she reached to pluck the key out of the box. “Do they know?”
“They know I intended to ask you today, yeah.”
“What’d my mom say?”
“Do you care?”
Her eyes tore away from the key to meet mine and she slowly shook her head. “No. I guess I don’t.” There was a long moment as she stared down at the key that I worried she might decline the offer, but she eventually looked back up and asked, “So when I told you I couldn’t be with you until I got my life straightened out, you took it upon yourself to fix everything for me?”
“Pretty much,” I agreed with a nod. “Not that I ever doubted your ability to do it yourself. I just figured I’d speed things along.”
“You’re infuriating, you know that?”
“I know. So what do you say? Think you can stand to live with my charming and infuriating self?”
Fiona’s smile turned into a grin and she nodded. “Yeah, I think I can manage that.”
I pulled her back into my arms, startling her so much that she dropped the key as I tilted her chin up and brought my lips down to hers. Her hands came up to curl around my neck and when she moaned, I used the opportunity to slip my tongue between her lips and taste her.
As I kissed her, I silently promised that I’d never do anything to hurt her again.
My hands roamed over her body as she pressed up against me. I knew that we were only moments away from my self-control shattering and when that happened—it’d likely wind up with me ripping off her clothes and fucking her against her bedroom door.
So with a massive amount of effort on my part, I pulled away from her lips and tried to ignore the desperation of my cock as it twitched with need inside my jeans. One glance at her hooded eyes and flushed cheeks told me she was in a similar position.
I held out my hand and choked out, “Come home with me.”
Chapter Thirty
Fiona
When he held his hand out towards me and huskily commanded me to come home with him, I knew that there was no way in hell I’d ever be able to deny him. I wordlessly took his hand, glancing down for a moment at the bulge in his jeans and smirking at the sight.
Jonathan noticed and gave me a hard stare, one that warned me that there was going to be punishment for my amusement when we got home.
Home. We’re really going to live together.
Excited didn’t even begin to cover how I felt about that.
I almost wanted to giggle as he dragged me through the house and stopped by my suitcase, which was still conveniently sitting beside the front door. He turned towards me and put both hands on my shoulders, giving me a serious look as he said, “I’ll be right back. Don’t. Move.”
I rolled my eyes at his retreating form, but still did as he ordered and waited where I was. A moment later, he returned with our coats, Gerald following close behind him and my mom bringing up the rear, a wary look of concern on her face.
“Fiona and I are heading home,” Jonathan announced proudly as he helped me into my coat then slung an arm over my shoulder. I leaned into his side as I slid my gloves out of my pocket and pulled them on.
“Do you need a ride?”
“No, the cab will be here any minute.” I raised a brow at him, but Jonathan simply shrugged. “I needed a ride home with or without you, so I arranged one before we had our talk.”
“And how did that go?” Gerald prodded, glancing between his son and I with a knowing grin.
Jonathan turned to me and I knew it was my turn to answer. Not just because I owed it to him, but because I needed to make sure my mother understood.
“We’re together now,” I said confidently, noting the way my mom’s eyes became slightly saddened by the news, but shoving away the unpleasant feeling I got from it. As she said earlier, she was going to need some time. “And I’m moving in with Jonathan.”
Gerald smiled—albeit a little tightly—and Jonathan leaned down to place a kiss to my forehead. Before anyone could comment further on our new relationship, a car honked the horn outside and we quickly said our good-byes for the night.
I hugged my mom hard and whispered, “Merry Christmas. And thank you.”
“I love you, sweetie.”
“I love you, too.”
When we broke apart, Jonathan was waiting for me with an outstretched hand. He laced our fingers together and led me down the sidewalk to the waiting car, opening the back door like a gentleman while he loaded my bag into the trunk.
Jonathan pulled me close to his side after he got into the car, rubbing my shoulder to help keep me warm. I snuggled closer and smiled up at him, excited to get back to his—our—place and continue where we left off in my bedroom.
His lazy grin told me he was thinking the exact same thing and it took everything in my power not to jump on him in the backseat of the cab. I opted to tease him instead—biting my bottom lip and shooting him my best bedroom eyes. Occasionally I’d let my tongue slip past my lips to moisten them, but I was pre
tty damn sure he knew I was only doing it because he was watching me so heatedly.
When we finally rolled to a stop at the house I had stayed at many times over the years, the lazy smiled had turned into an irritated scowl. He paid the driver and darted out of the car, pulling my bag out of the trunk before I had even managed to step out myself. He walked far too quickly for my liking up to the steps and the only reason I was able to keep pace with him through the thick blanket of snow was because of the firm palm that was guiding me by my lower back.
Jonathan didn’t speak as he unlocked the front door and gestured for me to step inside, dragging my bag in behind him after I crossed the threshold. I hugged myself tightly in an attempt to warm up while he locked the front door, then turned back to me with a wicked grin.
“Welcome home, baby.”
Before I could comment—he was on me. My coat was yanked off my shoulders and dropped carelessly to the floor, followed quickly by his. I unraveled my scarf and jerked off my gloves while he bent down to take off our shoes.
“Fucking winter clothing,” he mumbled as he pulled off one of my heavy boots, drawing a laugh out of me. “You think it’s funny?”
“Kind of.”
He stood up and reached forward, gripping my sweater tightly in each hand and tearing it right down the middle. My jaw dropped in astonishment and I prepared to ream him for ruining my clothes, but then he yanked the cups of my bra down and craned his neck to bite on a stiff peak.
“Oh—Oh god,” I breathed out, stepping backwards until I was pressed against the wall for balance. “Please, Jonathan. Please.”
“Please what?”
“Bed. Now.”
He grunted his agreement and lifted me into the air, my legs wrapping around his waist out of instinct before he carried me down the hall as if I weighed nothing at all. I wrapped my arms around his neck and teasingly arched my back, bringing my breasts as close to his face as I could without obscuring his vision.
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