Chapter 15
Soren
I’mdestinedtospendthis holiday in wet clothes. As if this heist could get any worse, I’m continually soaked to the bone and shivering.
“I hate Christmas,” I mutter. There’s a Barbie head stuck to my boot, and I rip it off, tossing it halfway across the penthouse.
A naughty little girl giggles innocently, clasping her hands to her heart and batting her eyes like she’s a star on Broadway. “Is all this for me?”
“No, it’s for me.” I hazard some sarcasm.
“That reminds me…” Her exuberance disappears as she turns on her heel, spearing me with a single knowing look. “Whyare you here?”
“Uhhh…” I glance at Maya, praying she doesn’t tell this girl the truth. I don’t think she would, but one never knows who their allies are.
“Are we having a slumber party?” Arabella’s voice rises to a pitch only a nine-year-old girl can achieve.
“Bella…” Maya tries, but the girl’s enthusiasm cannot be contained.
“This is just what I wanted! Reese and Claire get to have slumber parties all the time, but I never get to. I can’t wait to tell them all about this! They’re going to be so jealous I had a boy atmyparty!”
And just like that, I die a little inside.
“No, Arabella,” Maya says a little more forcefully. “Derek is just a friend who came to check on us for Christmas. He’s leaving. Soon.”
“But you can’t leave.” The girl pouts. “It’s a blizzard outside.”
I glance out the full-length windows. Nothing but thick puffs of swirling snow are visible beyond. When did that happen?
Probably while I was looking at Maya’s lips.
Because Iwasthinking of kissing her. That’s all I could think about. When she told me about her terrible boyfriend and roommate, all I wanted to do was fix things. Protect her, hold her, kiss her…
“Okay. He can stay a little longer.” Maya relents.
“Yay!” Arabella cheers. “I vote we jump on the bounce house, then swing, then pedicures, then chocolate fondue.”
I’ve got whiplash from all her thoughts, but Maya says, “It’s almost eleven, and you can’t have chocolate.”
“But I want to stay up all night.”
Oh goodie. That’s sure to make my leaving more difficult.
“I never approved that,” Maya says.
“Instead of chocolate we’ll make Hogwarts potions,” Bella continues as if the adult voices around her simply hit a frequency she can’t hear.
“No potions,” I say deeply, testing it.
“Are you guys trying to suck the fun out ofeverything?” she whines. “Can we make sugar-free cookies then?” she pleads with Maya, who sighs.
“Yes.”
Bella runs up the bounce house, ready to get started on her agenda.
We’re alone again, but the moment is gone. As it should be. Kissing Maya is the worst possible thing I could do tonight, and after all the night’s adventures, that’s saying something. I shouldn’t even bethinkingabout her.
“Would you like some dry clothes?” Maya asks.
