Page 53 of Dumped for a Christmas Tree Farmer

I watch Bella behind the bar, Charlie helping her, his shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbows as he opens bottles, flinging a towel over his shoulder like he’s cosplaying a bartender. Bella looks happy, if not slightly amused at his enthusiasm for working a double shift on New Year's Eve.

Henry peeks over Scott’s head and pinches my thigh. As I turn to chew him out, he flicks his head in the direction of the door, where Holly, head to toe in an annoyingly stunning baby pink dress, strides toward our booth.

“I heard the news. My boyfriend and my dad?” she screeches as a tired-looking James follows her.

Wide eyes turn to me. “Well, I understand the Mav part, but your dad? I’m confused by that one.” I chuckle.

“You convinced my boyfriend to sell my dad the building for the bakery. You’re moving into my apartment and taking my entire life.”

“One,” Mav interrupts, holding up a finger to Holly, “I’m not your boyfriend. Two, I sold the building to your father. Whatever he wants to do with it is up to him. Three, it’s not your apartment.”

“All my stuff is there.”

“Actually, no, it’s not.” He huffs.

“It’s not?”

Holly and I both ask at the same time.

“I’ve organized movers. You’re moving back here to be with James and start a business. I figured you’d be happy to not have the hassle of coming back for your stuff.”

“Where is it then?”

He looks at his watch. “Should be here on January second.”

She splutters, her eyes wide with confusion, like her kissing James didn’t start off this whole crazy Christmas debacle.

The room is quiet, a faint hint of music playing in the background as if someone has turned it down so everyone can hear Holly clearer, not that they need to try hard the way she’s screeching.

“Holly, let’s go. Before you say something you can’t take back,” James intervenes, placing a hand on her shoulder.

“Oh yes. How could I forget? There is one more thing I have to say.” She clicks her fingers and laughs up toward the ceiling as if whatever has popped into her mind has just revealed itself.

“Holly—” James warns.

Mav grips my ankle, Henry loops his arm around mine once again, and I watch as Hugh Honeyford pushes his way through the crowd of onlookers who seem as eager as I am to know what the hell she’s talking about.

“At least you managed to convince one man to keep you. But I guess we’ll see how long that lasts, given that no man has ever stuck around for you.”

“Holly,” Mav growls. “I will instruct the movers to dump your stuff if you don’t back off.”

“It’s okay, Mav,” I say, reaching across the table for him. “Say what you want to say, Holly. Tell me why you hate me so much.”

The words that spat from her mouth next, I could never have predicted.

“Because your skank mother seduced my father when my mother was pregnant with me.”

The room gasps, all except for James, whose lips flatten into a straight line. The room blurs, the swarm of people surrounding our booth turning hazy. The music stops completely. All that’s left is the unsticking of shoes on the beer-coated floor and the scent of whiskey and betrayal.

“Holly!” Mr. Honeyford pushes through the rest of the crowd, gripping the top of her arm as her lip begins to tremble. His eyebrows are high, a look of sheer panic on his face.

He didn’t know she knew.

My mom . . . my mom slept with a married man. My best friend's father. A man who has always been kind to me, even when Holly stopped talking to me. Even a few days ago, he checked in with me. Why would he do that if he slept with my mom? I’d have thought he’d want to stay as far away as possible.

“Indy.” Mav squeezes my hand.

The sickening pit in my stomach seems to widen with every breath I take. Like it’s taking my brain longer to catch up with what my body already knows.