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“You okay?” I ask.
She nods. “You brought my gifts over with yours yesterday, right?”
I borrowed Ryder’s car yesterday and loaded my and Taylor’s Christmas gifts into the trunk and drove them over to my parents’ place. There’s no way I would have been able to carry them all and ride the bike.
“Yep. They’re already under the tree.” She smiles, but it doesn’t quite reach her eyes. I frown and climb off the bike. Reaching for her hand, I pull her against me. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
She sighs. “I can’t help but think about my mom. She loved Christmas. It was her favorite time of year.” She smiles. “She used to decorate the house with a tree in every room, and lights all around the porch. She always made it magical, even though, as a single parent, I know she didn’t always have the money.”
I increase my hold on her, kissing her softly on the top of the head. “It sounds like your mom loved you a lot, Tay.”
“Yeah, she did. I loved her too.” She drops her head against my chest. “Last Christmas was so hard. She had no idea who I was. She kept lashing out and hitting me. The doctor sedated her in the end, and I had to go home. I spent Christmas Day on my own.”
My heart slams in my chest knowing she was alone and hurting last year. “Fuck, Taylor. I’m sorry. I can’t even imagine how hard that must have been.”
“I miss her so much,” she whispers, her voice choked with emotion.
“You’re not alone now, Tay.”
She takes a deep breath before leaning back and smiling sadly. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to get upset.”
“There’s no need to apologize.”
Before she can respond, Nash’s truck pulls on the driveway, and she steps out of the embrace.
“I hope they sorted things out,” she says, changing the subject and gesturing to the truck.
I watch as Nash helps Paisley from the truck, slides his arm around her waist, and kisses her head.
“It looks like they did.”
“Merry Christmas,” Nash calls out.
“Merry Christmas,” Taylor and I reply in unison.
Paisley heads over, kissing me on the cheek and linking her arm with Taylor’s. “Are you and Nash okay?” Taylor asks her quietly. I don’t hear Paisley’s answer as they walk arm in arm into the house.
When I look back at Nash, he’s grabbing bag after bag out of the back of the truck, and I jog over to him.
“Let me help.” I take a couple of bags out of his hands while he grabs the rest. “Are these all gifts?”
He laughs. “Yep, Paisley loves to shop.”
“Did you two talk?”
“Yeah, we’re good. Thanks for earlier. I appreciate it.”
“There’s no need to thank me, Nash. I’m glad you sorted things out.” I grin. “So, should I be congratulating you both?”
His forehead furrows in confusion. “What?”
“Did she say yes?”
“Oh. No. I didn’t ask her. I want it to be perfect and not like I was asking because we’d had an argument.”
“I’m sure she wouldn’t have thought that, but I get it.”
“I’ll be asking, and soon.”
