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“Fine.” He reluctantly released me and took a step away, intently watching me as if I might change my mind. “I’ll call you tomorrow, babe. I know you have a lot to think about.”
I did. I had so much to think about, but none of it was what he was insinuating.
Bryce left after a long glare directed in Connor’s direction, and once the door was shut, Connor cast a look at me like I’d betrayed him.
Closing the distance between us, he set an Aveeno box on the counter and said, “It’s an oatmeal bath to help with the itching,” before I could begin to ask. Grabbing my left hand, he briefly glanced at it before releasing me and stepping away, his head shaking as he did. “I hope like hell you didn’t say ‘yes’ to him.”
* * *
I jolted awake and grabbed at my ringing phone the next morning, nearly dropping it in the process of answering it.
“’lo?”
“Wake up, bitch! It’s the first of December—Christmas decorating day!”
I groaned and rolled onto my back. “What time is it, Amber?”
“Who cares, and did you just groan?” she asked dramatically, feigning concern. “You don’t groan when there’s anything in your immediate future involving Christmas. Now, get your ass out of bed. I’m coming to pick you up.”
After Connor had left my apartment the night before, leaving me stunned and sobbing, I’d texted Amber to let her know I wasn’t going out and had gotten in the tub with the Aveeno. Even after I’d stopped itching, I’d spent hours repeating Bryce’s words and poring over all that had happened between Connor and me in the previous forty-eight hours.
Nothing with Connor made sense. Half of what he did made me want him more and think that, in some alternate universe, I could have a chance with him. The other half made me feel like a child and, added with Bryce’s words...a joke.
When my tears had finally stopped an embarrassing amount of time later, I’d called Bryce and more or less told him to screw himself. Said I wouldn’t marry him and wouldn’t change for anyone, including him.
Sad thing about that is I hadn’t been able to stop staring at myself in the mirror for about an hour after, trying to convince myself that I was happy with who I was and that I didn’t want to go back to the old Maci.
Bryce had told me to sleep on it.
“Maci,” Amber sang my name, drawing it out and bringing me back to our conversation.
“You are not a morning person. Go back to sleep.”
“Too late,” she said cheerfully. “I’m already on my way.”
I started groaning again but managed to stop myself. “Okay, I’m up. Pick up coffee and a muffin, and I’ll blast Christmas music while I get ready. That’ll get me in the mood.”
“Consider it done,” she said victoriously. “See you in twenty-ish.”
Ending the call, I went to my music app and searched for a Christmas playlist. Once it was on and blasting through my speakers, I practically bounced around my apartment as I sang along with the songs and rushed to get ready.
Once I was dressed and ready, I grabbed the box of remaining oatmeal bath packets and headed to Connor’s. But just as I grasped the door handle, I heard a feminine laugh followed by Connor’s and froze. Letting the box slip from my fingers, I left it in front of his door and went back to my apartment, waiting for Amber to call.
It was impossible to remain unaffected by the way he’d stood up for me...by the things he’d said—especially last night. It was impossible to not care that he had another girl, or Sadie, in his apartment.
“You ready to get decorations and Christmas-out our apartments?” Amber excitedly asked as I got into her car.
Taking the pastry bag from her, I pulled a piece off the muffin and popped it into my mouth. “Mmm-hmm.”
“This weather sucks though, huh? It needs to be gloomy or something, at least. But, no, it’s bright and sunny. Barely cold enough for a hoodie. Whatever.”
“Not too much longer, and we’ll be in Mammoth,” I reminded her as my stare pulled back to my apartment building, my thoughts once again drifting to the man there.
“So excited,” Amber said exaggeratedly. “I can’t wait to see the snow. Well, that, and to stay with your brothers in a cozy cabin.”
I grabbed my coffee when I began choking on the muffin, my head shaking to push out the words she’d just said. “Seriously, Amber, gross. I’m telling my mom you suddenly have the bubonic plague or something and can’t come with us.”
“That just isn’t nice.”
