AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I glanced away. “Sorry you had to see that. This time of year really gets to me.”
He pushed some hair behind my ear. “I’m not here to poke fun at you, love.”
Heart racing, I looked up at him. “You don’t think I’m crazy?”
“Why would I think that?”
“Because I burst out into tears for no reason.”
“It wasn’t for no reason,” he murmured. “And I know that.”
“Luke used to think that I was crazy,” I whispered, crossing my arms over my body and thinking about how low he had always made me feel when I thought about what had happened with my family. He had told me that I shouldn’t think about them because they made me sad.
“Forget about him. He’s a dick.”
A small giggle escaped my mouth. “I know but …”
“It’s hard,” he finished, gaze dropping for a moment, as if he was thinking back to a memory. “It’s hard to love and be loved. To get past all the trauma that’s happened to you. To be okay again.”
Tears built in my eyes, but they wouldn’t fall. Steven was speaking everything that I felt.
“Sometimes, you just have to let go,” he murmured. “What’re you doing for Christmas?”
The question had come so suddenly, his tone changing within seconds.
“Usually, I come here,” I said, dropping my gaze as my chest tightened.
I used to love Christmas, but since my family had died, I had come to loathe it.
“They welcome me, but I always feel like I’m intruding on family time.”
“I spend Christmas Eve and morning alone,” he said. “Do you want to stay at my place?”
With my gaze still fixed on the ground, I widened my eyes slightly and played with my sleeve. “I, um …” I swallowed hard and peered up at him through my lashes, nerves zipping through me. “If you don’t mind, I would love that.”
He let out a breath, as if he had been holding it in. “Great.”
“It’s a date then,” I said.
“The first Christmas that I’ve ever looked forward to.”
34
steven
Next class, I parked in the alleyway just outside of Radiant and led Sierra toward the entrance of the club. I had been buzzing every night and every day since the holiday party. She had promised to stay the entire week—from Christmas Eve to the day after New Year’s Day.
While I should’ve been nervous because I had never had anyone stay over my place for that long, I couldn’t seem to wait. Lately, my home had seemed so boring without her. I had found myself lounging around every night, staring down into the quiet city and wondering how much longer I’d have to endure the agony of being alone.
I tightened my grip on Sierra and pulled her hood up before we stepped onto the searing cold sidewalk from the alley. She giggled, her cheeks already a light pink, and quickly looked away, as if she wanted to tell me something but was too embarrassed.
“What is it?” I asked.
“What?”
“Why do you have that look on your face?”
“I don’t have a look.” She snickered, stepping into Radiant.
