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I sputtered a laugh. “Trust me, uncomfortable is not the word I would choose to describe what I felt in that moment.”
Haley glanced at me, confused. I raised my eyebrows as if to say,you know what I’m talking about.But she only continued to stare at me, uncomprehending.
“Come on, Haley,” I said, lowering my voice. I folded my arms atop the table and leaned closer. The last thing I needed was a member of her family walking in on this conversation. “I saw the smut you read. Do you really think a guy is not going to have some kind of…reaction…when a pretty girl kisses him?”
It took a split second for the realization to dawn on her, but when it did, the effect was obvious. Her face turned bright red and she fumbled, knocking over her pretzel-stick-fence.
“Oh.”
I chuckled. “Yeah.”
Then Haley made a pained sound and covered her face with her hands.
“I’m making a mess of everything.”
Shit shit shit. This was only getting worse. I pulled her hands away from her face.
“God, no, Haley. That’s not true.”
“But this must be soweirdfor you. I mean…I’m just your best friend’s little sister. I’m sure you’ve never thought of me like…” Haley faltered and her voice nearly gave out. “Likethat.”
I took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. If only she knew how often I thought of her exactly like that.
“I’m sorry for kissing you,” Haley said. “It won’t happen again.”
That’s a shame,I almost said, the words perched on the tip of my tongue.
Then Chase skidded into the kitchen on his socked feet.
“Hey, slow pokes. Are you gonna watch this movie with us or not? Don’t you dare put me on babysitting duty solo.”
He rummaged through the cabinets, piling snacks into his arms, holding them in place with his chin.
“Aren’t you the one who suggested the movies in the first place?” I asked, irritated at the interruption.
Haley had withdrawn, returning her attention to her gingerbread house. Her lashes shielded her gaze and I wished I could reach out, cup her chin, and tilt her head up until she looked me in the eyes. I didn’t want her pulling away or shutting me out again.
“Yeah, well,” Chase replied. “I knew gingerbread houses meant small children with sticky fingers would be hunting us down for a harrowing game of tag eventually. So I decided to be proactive and head them off before the hell raising starts. You can thank me later.”
Chase shoved a box of pop tarts under his chin to top off the towering stack of food he’d acquired.
“Let’s move, soldiers.”
After cleaning up the table and setting the gingerbread houses on the counter, Haley and I followed Chase into the living room, now shrouded in a giant blanket fort. Brenda and Johnny poked their heads up like little rabbits and giggled, pointing.
“Look who got caught under the mistletoe! Now you have to kiss!”
A small bouquet of mistletoe tangled from a red ribbon above our heads, thumbtacked into the door frame.
Haley turned wide eyes up to me. But I didn’t miss the way her gaze flicked down to my mouth and the way her teeth ever-so-slightly pinched into her lower lip.
She was thinking about it.Reallythinking about it.
I shrugged and spread my hands as if to say,what can you do?
I certainly wouldn’t say no to kissing Haley again. Even if it did mean getting myself into hot water with her brother.
Then Chase emerged into view and there was no teasing look on his face. He reached up and yanked the mistletoe down.
