Christmas Criminal

17. Noelle

17

NOELLE

Thursday, December 19th

N ick and I spend the night entangled, taking turns falling asleep and waking the other for sleepy, middle-of-the-night sex that's both lazy and incredibly indulgent. I've learned that running my fingers along his abs is a surefire way to make him growly and handsy with me, and that it takes only about twenty seconds from when I wiggle my ass back into his erection to him reaching into the drawer of the nightstand and fumbling around for a condom.

He wakes up early for his last day of work this year, but before he leaves, he leans down over me and gives me the sort of kiss that leaves me breathless when he finally unhands me and disappears through the door of his bedroom.

And I wander downstairs to start a pot of coffee and sign into work. Christmas is so close that most people aren't working anymore, but I usually hang around in case a client has a question or a request comes through. I'm not really working , but somebody has to man the ship.

So I spend my day wandering Nick's house, staring at the pictures of him and his mom. I connect my phone to his soundbar and play Christmas music even though it's really not my thing, but all of the damn town events have the songs running on repeat in my head. When that doesn't satisfy me, I put The Grinch on and sink down into his couch, my computer propped on a cushion next to me.

And when he finally gets home, I can't help darting into the entryway to greet him. He drops his bag by the door and immediately lifts me, his arms wrapped around my back and his face buried in my neck.

He walks me into the living room and sits us down on the couch with me on top of him, his hands splaying out across my ribs. "Mm, I could get used to this," he says, as I lean down and kiss him.

I grin. "Me too. It's kind of nice having a whole house to get lost in."

He raises his eyebrows. "Never thought of this as the sort of house you could get lost in." He pauses, and then pushes me to the side with one hand. When he looks at me again, one eyebrow is raised. "Noelle, were you watching Christmas movies?"

My breath catches. "No. It turned on by itself. And I couldn't change the channel. Or turn it off."

He grins, tugging me close to him again. "Noelle, are you turning into a little Christmas criminal?"I press on his chest to remove myself from his lap, but he only holds onto me harder, his grin widening. "Next thing I know, you're going to be dressing up like a little Christmas elf."

I narrow my eyes. "Yeah, you would love that, wouldn't you?"

"As long as it comes with a short little skirt just for me."

I press my finger into his chest. "You. Wish."

He shakes his head. "Nah, I like you the way you are. Grinch and all."

I crinkle my nose. "Stop saying cute things."

His grin grows wider. "Are you ready to go to the tree lighting?"

I huff. "No. Go back to saying cute things."

He slaps my ass. "Go get changed. I promise I'll give you a good dicking after."

I gesture to his body vaguely as I stand. "The dichotomy is so well done."

He snorts, standing from the couch and following me upstairs, where he grabs at my ass and pulls me into his chest and kisses my cheek from behind.

All the little things that make my heart race and face flush.

And then he also gives me a good dicking before the tree lighting.

We park at the high school again and head over to the fair hand in hand. We get coffees and wander around the huts that line the town square. I have to head back into the city tomorrow to hand out everyone's Christmas bonuses, so I'll miss the frenzy of Shop Til You Drop in the square, but it's not really a shop-til-you-drop event, anyway. It ends at noon to give vendors time to spend with their families. It's really meant to encourage people to do their last minute Christmas shopping from locals rather than mass panic-buying at the local Target.

Nick throws his arm around my shoulders while we wander, something he's been doing a lot lately. He's gotten so comfortable touching me and kissing me.

It's intoxicating.

"Do you want a snack or anything?" he asks, pressing a kiss to my temple in the place that always sends a little shiver down my spine.

I shake my head. "No. You're taking me to a real dinner after this, right?"

He doesn't miss a beat. "Of course."I grin up at him as his smile spreads across his face. "I wouldn't make you go to a stupid town event without taking care of your basic needs."

"You're smooth," I tell him.

He catches my eye before he speaks. "I just know you."

That sentiment sends all sorts of butterflies fluttering through my body. He's not wrong–over the past few weeks, we have gotten to know each other well.

A tightness blooms in my chest when I ask myself what happens after Christmas.

I hug him tighter. I don't want to think about this ending.

But what am I going to do, drive three hours every time I want to see my... boyfriend? Is that what we are now? A high schooler jokingly called me his girlfriend, and Nick didn't correct him.

We live three hours away from each other. My entire life exists in Philadelphia. Not to mention, he lives here, in a place that chewed me up and spat me out before I knew enough to know better .

"You okay?" he asks, his arm tightening around my shoulder. I squeeze him, letting my head drop to his shoulder for a moment before turning my attention back to the huts we're wandering past.

And then someone steps into our path, a wide grin on his face and a pretty blonde on his arm.

"Mr. Monroe," he says, his voice jovial. "And Noelle. Hi."

"Robbie," Nick says, his voice betraying his surprise as he steps forward to clap Robbie on the back. "Nice hair cut, dude. You look good."

It takes me a second to come to terms with the new Robbie standing in front of me. He’s confident, wearing his full height proudly, and he meets my gaze with that same big grin he always wears. He’s learned how to style his hair, and while his wardrobe used to consist of baggy, worn clothes, he’s wearing a plain fitted sweatshirt over a brand new pair of jeans.

"I, uh, got a job at the gym.” He shrugs sheepishly. “I liked what you said,” he admits. “That I was strong. And I decided I wanted to build on that," he says, tugging the blonde girl on his arm toward us. "And this is Laura. She trained me." He grins at her. "And hasn't been able to keep her hands off me since."

"Robbie!" she squeals, her words quickly devolving into a giggle.

"Alright, I don't need to know all the gory details," Nick says, holding one hand up. "But happy for you, Robbie. And nice to meet you, Laura."

"Nice to meet you too," she says sweetly, smiling up at Robbie as he wraps an arm around her shoulders.

"Well," Robbie says, his voice almost professional as he nods to us. "It was nice running into you both. Happy holidays. And I'm glad you're finally together because that sexual tension was uncomfortable . Almost as bad as me and Laura."

"Robbie!" she squeals again. Nick runs a hand over his face, and I can't help the laugh that jumps from my throat.

"Enjoy the tree lighting," he says, steering her around us and continuing on their way.

Once they're out of earshot, we can't hold in the snorting laughter anymore. Nick turns to me, taking my hands in his and kissing them while shaking his head. "I feel like we just got bulldozed by a teenager."

I snort in response. "Not bulldozed, but definitely shown up. He did the whole glow up thing in the matter of a few weeks, found himself a sexy little workplace romance and somehow found the confidence that only a teen boy can have when he gets the girl of his dreams and knows there's nowhere to go but up."

"Yeah, you know, I was worried about him for a bit there. Over the past few weeks he's been quiet, and I was really worried his home situation was further falling apart. I guess he just found a purpose. I’m glad he’s doing well."

I grin, turning to look over my shoulder at where they disappeared to. In the distance, I see them, his arm still around her shoulder and their heads turned in toward each other, sharing one of those intimate moments just between you and your person.

Nick tugs our hands into his chest, pulling me along with them, and kisses me. "You make me feel like a teenager again," he says.

"What, never-ending boners?"

"Exactly." He hums. "Plus maybe a little bit of giddiness. A little bit of optimism about what might come from this."

I swallow, his words bringing me right back into all of my concerns about making this –whatever this is–work longer than a season.

"I feel that way, too, with you," I say. While I have my concerns, what I say is absolutely true. There's no one quite like you .

He kisses me again, as if cementing our confessions.

And when he pulls away, he glances over my shoulder and clears his throat. "Uh, I think we have company."

My brow furrows, and I glance behind me.

Only to see my mom and sister, shit-eating grins on both of their faces.

"Oh, didn't see you there," Christina says, scooting over to us. "So is this what they call community service nowadays? Making out with the math teacher?"

I roll my eyes. "Christina! My community service is over."

"And you decided to stay in town regardless?" She turns to Nick, her eyes flashing with delight. "Wow, you must have made quite the impact."

He shrugs as he nudges me with his elbow. "I think somebody likes Christmas a little more than she lets on."

I scowl at him, my finger rising to point at him. "Don't say things you can't back up in a court of law."

His head tips back with his laughter, Christina and my mom following suit.

"Nick, nice to see you," my mom says. "I'm glad to see you're getting along with my daughter." She reaches out to pet my hair, and I feel the urge to crawl up into a tiny ball and rock back and forth. She turns to me. "It's so nice to have you here around Christmas, even if it's not with me specifically." She turns to Nick again. "I swear, as a mom, you can feel when your kids are nearby." She pats his shoulder. "You guys will understand one day."

"Mom!" Christina's laughter is uncontrollable.

Nick, to his credit, nods. "I understand the sentiment."

Good fucking answer, Saint Nick.

"So, what are your plans for Christmas?" my mom asks Nick.

And I have a feeling I already know where this is going, but it's not a train that I think I can surreptitiously derail.

He pauses for a moment, as if considering his answer carefully. "I usually spend Christmas at a friend's house."

My mom nods. "Well, we would love to have you if you have any time over the holiday. My house is always open. And I'm sure Noelle would appreciate the company." She winks at me.

I close my eyes. "Mom, you've got to be kidding me."

"That would be lovely," he says. "Thank you for the invite." He opens his mouth like he's going to continue–maybe weave some sort of excuse that would get him out of Christmas at the nuthouse–when my sister screeches.

"Dad!"

"Oh, for fuck's sake," my mom mutters. A quick puff of laughter escapes Nick. I roll my eyes, begrudgingly turning to where my sister is tackling him in a hug, his two teenagers flanking him on either side.

When he sees us, he heads our way, Christina doing a little loop and scooting along beside him.

"Ladies," he greets us, somewhat apprehensively.

"Dad," I say, even though I'd really rather refer to him as 'Sperm Donor.'

"Merry Christmas," he says. "I hope I'll get to see you girls this year."

Nick throws an arm around my shoulders, tugging me closer, and my dad's eyes track the movement.

"We can make it work. Maybe you can stop by for dessert," Christina says.

My mom's smile is tense.

"That would be wonderful. Maybe I can stop by earlier in the day, too. We can do some presents."

Nick clears his throat, his head dipping, and I realize this conversation might actually be upsetting him. I cock my head to the side, a small smile coming to my face when I catch his eye. He rolls his eyes as if to say, God, what a jackass .

"That would be great!" Christina says, her smile wide. My mom and I eye her, knowing we're going to end up working over the holiday to guard against her inevitable disappointment.

"Well, I'm really looking forward to seeing you girls this year."

Nick smiles, his voice easygoing when he speaks, but I detect an undercurrent that has my stomach clenching in response. "You say that like you don't normally get to see them at Christmas."

Christina waves him off before he can defend himself. "Things come up. With four kids, it's hard to always make the holiday perfect."

My dad nods, gesturing to her. "It's hard, with four kids."

The little one scoffs at that moment. "Especially when you only ever see two on Christmas."

My eyes snap to hers, a smile blooming across my face despite myself. She shrugs, averting her eyes.

"Naomi," he scolds. She rolls her eyes. He shakes his head. "Well, we'd better get going. Don't want to miss the tree lighting with my girls," he says, resting his hands on each of their shoulders. Naomi shrugs him off, walking ahead of them toward the center of the square where the tree looms above us.

"Looking forward to seeing you at Christmas," Nick says pointedly as they pass.

My dad pauses and, a second later, nods and continues after his new family.

Christina turns her sights on Nick. "Somebody's a little defensive of his woman, huh?"

He blushes, and it's adorable.

"Back off, Christina," I snap. "Dad deserves a hell of a lot worse than a little bit of accountability."

My mom rolls her eyes. "Come on girls, leave the fighting for the holiday." She turns to Nick, taking his elbow and tugging him away from me. "So I take it we will see you on Christmas?"

"Mom!" I shout, shoving myself in between them to protect this gem of a man from my family.

"I'm just asking," she says, holding her hands up.

"You can't accost people with invites without giving them time to think about it."

"I'm sorry," she says, and then turns to Nick. "You are always welcome." I give her a look. "And that's the last I'll say."