Mistletoe Mischief (Falling in Mistletoe #2)

Chapter Four

I daho!” Alia griped for what felt like the billionth time since Ryler told her where they were headed next. “Why would you want to go back to that crap show?”

Ryler sat in first class next to Neil and ignored his raised eyebrow, which acted as a silent I told you so . She leaned across the aisle to address her cousin, who hadn’t bothered to remove her sleep mask while she whined. The dim lighting of the plane allowed the passengers traveling overnight to sleep, so Ryler tried to keep her voice low, although irritation coursed below the surface. Alia had rarely visited Ryler’s home state when they were younger, so how could she talk about it that way?

“I have fond memories of it,” Ryler said tightly. “Besides, don’t you want to celebrate Christmas where there’s actual snow?”

Alia pulled off her sleep mask and sat up, her blue eyes narrowed. “Not really. I would rather spend the holidays sipping coconut drinks somewhere I won’t get frostbite.”

Ryler knew Alia was hungover and tired, especially since she had to be roused from her stupor in order to make their flight, but this was a bit overdramatic, even for her.

“Well, I can cancel your ticket and let you spend the holidays at the condo, if you prefer.”

For a moment, Alia’s eyes burned with frustration, but it faded just as quickly. It was a reactive quality that Ryler had gotten used to after sixteen years living with her cousin. Alia’s moods shifted swiftly, giving most people whiplash, but Ryler had learned early on if she remained calm in the face of her cousin’s emotional outbursts, they didn’t escalate. Ryler chalked up Alia’s behavior to her parents always jet-setting around the world, leaving her with nannies most of her life. When Ryler came to live with her aunt and uncle, Alia had been there for her, and Ryler had poured her broken heart over her parents’ death out to her cousin. It was the two of them against the world.

Even when Alia had started modeling and traveling as much as her parents, she’d Skyped Ryler daily. Alia stopped going home during breaks in her schedule once Ryler got into UCLA; instead, Alia crashed at her cousin’s off-campus apartment. After her fifth agency dropped her and she showed up on Ryler’s doorstep four years ago, they’d spent the night sharing a bottle of Malibu and talking about their futures. It was during that coconut-infused night of drinking that Ryler had come up with the plan: Alia would be the face of the podcast on Instagram and Ryler would continue to be the podcast’s voice. It gave Alia an adoring fan base and Ryler peace of mind, but above and beyond, it meant being with her family.

However, there was no way Ryler was going to let her ruin this holiday with a tantrum.

“I’m sorry,” Alia whispered, releasing a long breath. “I know I’m acting like a brat.”

Ryler reached across the aisle and squeezed her hand. “You’re my brat, and I love you.”

“I love you, too.” Alia slipped her mask back into place and turned her face away.

Ryler settled back in her seat, and Neil leaned over to whisper, “Way to lay down the law.”

“Shut up,” she said, playfully smacking him. Neil chuckled, placing his headphones back on and pressing play on whatever podcast he was binging this flight. Ryler sometimes worried Neil was bored with Excursions and longed for a change of pace, but she was too afraid to ask him outright. They’d started the podcast together, and Ryler couldn’t even imagine Excursions without Neil.

When she’d first brainstormed Excursions , it was a way to run from the fact that she didn’t have anything to stay in LA for. After losing her parents and moving from Boise to LA, she’d poured her love into her cousin, but her aunt and uncle’s mansion was never a home. Although they’d been good to her and she’d never wanted for anything but their time, Ryler wanted somewhere to belong. Her parents’ life insurance had come to her in a trust on her eighteenth birthday, a substantial amount that paid for her college, her condo in El Dorado Hills, and had bankrolled the first few years on the road. With what her sponsors and advertising brought in now, she was able to leave her inheritance alone.

Still, Ryler kept searching for that sense of belonging and home she was missing.

Too wired to sleep, she logged on to the airline’s Wi-Fi and tapped on Instagram. She hadn’t responded to Pike’s last message, unsure how to reply. It took her a bit to realize that Pike probably thought she was a guy and that winky face was a come-on. If that was the case, at least Ryler could say Pike had handled it with semi-professionalism.

Ryler clicked on @PikenAround’s Instagram and read his bio again.

Pike Sutton.

Life is an adventure. Enjoy the ride.

Co-Owner of adventuresinmistletoe.com

Scrolling through his pictures, her thumb hovered over several, tempted to like the gorgeous landscapes, but Ryler didn’t engage with her listeners like that, mostly because they would get the wrong idea about Alia being interested in them. Although Alia was the face of @ExcursionsPC, Ryler was the only one who could access it. While she loved Alia, her writing consisted of shorthand text styles—not exactly the branding Ryler was going for. However, there were numerous comments daily about Alia’s face and body, which is another reason why she never engaged.

Ryler studied the beautiful pictures of mountains and trees, but it was the people that caught her attention.

The first post was obviously Pike’s friend group, dressed up in Halloween costumes and sitting around a table. Pike was a pirate, sitting between Indiana Jones and Frankenstein. Ryler zoomed in on the pic, noting the dark eyeliner and charms in his beard, immediately appreciating his commitment. Ryler loved going all out for Halloween, too.

There were more posts of the same friend group, although she paused on a black-and-white photo of the man who’d been dressed as Frankenstein, now decked out in a tux and dancing with a beautiful woman in a simple white dress. Pike stood behind them, cheering, and Ryler read the caption .

When Noel asked me to be her bro of honor, I knew that this wedding was going to be epic. How could it not be, watching two of my best friends walk down the aisle and pledge to love each other until they kick the bucket? It was a day we weren’t sure would ever happen, but I fully admit, seeing two people I love so damn happy made me weep like a fucking baby. Congrats, @NoelWins365 and @NickW2345! I am over the moon for you both!

Ryler laughed softly. Although not exactly eloquent, it was sweet and obviously heartfelt.

She scrolled again, lingering on a photo of an older woman with red hair cut short, wearing a pink birthday crown. A man with silver hair sat next to her, while Pike and a younger woman with strawberry blond hair stood behind them, all smiling. The caption was short and sweet.

Happy Birthday to the woman who ruined her body to give me life! Love you, Mom!

“What a trip,” Ryler said aloud, grinning.

Neil turned her way and removed one side of his headphones. “Did you say something?”

Ryler’s face warmed. She didn’t want Neil to find out she was Insta-stalking their guide. “No, I was just talking to myself.”

Neil gave her a funny look. “Is that a new thing? Should I be concerned?”

“Funny guy. Maybe you should quit being a producer and start a stand-up career.”

“Don’t think I haven’t thought about it. I would kill it on the circuit.”

“You mean bore your audiences to death?” Ryler said, smirking. “I agree.”

“Damn, Salty Sally, you came locked and loaded.”

“Don’t dish it out if you can’t take it.”

Neil turned toward her, a wicked grin on his face. “Oh, I can take it—”

“Will you two shut up,” Alia snapped, lifting her eye mask to scowl at them. “Some of us are trying to sleep!”

Neil leaned across Ryler and shot back, “Maybe don’t stay out all night getting wasted with a Ken doll, and you won’t be so cranky, Medusa. ”

Alia cocked her head, mouth hanging open. “Ken doll? What are you—” Her eyes flared wide. “Seriously? The guy bought me one shot and I do not turn down free top shelf.”

“Whatever you say, princess.”

Ryler arched a brow. If she didn’t know better, she’d say Neil sounded jealous.

Alia hung in the aisle, closing the distance between their faces. “It’s not the hangover. It’s your voice grating on my nerves like nails on a chalkboard.”

“My voice is grating?” Neil growled. Ryler leaned back as far as she could, Neil practically lying across her lap as he added, “Your voice is like a mermaid out of the water; high-pitched and painful!”

“I have no idea what you’re saying! Mermaids have beautiful voices.”

“Not according to Harry Potter! They’re ugly, horrible creatures that screech outside of the water depths.”

“Listen, nerd”—she punctuated the insult by pointing her finger—“just because you read a bunch of books does not make you smart!”

“Says the woman who thought Jane Austen was a clothing designer! Maybe if you actually cracked a book open, people would take you seriously.”

“If people is you, I’d rather watch Love Island than read some boring, pretentious…”Alia kept ranting, the two of them were nose to nose, and Ryler could hear their harsh breathing in the quiet of the airplane. This was extreme behavior, even for the two of them. Although Neil and Alia hadn’t always gotten along, it was mostly veiled insults, snark, and sarcasm. This was like something out of a sitcom, just before two characters started kissing and ripping each other’s clothes off.

Ryler burst out laughing at the thought. Hell would freeze over after an asteroid hit Earth before Neil and Alia touched each other. Unless it was a prize fight where they got to hit each other.

“What’s funny?” Alia asked.

Ryler was about to answer, but she saw the flight attendant peek around the corner and start toward them. Ryler put her hand in front of Neil’s face, pushing him back into his seat. “You two look ridiculous. Enough of this.”

“Is there a problem?” the flight attendant asked, glancing between Alia, who had buckled herself back into her seat, and Neil, who was removing Ryler’s hand from his face .

“Yes, they were just in a heated debate about which comeback is superior, Backstreet vs ’NSYNC. Your thoughts?”

She gave Ryler a puzzled expression. “Uh, Backstreet.”

“Not who I would have guessed, but good choice,” Ryler said, smiling.

“Do you require anything?” she asked.

“No, we’re good. Thanks.” The woman walked away, and Ryler muttered, “Obviously not a pop culture fan.”

“The next time you put your hand in my face, I’m going to bite you,” Neil grumbled.

“Watch out, Ryls!” Alia sniped. “He probably has rabies.”

“You know what—” Neil started to get out of his seat, and Ryler poked him in his ribs. He convulsed and fell back into his seat with a gasp. “Did you just tickle me into submission?”

“Yes, I did. The two of you have been going at it for weeks, way worse than normal, and it needs to stop. What is wrong with you?”

Neither one of them said much, and Ryler shook her head, addressing Neil, “Stop calling her Medusa.”

“It’s not like she knows who it is,” Neil muttered.

“Actually, she’s a mythological creature who was once a beautiful maiden until a jealous goddess cursed her with snakes for hair.” Ryler snorted at Neil’s slack-jawed expression, while Alia sniffed. “What? It’s like you’ve never heard of Google.”

Alia snapped her mask back into place and replaced her AirPods in her ears. Ryler turned to Neil, who had recovered from his initial shock.

“Do you want to explain what is going on with you and my cousin?”

“There’s nothing going on,” Neil said, opening up the sliding cover over the window, turning his back on her to look out into the darkness. “It’s the same mutual loathing we’ve always had. We’re just more vocal about it now.”

“Uh-huh,” Ryler said, looking at her phone screen once more. “Whatever you say.”

Neil closed the window with a thwack. “What are you insinuating?”

“I’m just wondering if there is a bit of repressed lusting going on neither one of you wants to admit to,” Ryler teased.

Neil’s gaze flicked beyond her to Alia, then back to Ryler. “Nope.”

He replaced his headphones, and Ryler left him alone, grinning to herself. They were complete opposites, and the only thing they seemed to have in common was Ryler. Imagining them going at it was so unbelievable, it bordered on comical.

Diving back into her Instagram observing, she continued to look through Pike’s feed. His relationship with his family and friends was tight knit, which spoke to a likable person.

Plus, he had a really nice smile.

Guilt zipped through her, realizing she was ogling a strange man on the internet instead of shooting a message to the man she was dating to let him know she was excited to see him. The truth was, Oliver was nice and checked all the boxes for a good boyfriend; he had a busy career, his own place, and he didn’t mind her being gone several weeks of the month. Which in itself was an issue, because if you wanted to be with someone, you should miss them and not want them gone all the time, right?

Ryler exited out of Pike’s profile and typed Oliver York into the search bar in the Instagram app. Maybe she could get him on video call before he left for work.

Her thumb hovered over the message icon, when she spotted several new pictures he’d posted. Instead of initiating the call, she clicked on the newest picture. Ollie’s slight build was decked out in a pair of bike shorts and a tank top, his balding head shiny as he held on to a petite Latina woman in hot pink running shorts and a tie-dyed sports bra, her hair styled in a short pixie cut.

The caption underneath explained everything. My beautiful girlfriend @claudialo916 and I enjoying an early morning run on the path.

They’d been making out on his couch several weeks ago, and suddenly he had a girlfriend?

When was the last time you actually spoke to him though? Two weeks? What man is going to think you’re still interested after ghosting him for that long?

Ryler wanted to crawl into a hole, embarrassed at her arrogance. She’d just gone off without keeping in contact with him and assumed he’d be around when she got back.

Damn, what a jerk she was when it came to relationships. She couldn’t even remember the name of the guy before Ollie, just that he liked to talk about his expensive aquarium and the fish inside.

“Ryls?” Alia whispered, breaking up her self-loathing.

Ryler turned to her cousin, waiting expectantly. “Yes?”

“I think I’ve come up with some even better options than Mistletoe if — ”

When Ryler opened her mouth to protest, Alia spoke rapidly, “If you’ll just hear me out.”

Ryler pressed the button for the flight attendant. “I’m listening.”

“Australia. We haven’t hit all the cities on your list—”

“I lost interest after watching that giant spider jump on Neil’s back.”

Alia giggled. “It made for a good episode though, right?”

“Next?” Ryler said impatiently.

“What about New Zealand? It’s Aussie adjacent, which means hot accents, but without the PTSD.”

The attendant stopped in front of her, a bland expression on her face. “Yes?”

“Could I get a Moscow mule, please?” Ryler asked, figuring the alcohol might help her sleep.

“Right away,” the attendant said, turning to Alia. “Anything for you, miss?”

“No, thank you.”

When the woman walked away, Alia dived back in. “I’ve also heard Costa Rica is nice this time of year.”

“Alia—”

“Oh, come on! We could go to flipping Finland if you want snow! Idaho is so … blegh!”

Forget the mule , Ryler thought, I think I need something straight up .

“I know you grew up there, but what are we going to do for three weeks or so in a cabin in the woods? That is how too many horror movies start, and I’m not about to be the star of White Christmas No More .” The flight attendant returned with Ryler’s drink, and Alia explained, “You know, because the snow turned red because of all the blood and murder.”

Ryler swallowed the drink down and handed the glass to the attendant. “Another, please.” The liquid burned down her esophagus and settled like a warm infusion in her stomach. The woman smiled, an understanding passing between them.

“I’ll be right back.”

“Thanks,” Ryler said, collecting herself and taking a deep, bracing breath. “Alia, I just discovered that the guy I thought I was dating has a girlfriend because I forgot to call or text him for weeks. Now, does that mean that if I had kept in contact, maybe I’d be his girlfriend? Who knows, but it is obvious that I am lackluster when it comes to relationships. This holiday, I would like to reconnect with my childhood a bit and celebrate a traditional Christmas with the people I love, in a place that goes all out for the season. Can you just give this to me, please?”

“Is that why you’re drinking? Because Ollie has a girlfriend?”

No, I am drinking because you are aggravating me. Ryler wasn’t about to say that to Alia and start a full-blown argument on an international flight.

“Yes, I am drinking so I can fall asleep and stop berating myself for taking another nice guy for granted.”

Alia laughed. “Come on, Ryls. You didn’t actually like that guy.”

Ryler sighed. “He was fine.”

“But not fiiiiiine !” Alia said, dragging the word out.

Ryler fought a smile. “You’re the worst.”

“Sometimes,” Alia admitted sheepishly. “I’m sorry I’ve been a pill lately. I just feel a little … useless, I guess?”

“What do you mean?” Ryler asked, accepting the new drink from the flight attendant, but the need to down it had passed with this new information. Her cousin felt useless? Since when?

“Look, I was a model for years. I’m used to smiling for the camera and playing a part, but lately I’ve felt like—people love Excursions because of you. Your voice, your antics. I’m just the eye candy.”

“But they think you’re me, so they technically love you,” Ryler said.

“Yes, but not because of anything I did. I want to do something. Create something, you know?”

“Like what?”

Alia released a breathy laugh. “I’m not sure. I don’t have any talents, really, except being pretty.”

“That’s not true. I’ve seen your watercolors. They are beautiful.”

“And they look like a thousand other ones.” Alia sighed.

Ryler snorted. “Do you know how many travel blogs are out there? I’m just lucky people fell in love with Excursions instead of one of the many others. Right time, right subject.” Ryler reached out and squeezed her cousin’s arm. “Seriously, you should do what makes you happy.”

“I guess when I figure out what that is, I’ll let you know.” Alia grabbed her water bottle and held it up in a toast. “Until then, I guess we’re going to Idaho!”

Ryler clinked her glass to Alia’s water bottle. “To Mistletoe and a Christmas to remember!”