My December Darling

21. Catalina

21

CATALINA

O nce Aiden’s family and mine move from the dining area to the living room to exchange gifts, I head to my room and return to the kitchen where Luke is loading the dishwasher.

“I got you something.” I’m so nervous, I toss Luke’s present in the air, forcing him to catch it instead of handing it over to him like a normal person.

He stares at the gift like a ticking time bomb. “You got me a present?”

“Uh, yeah?” My idea sounded good in theory, which is why I drove to the closest big box store thirty minutes away to pick it up earlier today. The place looked like a post-apocalyptic movie, with endless barren shelves and a sad group of toys that didn’t make it onto anyone’s holiday wish list.

I was lucky to score the second-to-last item on the shelf, although it took me over twenty minutes to find it since a kid hid it in the wrong aisle, most likely in hopes of coming back to buy it later.

“I didn’t get you anything.” His brows pull together as he leans against the counter and holds the package in front of him.

“You made cookies.”

He scoffs. “That’s hardly a gift.”

“Mine can barely be considered one, so don’t feel bad.”

“But—”

“Just open it and you’ll see.”

He rips at the wrapping paper with a smile that grows once he sees what is hidden underneath the gift wrap.

“A keychain?”

I reach over and point at the white coat the yellow LEGO is wearing. “He looks just like you.”

He stares at it.

I can’t stand the silence, so I speak again, “Now you’ll always have it on you so you can remember you’re not an imposter.”

“That’s…” He doesn’t finish his sentence.

I nervously fidget with my headband, making the bells on the tips of my reindeer antlers jingle. “I told you it wasn’t much of a gift.”

“Thank you.” He smiles, and I return it with one of my own as he pulls the keychain out of the box.

Luke reaches into his pocket for his car fob and immediately adds my present to the metal ring. It makes me excited to see him using my present already, especially since I spent the last few hours worrying that he would find it goofy.

He tosses his keys on the counter and wraps his arm around my waist, tugging me against his chest. “I love it.”

“It’s not a lot?—”

“It’s perfect .”

I fiddle with my earring, a nervous habit.

“Really. This might be the sweetest Christmas present someone has gotten for me in a long while.”

“No way,” I say in disbelief.

“I’m being serious. The last time I spent the holiday with my parents, they gave me an encyclopedia set.”

“Are they big on reading?”

“Yes, their favorite genre is whatever can bore someone to death the fastest.”

I laugh, which makes his whole face light up.

“They sound…” Maybe you shouldn’t finish that sentence.

“I know exactly how they sound, and you’re far too kind to say it aloud.”

I fail to hide my wince. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault.” He shrugs. The gesture should put my concerns at ease, but it only makes me feel worse about his home life.

“No, but that doesn’t mean I can’t feel bad on your behalf.” I cup his cheek.

He leans into my palm, and I brush my thumb over his stubble. “Should I continue talking about them to earn more pity points?”

I poke him in the chest. “I don’t pity you.”

“Good, because trust me when I say I’m way happier spending the holiday with all of you anyway.”

My heart skips a beat. “You are?”

He drops a kiss on the top of my head. “But mostly, I’m happy that I can be here with you.” He hesitates before speaking again. “It means a lot that you invited me tonight.” His next breath is shaky. “My parents… I try with them, you know? But it’s pretty one-sided, and we don’t really click. It doesn’t help that I’m an only child, so it’s not like I have siblings who help keep us all together.”

“With them buying you encyclopedias for presents, it’s hard to imagine why you don’t get along.”

He laughs, but it sounds more weary than happy. “I don’t hold anything against them.”

“You don’t?”

“No. They could’ve been worse.”

“A glowing endorsement as any.”

His laugh sounds fuller this time. “I like when you get all protective of me.”

“That’s not—” My cheeks flush. “No. I’m…”

He leans in until our mouths are an inch apart. “You’re what ?”

I squint up at him. “I’m just annoyed they don’t appreciate the person you are rather than the version they wish you would be.” I’m not sure where the hell that came from, but I’m slightly embarrassed that I got that heated over people I’ve never met.

Thankfully, Luke saves me from self-doubt and rewards my confession with a kiss that makes my body melt into his.

“Well, there goes our plan to trick Luke and Cata into standing underneath the mistletoe,” my sister says, loudly enough for half the house to hear.

Based on the gasps from the other room, everyone now knows about Luke and me.

As if they couldn’t put it all together with the way you were both leaning into each other throughout dinner.

I pull away from Luke, only to have him plant the softest kiss on the corner of my mouth that quells some of my embarrassment.

I press my forehead against his chest. “How are we going to survive the rest of the week with them?”

His chest shakes beneath me from his silent laughter. “I have no idea.”

“Is it too late to suggest that we skip the wedding?”

“ Para con eso , Catalina Ana-Lucia Martinez-Rivera! my sister shouts from the hall.

“Keep embarrassing me and I will!”

“I’m hiding your passport and driver’s license as we speak.” Feet shuffling and the tinkling of jingle bells on Gabriela’s hat follow her as she walks down the hall.

I tilt my head back to look Luke in the eyes. “Now what?”

“I’ll follow your lead.”

I shift my weight nervously from one foot to the other. “Meaning?”

“We can walk in there and pretend the last five minutes didn’t just happen.”

My heart dives into my stomach at the thought. “Or?”

“Or whatever you want. I’m open to suggestions.”

“They’re going to ask if we’re officially dating.”

His palm brushes my cheek before he cups it. “Is that a problem?”

Only because I don’t know the answer. Calling Luke my boyfriend sounds…too serious. We’ve only been on a few dates. Sure, we’ve hung out quite a bit during the last two weeks, but that doesn’t mean I’m ready for that next step.

Will you ever be ready?

After Aiden broke up with me, I was careful about the men I chose to hook up with. I stuck to flings that left me feeling more hollow than fulfilled because casual was easy. It was safe . It meant not opening myself up to someone else until I was ready, and picking people who never pushed me out of that comfort zone to begin with.

While I’m not a hundred percent there yet, Luke has slowly started to dismantle my beliefs, replacing them with what-if scenarios.

What if I no longer punished myself for hurting my sister and allowed myself a chance at true happiness?

What if I stuck around Lake Wisteria for a little longer to see where things could go between Luke and me?

What if I stopped worrying about everything that could go wrong with dating my ex-boyfriend’s best friend and embraced the possibility of falling in love with him instead?

Luke interrupts my spiral with a kiss to the top of my head. “Let’s just go with the flow.”

My face flushes. “You sure?”

“Yeah. We don’t owe anyone any explanations.”

I release a heavy exhale. “You’re right.”

I just need a little more time , I want to say but don’t.

Don’t give up on me just yet , I think but don’t share aloud.

Show me that whatever we have is worth the fight, even if I doubt it , I beg without uttering a single word.

Luke’s smile lacks its usual dose of sunshine, appearing far less confident than earlier as he leads me out of the kitchen. I ignore the pang in my chest and make a vow to myself to figure out what I want from all this before I leave Lake Wisteria again.