That Time We Kissed Under the Mistletoe (Abieville Love Stories #4)

Chapter 34

Chapter Thirty-Four

Sara

That sandwich comment had to be about me, right?

I’ve been tossing around a few other potential explanations— any other explanation—but Occam’s Razor says the simplest solution is almost always the best one. Which is exactly why my insides feel like a china shop being decimated by a bull.

The idea that Three made me that grilled cheese as his own little promposal has my body fizzing with hope. And hope is more dangerous than a bullfight.

I need to get my poor matador heart under control.

So I’m in the hallway outside the girls’ locker room taking deep, calming breaths. Meanwhile, Three and Sully are inside repainting. As it turns out, they had to address more than just the damage done to Cami’s locker. Sully’s aim was, shall we say, less than precise. He accidentally sprayed parts of the pink and red hearts onto the lockers on either side of hers. Since the job was going to take longer than he expected, Three insisted I stay out in the hall to avoid inhaling any fumes .

I tried telling Mr. Concussion he wouldn’t be any safer breathing spray paint than I would, but he refused to subject my lungs to any paint particles. Protectiveness and a grilled cheese?

Cue my stomach full of butterflies.

At some point, Three and I will need to finish the conversation Sheriff Bender interrupted, but the truth is, I’m afraid to hear him out. If he claims to have real feelings for me now, can I trust him not to change his mind again? And if he’s just making amends for the past, will I feel heartbroken in the friend zone?

Both options terrify me, and I hate feeling helpless like this. Not to mention useless and restless. I don’t want to feel less when it comes to Three.

So after what feels like an eternity of waiting, I decide to call Bristol. She’ll either have some good advice, or knock some sense into me. But as I pull out my phone, a new message comes in from Ryan Detweiler.

Ryan

I just left your house. The doors are locked. Try not to get stuck in the storage room again.

My heart skips a beat. Then another. What does this mean? Did we pass? Fail? Is she going to keep me in suspense until Wednesday? Before I can ask her for clarification, a follow-up text comes in.

Ryan

I can’t complete my approval report without confirming the repairs Three guaranteed, but the rest of your house and your town tick all our boxes. Assuming the remaining issues have been addressed on time as promised, you should pass.

A squeal slips out of me, and relief floods my body. Three and I are pulling this off after almost blowing things entirely. And sure, the decision isn’t totally official yet, and it’s not actually my house or my town being approved. But we’re so close .

I have to tell him.

Sticking my head in the doorway, I call out, “Hey! How’s it going in there?”

When I get no reply, I venture a few steps into the locker room. “Hello?” I continue to creep forward until I spot Three and Sully over at the far end, side by side, facing away from me.

They’re too busy peeling blue painter’s tape and plastic from the edges of the lockers to notice that I’m in here now. But they must be finishing up. Three nudges Sully and Sully bumps him back, then the two of them laugh at something I can’t hear.

My heart cartwheels behind my ribs, and I move even closer. When Three’s face slides into profile, the angle of his jawline empties my lungs.

This man is so generous. So kind. So heartbreakingly gorgeous. Emphasis on heartbreak . Maybe I’m not ready to trust myself around him yet. Or ready to trust him again. So I’m about to sneak back out into the hallway, when Sully says, “Thanks again, Mr. Fuller. For everything.” Naturally, I freeze in place like an awkward deer caught in headlights.

Bambi on ice again.

“No problem.” Three shrugs, his broad shoulders hitching. “We did an okay job, I think.”

“Yeah. But I’m really sorry you got dragged into this. If it weren’t for you—” Sully cuts himself off, and my throat goes tight. I shouldn’t be here for a personal moment like this, but the thought of being caught has me paralyzed.

Three pushes his paint goggles down off of his face, leaving them dangling around his neck. “Hey. Your heart’s in the right place. And you’re a good kid. That’s all I know.” He scoops up the tarp and shoves it in the big trashcan at the end of their row. I take the opportunity to inch backward toward the door hoping I can escape without being discovered.

In the meantime, Sully kicks the bare concrete with one giant shoe. “You don’t have to say that. ”

“But I mean it.”

Sully groans. “I just feel so stupid.”

Three tips his head. “Trust me. I’ve been stupider.”

Sully snorts. “No way.”

“Way.”

“Did you get in trouble too?”

“Not the kind of trouble where you end up at the sheriff’s station. But, yeah. Big trouble in here.” Three points at his head. “And in here.” He taps his chest. “I’d do things different if I could, but I’m a history teacher.” He chuckles. “I’ve got way too much proof that you can’t change the past.”

Whoa. Does Three mean us? Is he saying he wishes he could change what happened?

“Those who don’t learn from the past are doomed to repeat it,” Sully says. “That’s what you always told us.”

“You remember that, huh?”

“Yeah. You’re a great teacher.”

“Well you’re a great student, and Cami’s a great girl. Great girls like her are worth a little extra effort. Or a lot of extra effort.”

My esophagus squeezes, and I can barely breathe. Three must be talking about me, but I don’t want to hope. I can’t handle another rejection. So I start inching backward toward the door praying he won’t discover me.

He gathers up the paint cans and drops them into a custodial bucket. “Next time, just find a grand gesture with less vandalism and more … romance.”

Sully nods. “Like a grilled cheese sandwich?”

Three guffaws, dragging a hand along the back of his neck. “Exactly like a grilled cheese sandwich.”

I suck in a breath, and Three turns, spotting me in the doorway. “Well, hello there.” A smile angles across his face. “Aren’t you supposed to be waiting in the hallway away from the paint fumes?”

“I was.” I gulp. “I just ducked in here to check on how you two were doing.” I wave my phone in the air. “And to tell you Ryan texted. The house is going to be approved. ”

His brows fly up. “Congratulations.”

“We just have to get those repairs done. I mean you have to get the repairs done.” I shove my phone back in my pocket. “If you still want to.”

“Of course I want to.” Three tips his chin. “And your timing’s perfect, because we just finished up.”

Sully steps to the side, acknowledging the lockers. “What do you think?”

“They look brand new.” I fiddle with the zipper on my coat, trying to focus on the lockers and not on what Three was saying about the past. “I can’t tell they were ever spray painted.”

“Good.” Sully stuffs his hands in his pockets. “Hopefully no one else ever has to know.”

“Yeah, about that.” Three scratches his chin. “Somebody did report the break in to the sheriff, and you were brought down to the station.”

“But you and Ms. Hathaway were the only ones there.”

“You know how small this town is.” Three snorts. “Word’s definitely gonna get around. So you might want to tell your parents first.”

Sully cringes. “What do I say?”

“Tell them you had what seemed like a good idea at the time.” Three nods toward the lockers. “And that you’ve already repaired the damage. They’ll appreciate your honesty.”

“What if they don’t?”

“Eventually, the truth will come out. Better they hear it from you first.” He bumps Sully’s shoulder with a fist. “Cheer up, kid. It’s almost Christmas. Your mom and dad aren’t gonna kill you.”

I clear my throat to get their attention. “There’s another issue you’re forgetting.” Three and Sully both turn to me. “Cami’s probably going to find out about this too. So if you really want to surprise her …”

Three blows out a breath. “Sara’s right.”

Sully’s eyes go wide. “I gotta go.”

“Your car here?” Three asks.

“Yeah.” Sully starts jogging toward the hallway. “I just need a new plan!”

“Try grilled cheese,” Three calls out.

Then he turns to me and smiles.