“Alara.” There’s a pinch of suspicion in Gaby’s voice.
“What?”
“Are you—” She searches for her words, eyes narrowed as she leans the small of her back against the sink. “Are you crushing on Diego again?”
What gave it away?I almost say. Instead, I school my features and ask, “Why would you say that?”
“It’s just that you two spend a lot of time together.”
“Do I need to remind you that you’re the one who’s asked me to help him?”
She raises her hands, palms facing outward. “Okay, true. Listen” – her lower lip juts out as she analyzes me, and I fear she can see right through me and hear how loud my heartbeat is – “you and D would make the cutest, most beautiful babies without a doubt.”
“What?”
She ignores me. “I’d love nothing more than seeing you two together, especially after knowing how hard you crushed on him when we were in high school, but he’s not planning on comingback. He’s not the kind of guy who would want to do long distance either, so I’m just looking out for you. I don’t want him to hurt you.”
“Gabs,” I say softly. “I can handle it. But you don’t have to worry here. Nothing’s going on with Diego. We’re just friends.” The simple act of voicing those words makes a bitter taste rest on my tongue.
Of course I like Diego. I really do, but I have to accept the fact that we can’t be more than friends with benefits. I’ll take any pieces that he gives me – I just wish I could be enough for him to merit the whole puzzle.
As she watches me, doubt pinching at her brows, I can tell that she knows I’m lying. Nevertheless, she lets it go. “Alright.”
Maybe in the next lifetime I’ll be brave enough to go after what I want. But, in this one, I’ll just have to play pretend until I’m convinced that everything is fine.
There’s a snowstorm tonight.
My attention drifts from the television to the window, where snow swirls down to cover the backyard in a thick blanket. When I was younger, I used to love sitting at the window and watching snowflakes crash down onto the surface and taking pictures of the perfect-looking ones. Jordan would make fun of me, but I’ve always been one to find beauty in the simplest things.
Jude Law’s character is stumbling, drunk, into his sister’s cottage and is confused as to why an American stranger is there, which pulls me out of my daydream.
WatchingThe Holidayis a ritual for me in the winter – it’ll always be my favorite Christmas movie.
When a knock sounds on my door, I frown and pause the movie. Gaby left before the snow started falling, laden with pots of chocolate mousse to share with her siblings and mom. Diego sent me a selfie of him, a spoon in his mouth, captioned with:“Another day, another attempt at you stealing my heart with your culinary talent.”
Anyway, if it’s either of my parents, they usually text me before coming over, so I have no idea who this could be.
Surprise skitters through me as I open the door to reveal Diego, covered in snowflakes and holding a pizza box in his hand.
The dimpled grin he gives me makes my heart stutter. Lifting the square box, he says, “Hungry?”
I step aside to let him in and watch as he immediately takes his shoes off to let them dry by the door. “There’s a freaking snowstorm and you walked all the way here to bring me pizza?”
“Yeah,” he answers, in a matter-of-fact tone. “I had the delivery guy meet me here.”
I chuckle, taking the box from him and setting it on the kitchen island. “I’m actually hungry, so this is perfect. Let me just go upstairs to fetch you some of Jordan’s spare clothes so that—”
The rest of my sentence dies in my throat when Diego tugs on my wrist to spin me around and pull me into his chest. There’s a strange feeling coursing through my veins as I return his hug – it’s a little like a sense of completeness, of belonging.
“Hi,” he whispers against my forehead, before kissing it tenderly.
“Hi.” I step away and shiver, trying my hardest not to sigh in contentment at his display of affection. “You’re insane for walking here. You’re freezing and all.”
Finally taking his jacket off, he gives me a wink. “I came here in the hopes you’d warm me up.”
“Flirt.”
“It’s what makes me so charming.”
