“Boston!” I yell, noting his signature glasses in place and his disheveled hair whipping in all directions like it couldn’t decide which way to land. He looks like a literary type, and standing beside Grey, the two of them look like they could be trapped in a library together for the rest of their lives and be happy about it.
“Hi, Ivy,” he says, giving me a warm hug. “Merry Christmas.”
“Same to you! Oh, this is Jace.” I step aside slightly to let Jace and Boston do the whole handshake thing. To my delight, even though they are complete opposites and yet still wildly attractive in their own right, they’re quickly caught up in a discussion on something. Jace smiles broadly. I smile too, shaking my head and turning back to Grey, knowing we only have a few moments before we’re wrapped up in the festivities that carry out to us from the other room.
“How long is he here?” I whisper.
Grey’s eyes dim slightly as she turns her attention to Boston. I take note of how open her posture is to him. It’s the same as she’s always looked when he’s around. Near Boston, my friend is the most comfortable version of herself.
“Just a week,” she murmurs. “But he might be back next summer.”
I give a nod, but my smile dims. It’s hard to see her wilt whenever he goes back to New York City, but seeing her so happy, I can hardly be mad at Boston. If I’ve learned anything from my experience with Jace, I have to believe that when it’s time for them to be more than friends, they’ll be ready.
“Where are all my people?” Lily calls from the direction of the main living area, though it sounds more like a yell. We stand at attention.
With a rush, Graham appears in the front hallway with a grin on his face and a shrug of his shoulders. “My love would enjoy it if you’d come into the other room.”
“Well, then, lead the way,” I say with a laugh. Rafe and Lily are bantering like siblings, and their voices only get louder and louder as we round the corner into their open-concept kitchen and dining area. Lily is sitting in a plush loveseat across the way in the living room with her hands on her stomach when we enter. Her bump looks like it’s grown exponentially larger since I saw her just last week. A chocolate wrapper shimmers on top of it like a star on a tree.
My eyes widen at the spread of pastries piled high on the dining room table. It’s been so fully covered that I have to question if there used to be a table under there. I catalog croissants with a cranberry swirl, plus tartlets, macarons, sugar cookies, madeleines, a variety of cream puffs, and an actual bowl full of decorated gingerbread men. And in the kitchen, the counter space has a small feast of mashed potatoes, some sort of casserole, a ham, and a charcuterie board. We can all clearly see where the priorities lie.
Jace lets out a low whistle and places a hand on my lower back to guide me toward the living room, where Sparrow is nestled in with Rafe. The couple is sitting on the couch, tucked together like two birds in a nest, which is not surprising. Graham resumes his seat next to Lily, who shifts so she can lean againsthim on the small loveseat. There’s another couch, but given Jace’s size, I don’t see all of us fitting on it. As if reading my mind, Grey grabs a few floor pillows from a basket in the corner, setting them near each other but not touching before she plops down, Boston following suit.
Jace and I move toward the remaining couch, but instead of sitting as close as the married couples in the room, we sit with the sides of our legs touching. He extends one arm across the back of the couch, and I lean my head back, using it as a pillow. I look up at him and grin, a dopey smile on my face, and he smiles down at me.
“Well, you two are adorable,” Sparrow says softly from her perch near Rafe, who gives Jace an enthusiastic head nod.
“My man,” he says with a grin, and it makes me laugh. “Joyeux Noël, you two!”
He’s so French and yet so American. I’m not sure how he carries both off so well, but he does. He’s allowed more of his French side to emerge since he’s been with Sparrow. Occasionally, his words hold more of an accent, but he still says modern American phrases like the boys I went to high school with.
“Merry Christmas, Rafe,” I say back, not even attempting the French. I don’t need to see his brow furrow like it does when he hears his native tongue being mispronounced. It’s ingrained in him to be appalled, no matter how authentic the attempt, so we don’t hold it against him.
Lily holds up her hand and moves her pointer finger between Jace and me, her eyes narrowed. “I called this. Don’t forget that.”
“Yes, Lily, you did.” I shake my head playfully. “And so did Gladys, so try not to say that too loudly if she’s in the vicinity, or you’ll never hear the end of it.”
Lily scoffs. “We already never hear the end of it. But wait, does this mean you’re truly done with the apps? This calls for more chocolate!”
I laugh again, something I think will be the theme of the evening. Graham is already halfway to the kitchen, returning with a towering chocolate cake with marshmallow creme and what looks like a peanut butter drizzle over the top.
“Fluffernutter and chocolate?” Grey asks almost reverently.
Lily grins. “It’s an upgrade from Graham’s favorite sandwiches and our story. Plus, it’s Christmastime, so clearly, we had to have it tonight.”
“No arguments here, even though my training regimen has been shot to pieces this season,” Jace adds beside me with a laugh. Lily nods approvingly.
“Where’s George?” Grey asks, and Graham looks up, even though Lily hasn’t used that nickname for him in a while. Instead, she named their dog George to keep the memory alive.
“Oh, he’s already asleep on our bed. I think he’s nesting.”
“Lils, that’s not a thing,” Sparrow says with a laugh.
“Well, tell him that Resin says hello,” I interject with a nod.
“Absolutely. Okay, enough with the pleasantries. Honey,” she says, looking at Graham, “will you please grab the gifts and bring them in?”
“I’ll help!” Rafe says, jumping to his feet and heading toward the door leading to the entryway. Sparrow looks at him like he’s all the gift she’ll ever need.
