“Of course.”
I didn’t kiss him.
I didn’t tell him how I felt.
I didn’t tell him anything.
Just transported him home, touched his cheek gently, and vanished back to Santa’s Village.
Kendrick
Present…
Grumpy Elf:It’s done. I’ve told everyone we broke up. Amicably, of course.
Me:I guess that’s why my phone is blowing up.
Grumpy Elf:I’m sure Keegan will want all the dirty details.
Me:What are the dirty details? We never really talked about it.
Grumpy Elf:Just gave them the vague ‘we’re too different, long-distance relationships are hard, we decided to just be friends’.
Me:So, I friend zoned you? They’ll buy it. I do that a lot, or so I’ve been told.
Grumpy Elf:How are you? I mean, with your parents’ move and all?
Me:I don’t know. It is what it is. I’m happy for them, I guess.
Grumpy Elf:You can still visit anytime you want. Like you did before. Maybe more now.
Me:I need to go. Sorry, I’m just really busy with the first week being back to school.
Grumpy Elf:Sure. I need to get back to work too.
Chapter Seventeen
Kendrick
February
I knew I had been acting like a complete baby since my parents' news. It wasn’t like I hadn’t known it was coming, but it had still rattled me. It was one thing when my brother had introduced us to Nik, told us he was The Santa, he was pregnant and moving to Santa's Village.
We’d been able to visit, and even though no one would remember Keegan existed here, my parents had still been here. Just a few blocks away from my apartment. I’d been able to drop in to see them anytime I wanted.
Now they were going to be gone. That realization had hit me hard when they had made their announcement, and I hadn’t handled it at all like I thought I would.
I was going to be here, alone, and no one would remember them. Not their friends, colleagues, or anyone else. No one I knew would remember anything about my parents, or my brother, and it made me feel sad and alone.
Then there was the whole ass complication that was Balfour.
We’d gone from enemies to friends to…lovers. Something beyond that word.
I had feelings for him. Big, huge feelings, and he clearly…did not.
He hadn’t even kissed me good-bye when he had brought me home. He hadn’t said anything, really. Hadn’t asked me to stay. Hadn’t said he wanted to be more than friends.
It was like my heat hadn’t even happened, and was just a wild fever dream I had.
