“They’re usually pretty good. As soon as they know the storm is over, they clear the roads. They know folks will need to get back home to their jobs since most of the cabins are vacation homes,” Fletcher says.
“Thank you. That’s useful to know.”
We leave the family and walk back to my cabin. Curtis is strangely silent.
“You okay?” I ask.
“Yeah.”
I laugh. “Really? You think you can fool me that easily?” I bend and pick up a chunk of snow and make it into a ball. “Maybe I can persuade you to tell me what’s wrong.”
“You should know by now there are much better ways to persuade me to do anything for you, Riley.” He continues walking but goes toward the trees instead of the cabin.
I catch up to him and put my arm over his shoulder. He sags against me and lets out a deep sigh.
“Oh no. Not a sigh. This must be serious.”
He elbows me. “I just…when you asked about the roads, it reminded me that at some point, we have to go home, that’s all.”
“You don’t want to go home?”
He turns to face me. “Right now? No.”
“Curtis.” I’m not sure what to say.
“I’m sorry. I’m just being overdramatic. Juju says I do that a lot, but it’s endearing…well, sometimes.”
I take my gloves off so I can touch his face with my hands. “I like when you’re dramatic. I like when you do a lot of things. And I don’t want to go home either.”
“You don’t?”
I shake my head.
“I don’t want the bubble to burst.”
He narrows his eyes. “Bubble?”
“The Christmas bubble. I know you said what we do here stays here, but…”
Our breaths fog in the cold air. Curtis’s cute nose is red, even though he’s wearing a hat that covers almost his whole face.
“I thought you wanted to experiment,” he says. His voice is small and unsure. “I didn’t want to put any pressure on you. I know I was coming on too strong and you were straight.”
I stop him with a kiss, loving how he responds immediately. Each pass of my tongue over his is met with a moan. When we part, his eyes are glassy and half-lidded.
“I think it’s safe to say I’m not exactly straight. I spoke to Harrison when you were building the snowman. I think I may be demisexual, although I don’t really care what label is attached to it. I just know that I like you, Curtis. I like you a lot.”
He puffs out a breath and his cheeks redden. He’s like the cutest elf I’ve ever seen.
“If my age doesn’t bother you, then I don’t want the bubble to burst, Curtis. I want to take you on an actual date when we get back home. See if we can make it out in the real world.”
“Really? You don’t think I’m too much, too over the top, too pink?”
I smile. “Baby, those were the things that made me want you. You never gave up. The gifts, the cakes. You burrowed under my skin with each day that passed. It’s amazing I lasted this long.”
“This really is the best Christmas ever.” He holds me tight, so I kiss his head.
“I agree. We don’t have to think about leaving just yet, so how about that movie marathon? We can cuddle naked under the blanket.”
