"Having fun?"
He nods. "Yeah. I didn't expect to, but yes."
"Good." Hesitating, I say, "You deserve it. Especially after dealing with your family at the fundraiser."
His expression clouds slightly. "Yeah, well. I've got more family time coming up. They're expecting me home for Christmas in a few days."
"You don't sound thrilled."
He shrugs, looking away. "It'll be the usual. Mom parading me around to political supporters, Dad pretending I'm studying, not studying anything except straight law," he rolls his eyes to me. "Pun intended. My brothers will be making passive-aggressive comments about my 'lifestyle choices.'"
"Sounds festive.”
"What about you?" he asks. "Going home for the holidays?"
I shake my head. "I stay on campus. Always have."
"No family to visit?"
"Foster kid, remember? Aged out of the system. No home to go back to."
Caleb stops walking, turning to face me. "James, I'm sorry. I shouldn't complain about my family when you?—"
"Hey, no." I cut him off. "Don't do that. Your family treats you like shit. That's valid, regardless of whether I have one or not."
He looks at me for a long moment, then sighs. "I wish I could stay here for Christmas."
"Why can't you?"
"Family obligation. My dad's announcement is right after the new year. They need their perfect family photo op." His voice is bitter.
"Well, when you get back, we'll have our own Christmas." My shoulder nudging his.
His smile returns, small but genuine. "I'd like that."
As we catch up to the group, a thing that's been nagging at me for weeks finally takes shape.
And then the realization hits me hard enough that I actually stumble. Caleb catches my arm, eyebrow raised.
Oh fuck. I'm falling for him. Properly falling.
Foster kid and political royalty.Brilliant. What could possibly go wrong?
"Careful," Caleb says, steadying me.
We keep walking, and somehow I manage to discuss hot chocolate flavors like my entire world didn't just tilt off its axis.
But why not fall for him? He needs someone who sees past the Huntington name. Someone who gets that he's more than his father's expectations.
I want that to be me.
Terrifying thought.
The final stop on our crawl is a small family-owned ice cream parlour that's created a "Hot Chocolate Float", hot chocolate with a scoop of homemade vanilla bean ice cream melting into it.
"This is a crime against nature," Caleb declares after his first taste. "And I'm absolutely getting another one."
The sugar high has hit critical mass. Mike is attempting to balance spoons on his face, Taj is calculating everyone's average scores with alarming precision, and Elijah has created an impromptu runway for hot chocolate fashion, brutally rating each cup's presentation.
