Assholes.
"I told you she wasn't going to be happy about being woken up so early," Zayne drawls.
Mason walks out of his bedroom, his eyes dancing with humor. "I told him, too."
Silas scoffs at them before focusing that beautiful smile on me, and I feel my irritation melt away. "You're coming with us today."
I feel my face slipping into a pout. Did he really wake me up to go outside in the cold? "Are you guys going fishing again? I'd rather put myself on a hook and be used as bait, thank you very much. It's freezing outside."
"Come on, Ness. We want to spend more time with you. You've been writing nonstop, and you deserve a break. Besides, we're not going fishing. We're going to go find the perfect Christmas tree and cut it down. It's tradition, so you have to come."
"Christmas tree?" I squeal, my sleepiness forgotten. "Can I choose the tree?"
"Of course, baby," Mason says, shoving Silas down the hallway. "We'll go pack some snacks."
I step back, trying to close the door, but Zayne stops it with his boot. "I thought you were coming."
"I am. I just need time to get dressed and brush my teeth. Is that acceptable to you, sir?" I sass.
The smoldering look Zayne gives me has heat pooling in my stomach before he quickly nods and follows the other two. I see him adjusting himself in his pants and feel satisfied that I have that effect over him.
By the time I make it downstairs, I can feel myself sweating under all the layers of clothes. They must have amped up the heating in the cabin last night. I couldn't wait to get outside to cool down.
They're waiting by the front door, and Mason comes over, kissing my nose. "Ready to go?"
"Did you turn up the heating?" I ask, wiping at my forehead.
"Nope, still the same as when we got here," Mason answers, tucking my hair behind my ear. "You feeling okay, Ness? You look flushed."
"I think it's just all these layers," I murmur, gesturing at my outfit. "I'll feel better once we're outside."
"Then let's get out of here," Silas says, holding out his hand. I laugh as I take it, feeling so happy.
A little farther away from the cabin, I come to a stop and walk over to the big old oak tree that still has all our initials carved into it. Mine is in the middle with the other three surrounding it. A big heart is carved around it. I glance over my shoulder and see them smiling atme. I run my fingers over it and smile; the memories from that day are some I would always treasure.
We walk around the surrounding forest for a bit, Silas and Mason goofing around, hurling snowballs at each other. Zayne pulls me into his side, and I rest my head in the crook of his arm, a happy sigh escaping my lips.
"Are you spending Christmas at the cabin or taking the tree back home?" I ask him, breaking the silence.
"Sammy and her family are coming here on Christmas Eve and staying until Boxing Day. We would love it if you stayed too."
I cringe. As much as I want to spend Christmas with my best friends, the idea of spending it with Sammy is less appealing. "Your sister hates me, Zayne. I don't think that's a good idea. My parents will also probably disown me if I bail on them. Mom's making such a big deal about me being home for the holidays."
"We can invite them here, and I'll make sure Samantha behaves. Please?"
"How can I say no to you?" I ask, leaning up on my tiptoes to kiss his cheek. At the last second, he turns his head, and we share a kiss that steals the air from my lungs.
"Then it's settled," he whispers against my lips. "You're ours for Christmas."
I'd be yours forever if you asked.I think to myself.
"Hey guys, what about this one?" Mason shouts. I jump up and down, clapping my hands excitedly when I see the tree he's pointing at. It's perfect and will definitely make the cabin feel cozy.
"It's amazing, Mason!" I shout back, and he grins at me, running back to the cabin to grab the truck and whatever else he needs to cutdown the tree. Zayne pulls out a thick blanket from his backpack and lays it down for us to sit on, handing me a ham and cheese sandwich, which I accept with a smile. It only takes Silas twenty minutes to get back, and soon we have our new Christmas tree loaded in the back of the truck.
When we get back to the cabin, I immediately go upstairs to change into something lighter. I still feel way too hot as I make my way downstairs, but it's easy to ignore with how excited I feel seeing the tree standing in the living room by the window. Boxes of Christmas decorations surround it, and we take our time decorating the tree. Mason lifts me like I weigh nothing to put the tree topper on when we're done, and I squeal in delight at how good it looks.
When they start packing the presents underneath the tree, I begin to panic. The gifts I got for my parents are under the tree back home, so I can just ask them to bring them with, but I have nothing for the guys!
