Somewhere in her mind, she’d left it open for him to come back, even though she hadn’t truly expected him to. But now, her breath caught.
What if itwasn’thim? What if it were someone else? A stranger or an actual serial killer this time? The final twist to a very long, very strange holiday.
But would that honestly be more realistic than Lachlan coming back? And was that seriously where Eliza’s standards were, now? Expecting less out of Lachlan than a murderer?
Jingle.
The doorknob turned. Opened.
She couldn't believe her eyes. Dark, brunette hair and her favorite pair of chocolate brown eyes slowly came from around the doorway.
“I gotta go,” Eliza whispered.
Piper sputtered. “Is everything okay?”
Click. Eliza ended the call.
He stood just inside the doorway, his cheeks flushed from the cold and his hair tousled from the wind. They both stared at each other. Puffcake sat in the middle, his round eyes darting between the two of them.
Lachlan wasback.
They opened their mouths at the same time.
“I–”
“I didn’t?—”
They stopped. An awkward silence stretched between them. The hum of the oven. The crackle of dying embers in the fireplace. The patter of melted snow from Lachlan’s coat. It was like the entire house was holding its breath, waiting. Expectant.
Lachlan held out his hand. “You first.”
“No,” she shook her head. “You.”
He shifted his weight and ran a hand through his hair, looking to the floor. “I just wanted you to know that I didn’t want to leave.”
Eliza furrowed her brows. “But you did leave.”
“I know.” He blew out a breath. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know what to do. I wanted to respect your boundaries when you told me I should leave. I really just wanted to grab you up and kiss you, but when the house packed up my things … I thought that was it. I was sure you truly didn’t care to see me ever again. But I had to come back.” His voice suddenly sounded like gravel. “I just had to.”
“You ...hadto?” she repeated.
He nodded.
“What, did the house forget to pack up a pair of your favorite holiday socks?”
“No.” He raked his fingers through his hair again. “I had to see you. Even if it was the last time. Even if you screamed or kicked me out, I knew I had to at least try.”
He inched forward, and Eliza didn’t move. She stayed rooted to the spot, her heart pounding. Step by step, he slowly closed the space between them. Each step felt like he was closing an impossible distance, like it would stitch back the miles that had grown between them in a span of a day.
Lachlan’s hand twitched at his side. He was close enough to touch her, and he looked like he was physically agonized by the restraint.
“I never got to tell you what I wanted for Christmas,” he said softly.
“You can’t be serious,” Eliza muttered.
He gave a small smile, sheepish. Nervous. Sad, yet hopeful. “Ask me,” he said.
She crossed her arms and forced her voice to remain level. “What is it that you want?”
