Much later, and after one too many drinks, Callum starts a conga line out the door around the beer garden and back again. I think this is when we call it a night.
“Baird, we’re going back to the chalet.” He gives me a thumbs up and says he will tell Callum, that it’s best we go while we still can.
We step back out into the snowy street. The Matterhorn looms above us, lit faintly by the moon. Beautiful. Magical.
Charlie slips his gloved hand into mine. “You’re glowing,” he murmurs.
“I’m drunk.” I smirk.
“A little,” he agrees. “But mostly because you’re happy.”
He’s right.
I am happy.
Really fucking happy.
Until we hit a patch of ice on the street and slip and slid as we both hang onto each other for dear life. When we don’t land onour asses, we burst out laughing and continue back to the chalet, carefully. Snow starts to fall on our walk back.
“This is beautiful.”
“It reminds me of Montana in the winter,” Charlie says.
“Yeah. I really need to check it out then because I feel like I’m going to miss this when we head back to LA.”
“Me too.”
“You miss Moonlight Falls?” I ask.
“I do.” Oh. I wasn’t expecting him to be that honest with me. “But I would also miss you if you weren’t there. And honestly, I’d miss you more than Moonlight Falls.”
I stop. Charlie stops too. “I’d miss you too if you weren’t with me.”
He wraps his arms around my neck. “Good.”
“I don’t think we should live apart anymore,” I confess. “But I get why we can’t live together …”
“Yet …” he adds.
“Yet,” I repeat. “I’ve just liked waking up with you every day this holiday, and the thought of going home and you not being in my bed every day sucks.”
Charlie looks at me silently. “I’ll talk to Everly.”
I still. What? “You don’t have to do that. I’ll wait for you forever if I have to.”
“You’re not that patient.” He grins.
I burst out laughing. “I’m not.”
“Look, I’m at your home most nights anyway, and your house is closer to work, so it kind of makes sense.” He grins.
“It really does.” I nod in agreement. “You think she is going to be upset?”
“A little, but to be fair, I think we have been very co-dependent on each other for a long time. Maybe a little separation would be good. Plus, she needs to get laid, and I think I’m cockblocking her.”
“You think she’s seeing someone?”
“Not yet, but she’s going out. I heard her talking to one of her friends and she said how she wanted to bring a guy home but didn’t because I was there.”
