“Consider that payback for your meddling in my love life,” I said.
Alina glared at me.
“The fuck? If it weren’t for us, you’d still be single.”
I ignored both of them and walked away, laughing to myself.
Alina was right of course, but it didn’t mean I didn’t get to tease them eternally about this.
“What was that about?” Cole asked as he took over the box from me and set it on the floor.
“Nothing important,” I said, and he smiled, pulled me into his arms, and pressed me against the bookcase as he gave me a hard, passionate kiss.
It lit a fire inside me as it always did, but instead of helping me put it out, he just stepped back, bent over, and picked up a few books to organize them.
“You’re such a tease,” I grumbled, and he simply smirked.
Gosh, I loved this man.
And every day I fell for him even more as more of his personality came out of hibernation. I don’t know how, but somehow I felt it deep in my bones that he was the one. So how could I not believe in Christmas magic when the first I ever dated turned out to be the man I was supposed to be with?
Samir: You’re late.
I checked my phone again and sighed. The man I was supposed to be with wasn’t here, and I was getting really worried.
Cole: I’ll be there soon.
It was half past eleven. He was supposed to get here half an hour ago, and every time I checked on him, he kept telling me he’d be here soon.
Maybe something had happened, and he didn’t want to worry me.
Or maybe…
Maybe something had happened that had sent him running again.
Either way he wasn’t going to get rid of me that easily. Not this time. I’d made him a promise, and I was going to keep it for both our sakes.
I walked back into the store and hung out with Lord Bookworm and Missy, who kept trying to get a rise out of his older brother, but Lord Bookworm didn’t bite.
I stroked both cats and looked outside. All the stores might be closed but the street was full of people dressed in their nicest clothes, wearing new year head bands or taking pictures in the scenic background of Mayberry’s Main Street. I couldn’t believe I got to spend a new year’s with someone. Someone I loved.
If he ever turns up.
I checked my phone again. It was quarter to twelve, and I was about to start typing another message when I heard commotion in the back of the store.
The cats jumped off the counter, and I reached for the first thing I could grab, staring at the darkened corridors of the store and bracing myself.
Of course I was going to get murdered when I finally found someone that makes me truly happy.
The intruders stepped out of the shadows and screamed. I screamed. I threw the book at them and ducked behind the counter when I realized who it was.
“Zay? Alina? What the fuck? You scared the hell out of me. I thought I was being robbed.”
Alina crouched down and picked up the book I’d thrown and stared back at me. Her face was fully made up, and her hair was caught up in a messy bun. She was wearing a shapely black dress with lacing all over the shoulders that made it look strapless.
“And you were going to defend yourself with this?” she asked and threw the book back at me.
I caught it in my hands and checked its condition before I snapped back at them.
