It should make me walk away. Put space between us before I lose it. But I don’t move. Not while she’s sitting there trying to keep it together. Not while he’s talking to her like he still knows her.
And maybe he does.
That thought lands hard. I’ve been too caught up in what’s between us to think about what came before me. It was easy to forget when we were snowed in together deep in the woods. We could pretend the world outside didn’t exist.
He loved her once. Maybe that part of him never really let go. Maybe part of her hasn’t either.
But I get it. She’s not the kind of woman you just stop loving.
Tessa glances up and meets my eyes for a second, then looks away. Guilt flashes across her face before she forces a laugh at something Evan says.
Someone hands me a present, but I barely notice. My mind’s spinning.
If I take the job at Kolmont, what happens then? She’s still in school. Still figuring herself out. And me? I’m already in too deep.
“Clay,” my mom says from across the room. “Aren’t you going to open your gift?”
I glance down at the box in my hands, then set it on the table. “I will,” I tell her, pulling out my phone like I just got an important message.
Across the room, Tessa’s talking to Evan, but I can tell she’s distracted and listening to our conversation.
The noise picks back up as the kids continue to tear into their gifts. Steven and Evan yell at the football game on TV. I push my chair back, the sound cutting through it all.
“Excuse me for a minute,” I mutter, standing before anyone can stop me. The phone digs into my hand as I walk out.
I can feel Tessa’s eyes on me as I move toward the door, heat crawling up my neck. My phone buzzes—a text from Liam wishing me a Merry Christmas—and I take it as my chance to step away.
But all I can think about is her and how the last few days changed everything, even if I’m not ready to admit it out loud.
Chapter Fourteen
Tessa
By the time the clock hits noon on the day after Christmas, we’re already getting ready for the charity gala.
Mom’s been up since sunrise, running on caffeine and Christmas spirit. Double-checking lists and giving orders, she acts like she’s managing a corporation instead of a fundraiser. Dad’s been hauling donation boxes to the truck, calling vendors, and checking the weather every hour.
Every year, our family hosts a Christmas fundraiser with the Barlowes. It’s a big deal—fancy dresses, live music, and a silent auction where people spend more money in one night than some families see all year.
This season is about giving back, and I know that’s true. But this year feels… different. I don’t know how else to put it, but my mind has just been in another place.
Yesterday didn’t help.
Evan surprised me with a gift. We haven’t talked in over a year, other than exchanging birthday texts followed by a couple of brief “how are you’s,” so the present caught me off guard.
Inside was a silver tennis bracelet. He said it reminded him of one I used to wear back in high school. I’d lost it in the move to Kolmont when I started college. I thanked him, but the whole thing felt strange. Like he was trying to reach for something that isn’t there anymore.
And I didn’t know how to tell him it’s not going to happen.
Then there was Clay.
He’d been quiet all day, somewhere else in his head. I tried to talk to him, but he barely looked at me. I kept hoping he’d come to my room after everyone went to bed, that we’d talk, or maybeI could find a way to pull him out of whatever was bothering him. But he didn’t. And I fell asleep waiting.
I stand in front of the mirror, fastening my earrings, trying to look like I belong at a Christmas event when I mostly just feel off. The red velvet dress fits tighter than I’m used to, the neckline dipping low enough to make me second-guess it. Still, it looks good. I look good. And even if I don’t totally feel it, I can fake it for tonight.
Mom appears in the doorway. “You ready, Tess? We need to leave soon if we want to make it there on time.”
“Yeah,” I say, grabbing my clutch. My voice sounds steadier than I feel.
