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Dallas gazed at her intensely. “You haven’t given me a reason to.”
Their eyes locked, sharing so much more than they ever could have verbally. Sevyn was the first to look away. Tucking her hair behind her ear, she focused her attention back onto her plate. “Well, anyway. If I could answer your question, I would. I don’t know if there’s a specific time I can pinpoint where my feelings changed. They just did. And since I don’t want to talk about this anymore, why don’t you fulfill your half of the bargain and tell me where we’re going tonight,” Sevyn suggested, gently stabbing her fork into her broccoli.
Dallas’ energy shifted from guilty to excited as he grinned. “Somewhere I know you’re going to love.”
* * *
Sevyn’sentire spirit was alive with holiday cheer and excitement as she watched one of the parade floats go by. Every year, they completely transformed the downtown area into a Christmas wonderland. A few days before Christmas there was a parade of which the details were kept secret until the time of the events. Floats, lights, and even food vendors changed annually and attendees had no idea what to expect until the night of.
Being that she’d waited too long to purchase tickets for that year, Sevyn had been feeling the disappointment of not being able to attend. Dallas finding a way to score tickets had given him several points with her and he didn’t even know it.
After the parade ended with its usual barrage of fireworks displayed in Christmas décor, they strolled down the street, through the throngs of people and vendors, talking and enjoying the evening.
Holding a steaming cup of hot chocolate in one hand, she snaked an arm around his, burying herself into his side. “Okay, now. These tickets have been sold out since October. I know because I tried to get a couple at the beginning of November and they were already gone. How’d you pull it off?”
Pulling his hat further over his ears, Dallas shrugged. “Being handsome has its privileges.”
“Oh please,” she smirked up at him. “You’re cute, but not that damn cute.”
“You sound like a hater, Sev.”
“And at the moment, you sound like a liar, Dal.”
“My face ain’t cute enough to score two tickets?”
“To anything other than this, maybe. But the Winter Wonderland Festival? No. Spill.”
“Aight, aight,” removing his arm from her grip, Dallas snaked it around her shoulders. “You remember back when that drunk driver ran into Mr. Smith’s hardware store?”
“Yeah,” she replied softly, sipping from her cup. “It was right after his wife passed away which only made it ten times sadder.”
“I know, right? He’s been needing repairs done but was having a hard time getting it taken care of because he couldn’t completely cover the costs for it. Being the stubborn old man that he is, he wouldn’t let me do the job for free but he did happen to have a pair of tickets that he didn’t mind giving up since his daughter couldn’t make it home this year.”
Sevyn sat in her thoughts for a moment, admiring how noble it was for Dallas to volunteer to handle the store repairs for free.
“That was a really sweet gesture of you, Dal.”
He shrugged. “It is what it is. If I was in a bind, I’d want there to be at least one person who would offer a helping hand. I’m just treating people the way I’d want to be treated.”
That left Sevyn wracked with guilt over her initial plans of their agreement. This was the Dallas that she’d somehow managed to fall for. The kind, gentle, thoughtful man who was always in her corner no matter what. The one she felt she could tell all her secrets to and never be ashamed. The only one who held the power to make all of her fears dissipate with a single sentence.
As they continued walking, Sevyn realized that she’d been so stuck on the version of him that she’d created in her head after he’d hurt her, that it obscured the reality of who he was.
“Anyway, we won’t be here too much longer. I have one more thing planned out for the night.”
Pushing her guilt to the side, Sevyn perked up, quirking an eyebrow. “What?”
“Mmm, I don’t know if I should tell you. Since you knew about this beforehand and all.”
“Dal, please!” Sevyn pouted, bouncing between the balls of her feet and heels. “Please, please, please—”
“Well, since you’re begging,” he chuckled, digging into his pocket. He came out with two tickets, and upon reading them Sevyn’s eyes illuminated.
“You remembered,” she murmured, taking the tickets from him.
“How could I not? You’ve been obsessed with it since you bullied your way into the lead in the school play when we were in middle school.”
“You’re a liar and a charlatan,” Sevyn cackled, prying her eyes away from the Nutcracker ticket. “I earned that spot fair and square and you know it.”
“What I know is that somebody else got the part and after you cornered them in the lunchroom one day, they dropped out and suddenly it was yours.”
Smirking, she handed the tickets back. “She wasn’t fit for the pressure anyway.”
“If that’s what helps you justify killing an eighth grader’s dream, then by all means, be my guest, baby girl.”
Stopping, Sevyn swung around so that she was facing him. “Seriously, Dal, thank you. This night, and all the thought you’ve put into these things so far…” breaking off, she glanced at the hustle and bustle around them, heart swelling at the dozens of lights and décor representing her favorite holiday of the season. “It’s really thoughtful, and amazing.”
Licking his lips, Dallas bent down just enough to brush his lips against her cheek. “I know. And I hope you’re ready. We have an entire five days left.”
