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I nod because that’s all I have energy for. My plan before the meeting was to carry on working tonight, but as much as I love talking to the townspeople and being social, speaking in public is a thing in itself. I didn’t inherit my brother’s talent for the spotlight.

I walk home slowly, the cold air a welcome pressure against my face. My phone rings in my pocket, but I don’t bother seeing who it is. Preparing for the meeting and the meeting itself took all my energy. I’m not dealing with anything until the morning.

My apartment is dark and quiet when I let myself in. I don’t turn on the overhead lights. Just the lamp by the couch.

I eat a piece of toast while standing at the counter, which is when I see the call I ignored earlier was from Taylen, but it’s too late to return his call now. I take a shower long enough that my fingers wrinkle and fall into bed in a T-shirt and boxers at ten-thirty.

At midnight, like clockwork, there’s a soft knock at the door.

I get out of bed and pad barefoot across the floor.

Fox is there with the mistletoe sprig in his hand, now more brown than green.

He holds it up anyway.

I take it out of his hand and drop it on the side table. Then I take his hand, pull him inside, and kiss him. My body reacts to his touch, but then a yawn gives me away.

“Let’s go to bed,” he says against my lips.

“Mmm, now you’re talking.”

He chuckles. “You’re going to sleep, and I’m going to hold you.”

I stop and turn to face him. “You don’t want to fuck?”

He puts his hand on my cheek. “Baby, if I knew you could stay awake through it, I’d happily let you fuck me, but I think right now you just need to rest. Let me take you to bed.”

I lie on my side, facing away from him. He climbs in behind me, wraps his arm around my waist, and pulls me against his chest.

“Long day?” he murmurs into my hair.

“Yeah, I had the town hall meeting.”

“How’d it go?”

“It went okay. No major drama.”

“I’m really proud of you, Finn.”

I don’t answer because being in bed together like this isn’t what we do, and I don’t know what it means. Instead, I lace my fingers through his where they rest on my stomach and let my eyes close.

His side of the bed is cold when the alarm goes off at six-thirty a.m.

I don’t have to reach across to know I’m on my own. Fox has been leaving before dawn every night this week.

It’s been three weeks since Fox showed up on my doorstep at midnight, holding a sprig of mistletoe. A few nights ago, he didn’t let me reciprocate the blowjob, and last night, we didn’t have sex. I try not to think too much about that and what it might mean.

When I sit up, I see a fresh mug of coffee on the nightstand.

Fox must have made it before he left and set it there for me. It’s still warm, so he must have left not that long ago.

I sit up in bed, hold the mug up to my chest for a moment, and then take a sip.

My eyes threaten to well up, but I’m not going to cry over Fox making me coffee after spending most of the night snuggling.

I drink it slowly. Then I shower, dress, and walk to the office.

Emmett isn’t in yet. The office is quiet and cold. I turn the heat up and settle in at my desk. The first thing I do is return Taylen’s call from last night, but there’s no answer, so I give up after three tries. He must be busy.