My Christmas Wish Read online

  Chapter 8

  Charlotte

  I sensed something wrong when Katie and I came back from the bathroom. We’d taken our time in there. Katie was telling me she thinks Mike is cute. She kept going on and on about it, gushing like a lovesick schoolgirl. I didn’t know if she was serious, or if it was just the alcohol talking. Either way, I listened like a good friend, but when we finally made it back outside, I felt the tension in the air.

  Talon looked upset. His eyes were dark, and his brow was furrowed. His hands were clenched into fists beneath the picnic table. He smiled when he looked up at me, but the smile was a lie. His back was tense and ramrod straight, and there was no humor in his eyes.

  I smiled back at him, even though it was just as fake as his. I was worried now. Talon wasn’t usually the angry type. I’d seen him get all alpha and up in other guys’ faces, but it was always to protect someone else. Usually me. He didn’t start fights or get aggressive for no reason.

  But right now, he looked like he wanted to punch someone.

  This was strange, but then again, Talon had been doing a lot of unusual things lately. He hadn’t been acting like himself. This was just another weird thing to add to the ever-growing list of weird things about Talon these days.

  What the hell had happened when we were in the bathroom?

  I could have sworn I heard Mike asking Talon about a “secret” right as we were walking out of the bar. I wasn’t sure if Talon was going to answer him, but the moment he saw me and Katie, he locked up tighter than Fort Knox. So whatever this secret was, he didn’t want me to know about it.

  Did it have something to do with the mysterious errands he had to run? The ones that he showered after? Did this have something to do with that girl Julie? I felt like he wasn’t thrilled I’d caught them talking in the hallway, while he showed her whatever it was he was showing her.

  Was Talon fucking cheating on me?

  Was that the big secret that he was hiding? He was sneaking around behind my back with another woman. Was that what he and Mike had been talking about when I interrupted them?

  The very thought of it made me sick. A dull, throbbing ache pulsed in my chest. Just thinking about Talon fucking some other girl made my heart hurt.

  I sat back down next to Talon, but I didn’t say anything. Katie teased Mike about something, and Talon joined in, acting like nothing was wrong. I grabbed my beer and downed the rest of it, hoping it would calm the painful doubts swirling through my head. When it was empty, I signaled the waitress for another one.

  I sipped my beer and pretended like I was present for the conversation going on around me. But inside, my mind was racing. This whole situation was bothering me, and I couldn’t figure out what the hell I could do about it.

  The simplest thing would be to ask Talon directly about it, but even though it was simple in theory, it would be complicated in execution. I didn’t have the first idea of how to talk to him about this. All I had were doubts and feelings. I had no proof. No evidence.

  I didn’t want to be the kind of girl who went crazy on her man just because I was feeling insecure. The torrent of emotions rushing through me might be entirely valid and justified, but I didn’t know that for sure. I would never be able to forgive myself if I ruined a perfectly good relationship with Talon because I was freaking out over nothing.

  And besides, even if I did confront him about all of this, without evidence, Talon could just deny everything, and I would be no better off than when I started. Even if something really was going on, there was nothing stopping Talon from continuing to keep his secret. And if nothing was going on, I would just look like an asshole for accusing him of cheating or whatever.

  I couldn’t do that.

  However I ended up talking to Talon about this, I knew it would end up in a fight. A huge, knock-down, drag-out fight that would almost certainly end the relationship. If he was cheating on me, then obviously I would end things. If he wasn’t, then he would end things with me for not trusting him and accusing him of something he didn’t do. Either way, this was a no-win situation for me.

  With Christmas coming up so soon and my parents in town, the best thing I could do was swallow my doubts for now and keep the peace. If at some point, I found hard evidence that Talon was up to something shady, I would talk to him. We’d talk, we’d fight, and we’d probably break up.

  But that was only if I uncovered something more concrete than doubts and emotions. Of course, even though I made the decision to keep my fears to myself, that didn’t get rid of the questions and mistrust I was feeling. Those mean little bastards still echoed in my head, like echoes of a bad dream or prophetic visions of impending doom.

  Maybe alcohol would silence them.

  I slammed my palm on the table, getting everyone’s attention. “Who wants to do some shots?”

  Two hours later, I was feeling good. Somewhere around the time my face went numb, I was able to let go of my worries and just have fun. I wasn’t at peace by any means, but I’d found a sort of drunken acceptance of my fate. Whatever was going to happen, good or bad, it was going to happen, and there was nothing I could do about it. I figured I might as well enjoy myself in the meantime.

  Now, I was way past the numb face stage. My entire body felt light and floaty. The point of the evening had been to have fun and relax, and I’d accomplished both with beer and tequila. It probably wasn’t the healthiest way to cope with my problems, but it sure as hell helped.

  Bright lights flared over the patio. I threw my hand up in front of my eyes to stave off the blinding glare.

  “What the fuck?” I slurred out.

  “It’s closing time, gorgeous,” Talon said. “The party’s over.”

  “But it was just getting good,” I said.

  “I know, baby, but it’s time to go,” he said.

  I had a feeling he was patronizing me, but I was too drunk to know for sure or to care. Talon stood up beside me, and I followed suit. The world tilted on its axis, and I lost my balance. I would have fallen if Talon hadn’t been there to catch me. Stupid, secret-keeping, beautiful Talon, always looking out for and taking care of me.

  A wave of emotion swelled in my chest. My love for Talon gushed out from some part of me the alcohol had unlocked. I had to fight back tears at how much I affection I felt for him. Somehow, I was able to keep the tears from flowing. Otherwise, I would have crumpled into a drunken, sobbing mess, and I did not want to be that girl at the end of the night.

  We all walked out to Mike’s car. Well, most of us walked. I staggered. Mike had only had one beer at the beginning of the night before he switched to soda. He was our designated driver, and as Talon helped me gently in the back seat, I was grateful that we didn’t have to take a cab or an Uber home. I didn’t feel like being around strangers in my drunken state.

  Mike took Katie to her sorority house first. The girls in the house were still in full swing. Lights were flashing through the windows, and I felt the deep thud of a loud bass line in my chest.

  “We should have another drink,” I said to Talon.

  He smiled down at me, not judging me and not annoyed. “I think we’ll skip it this time, my love.”

  “Okay,” I said, and leaned my forehead against the cold window. It felt heavenly against my flushed skin.

  Mike drove Talon and me back to our apartment. I waved goodbye to him, barely able to stay on my feet. Talon picked me up in his strong arms, like I didn’t weigh anything at all. I felt like I was floating as he walked me upstairs and into our apartment.

  He laid me down softly onto our bed, and it was like sinking into a cloud. I was vaguely aware of him taking off my shoes before he pulled the comforter over me, tucking me in. I closed my eyes, feeling the room start to spin, but too drunk to care.

  I felt Talon kiss my forehead, and I heard him say, “I love you.” But I wasn’t sure if it was real or just a dream.

  Chapter 9

  Talon

  I awoke with
the sunrise the next day. Charlotte snored softly beside me in bed. She didn’t usually snore, but at some point in the night, she’d moved into an awkward position. I didn’t have the heart to move her, just in case I woke her up. I knew the moment she did, her hangover would come crashing down on her like the hammer of Thor.

  I felt fine. Once Charlotte started pounding shots, I slowed way the hell down on my drinking. I had no problem with her letting loose and having a good time. I just wanted to make sure I was sober enough to take care of her and keep her safe. Also, she was guaranteed to feel like shit this morning, so I wanted to be able to ease her through the worst of her hangover.

  I slid quietly out of bed and stared down at her. Her face was so peaceful as she slept. So beautiful. I loved this girl so fucking much I couldn’t stand it sometimes. I hoped she knew that. I did my best to show her and tell her how much I cared about her. Every day, I tried to do at least one thing that would make her smile.

  Today, I was going to cure her hangover.

  I put a glass of water and some Advil on the nightstand next to her. Then, I slipped out to the grocery store to grab some stuff for breakfast. With finals and everything, we hadn’t had a lot of time for shopping. Our refrigerator was down to just condiments and that one ancient Tupperware container that had been in there forever. I had no idea what was in it, and I was too afraid to open it and find out.

  I walked through the aisles of the grocery store, mostly empty this early on a Thursday morning. I thought back to some of my worst mornings after a night of binge drinking. Charlotte had never been much of a drinker, but I’d had more than my fair share of barely-remembered nights. After getting blitzed out of my mind, breakfast was always the thing that brought me back to life and made me feel human again.

  I grabbed the essentials, eggs, bacon, and pancake mix. Cooking had never been my strong suit. I could throw together simple stuff like this, but I wasn’t going to be making pancake batter from scratch. I needed a little help from Aunt Jemima.

  I paid for everything and climbed back into my SUV. The clock on the dashboard said eight-thirty. I wondered if it was early enough to catch Bob and Gloria. Only one way to find out. I pulled up their number and called.

  Bob answered. “Hello?”

  “Hey, Bob. Have you and Gloria had breakfast yet?”

  “Talon,” he said, his voice a lot friendlier this morning. “No, we haven’t.”

  “Awesome,” I said. “In that case, I’d like to invite you and Gloria over to our apartment for a homemade breakfast.”

  “Hmm, I don’t know,” Bob said. “Who’s cooking the breakfast?”

  “Um, I am,” I said tentatively.

  Bob breathed a sigh of relief. When he spoke, it sounded like he was trying to keep his voice down so that Gloria couldn’t hear him. “Good. Between you and me, Charlotte can’t make eggs to save her life. They’re always all brown and rubbery.”

  I laughed. Bob was finally opening up to me, which I liked. Underneath that hard exterior was a fun sense of humor and a soft heart. I was starting to think Bob and I could be friends.

  “Don’t tell her I said that,” Bob growled.

  “I wouldn’t think of it,” I said. “You two come on over whenever. Oh, and just a heads up. Charlotte is a little hungover. So try not to be too hard on her.”

  “Got it,” Bob said. “See you soon.”

  We hung up, and I went back to the apartment. Charlotte was still asleep. I hated to wake her, but I hoped seeing her parents and having breakfast would make it easier. I placed my hand gently on her arm, applying the slightest amount of pressure.

  I’d learned this trick waking up my younger brothers for school. My parents used to yell and shake us to get us out of bed. It always scared the ever-loving shit out of me and made me think I was going to have a heart attack at seven years old.

  Charlotte inhaled deeply, and I knew she was awake. Her eyes fluttered open, giving me a flash of their beautiful, brown depths, and then she slammed them shut again, groaning and putting a hand to her forehead.

  “How are you feeling?” I asked softly.

  She groaned again. “What’s worse than dog shit?” she asked, her voice hoarse.

  I grinned. “That bad, huh?”

  She nodded and froze. The movement obviously making her head pound worse. “Talon, I’m sorry.”

  “Sorry for what?” I asked, genuinely confused.

  “For ruining this body,” she said. “It’s done. It’s dead. It’s all used up. I need you to get me a new one.”

  I chuckled softly. “But I like this one. And I don’t even know where I’d find a body nearly this perfect. Instead, how about some water and some Advil?”

  She opened her eyes a crack, and I gestured at the nightstand. With great effort, she pulled herself up to a sitting position, grabbed the water, and chugged the pills down. She sighed contentedly.

  “You’re a lifesaver,” she said. “Now if only you had some breakfast. I’m starving.”

  I smiled at her. “Funny you should mention that.” A knock sounded at the front door. “I’m making breakfast for you and your parents. That’s them now.”

  “What?” she asked, sounding more awake. “My parents?”

  I hurried to the front door and let Bob and Gloria in. They’d been here before, so I didn’t have to give them the grand tour.

  “Charlotte’s slowly joining the land of the living,” I said. “She’ll be out in a second. Please, make yourselves at home. I’m gonna start breakfast.”

  I hustled into the kitchen, which in this apartment was mostly just an extension of the dining room and living room. Gloria started a pot of coffee, and Bob took a seat at the table. I got the bacon going and mixed up the pancake batter.

  Charlotte lurched out of the bedroom. She’d thrown on some pink pajamas and washed last night’s makeup off her face. Her hair was a tangled bird’s nest, and she had dark bags under her eyes. Oddly enough, even hungover and struggling, I still found her beautiful.

  She sat at the table, and Gloria handed her a cup of coffee. Charlotte took it gratefully. By the time breakfast was ready, she looked more alert.

  I served everyone eggs, bacon, and pancakes. Bob took a bite of his eggs, nodded, and shot me a grin. It was the nicest compliment anyone had ever given my cooking.

  As we all ate, we started talking about what we were doing for Christmas Day.

  Charlotte spoke up, her voice still a little rough. “On Christmas morning, I figure you guys should come over here. We can exchange gifts, and then start cooking.”

  “That sounds lovely,” Gloria said.

  She started talking about what they should cook and what they needed to buy. As they did that, I felt a nervous feeling in my stomach. I was looking forward to Christmas with the Jordans. It sounded wonderful to me, like a warm, loving Christmas I’d never really had. But I couldn’t fight the anxiety writhing in my guts.

  Christmas was four days away, which wasn’t long, but to me, it felt like an eternity. This stupid secret of mine had been nothing but trouble since the beginning. Instead of being relaxed and happy during this holiday, I was wound up and tense. And even worse, Charlotte was having all kinds of doubts about me and about our relationship.

  The urge to come clean right now was intense, but all of this drama would have been for nothing if I gave up now. This would be for the best. I just knew it. I just wish I knew my behavior wouldn’t tear us apart first.

  We spent a few more hours with Bob and Gloria, but finally, they decided to leave and let Charlotte get some rest to recover. We said our goodbyes, and they left.

  “Thanks for breakfast, Talon,” Charlotte said.

  “Any time.”

  “I think I’m just going to lie down, okay?”

  I nodded. “Get some rest.”

  She disappeared into the bedroom, and I sighed. Even as she was thanking me, I saw the look of doubt and distrust in her eyes. I felt like an idiot for keeping t
his from her. I just wanted to make it all right.

  I followed her into the bedroom. She was already lying down. I slid into bed beside her and pulled her into my arms, spooning with her. Charlotte tensed up, and I worried that she would kick me out of bed.

  Instead, she melted into me, and my cock stirred to life, aching for her.

  Chapter 10

  Charlotte

  Despite how crappy I was feeling, physically and emotionally, it felt amazing to be wrapped up in Talon’s strong arms. I always found comfort in his embrace, even now when I didn’t know up from down.

  I snuggled into him, and his erection swelled against my ass. I pushed back against it, feeling the familiar rush of heat between my legs. No matter what was going on with Talon, I still loved him, and he was the hottest man I’d ever seen. Secrets aside, I needed this.