Page 151 of A Little Jaded
It’s been this way between them since the night I went out for drinks with the rest of the girls.
“Speaking of Cancun,” Dylan offers carefully. Her gaze shifts from Griffin to Finley and back again. “Any chance you’d be willing to babysit Frankie while we’re gone?”
The blood drains from Finley’s face, and her attention snaps back to her best friend. “Tell me you’re joking.”
Stepping forward, Reeves rubs Dylan’s shoulders and tugs her, pressing her back to his front. “I forgot about the trip when I brought Frankie home.” He grimaces. “My bad.”
“You’rebad?” She scoffs. “Yeah, I’m definitely not frog-sitting, but good luck with that.”
“Come on,” Dylan begs. “Please? Pretty please? Pretty please with sugar on top?”
“Let her decide later,” Everett suggests. “For now, let’s iron out the trip details.”
We’ve already planned the majority of it, but there are a couple possible activities we’ve been eyeing since Reeves first suggested a vacation. I do feel bad for Finley, though. It isn’tentirely because of her lack of SkyMiles, thanks to visiting Drew, but there’s only so much money to be made when you work part-time as a waitress while being a full time-student.
A small part of me wonders if she’s also sitting out because the idea of going on a trip with Griffin after all the shit Drew’s given her doesn’t sound like it’s worth the effort. If I was her, I’d probably feel the same way.
Does it make me feel like I’m having an eensy, teensy bit of deja vu, too? Yup. Do I say it to her? Honestly, I’ve thought about it, but other than Drew being a jerk on occasion, he isn’t necessarily abusive. It’s strange, though. Seeing the similarities. They’re everywhere. Some are tiny. Some are pretty glaring. But that’s from the outside looking in. And while sometimes it can give you a clearer view of what’s going on, it can also do the opposite.
I don’t know Drew. Not personally. I haven’t even met him. Slapping him with a label when I’m so far removed from the relationship isn’t fair. But it doesn’t mean it’s easy to watch Finley struggle the way she is. The way she has been since long before we met if what Dylan and Ophelia say is true.
Regardless, we all take our own path on our own time. I peek up at Everett and smile because I’m the perfect example of exactly this. And yes, I might regret staying with Drake for as long as I did, but if I hadn’t, I wouldn’t have tracked down Reeves. I wouldn’t have been handed off to Everett. And I wouldn’t have fallen so helplessly in love with the man of my dreams.
So, yeah. I think it’s okay to wait and see how things play out for Fin instead of sticking my nose in it. Who knows? Maybe she’ll figure her shit out all on her own and find her happily ever after.
A girl can hope, can’t she?
It’s snowing.Christmas presents have been unwrapped. The fire is still blazing in the fireplace. And I learned Hazel and Miley definitely got their singing skills from their mom’s side of the family. Not only are their voices beautiful, but their kids are also songbirds. Hazel is divorced but has a ten-year-old. Miley is happily married to a guy named Graham, and they have three kids.
Meanwhile, Everett and Finley sound more like seagulls than actual carolers, but today was still a blast. Things have finally settled down after the festivities. The kids are in the family room, sprawled out in sleeping bags. The parents are either catching the last few minutes ofIt’s a Wonderful Lifeplaying on the television or have disappeared into one of the bedrooms for a little peace and quiet.
Lifting the mug of hot cocoa to my lips, I stare out the large windows, watching the white flakes float from the dark sky. We’re having a sleepover. Apparently, it’s tradition. And even though the chaos is real, I’ve loved every minute of it. The hospitality. The playfulness. The Christmas cheer reminding me so much of my own family, yet it’s different, too.
This hot chocolate, though? It’s rich and thick, and when combined with Macklin’s homemade marshmallows, I’m pretty sure I’ve died and gone to heaven.
A chair scrapes beside me, and I turn toward it, finding Everett in a reindeer hoodie Finley gave him. Somehow, he manages to ride the line between ridiculous and sexy in a way I’ll never understand, but I really love it.
“You survived,” he notes.
I grin up at him. “I survived.”
Reaching for my cocoa, he steals it from my grasp andtakes a sip, holding my gaze over the rim of the mug. “Did you have fun?”
I nod. “Actually, yeah. I had a blast.”
“Me, too.” He hands me back my drink, then grabs the leg of my chair and drags it closer to him, pinning me between his spread thighs. “I love you. You know that, right?”
“Pretty sure you’ve told me a time or two.”
“Just want to make sure you don’t forget it.”
He does this a lot. Stares at me, saying so much with a simple look. Half the time, it leaves me panting. The other half? I feel like I’m on cloud nine. This man. This freaking man. I thought I knew what it was like to be spoiled. To be cared for. Everett blew every single expectation out of the water. Doting on me. Loving me. Caring for me. And it isn’t only the grand gestures like beating the shit out of my ex until prison looks like a walk in the park. It’s moments like this. Sweet words. Gentle kisses.
His skin is slowly being littered with my art, and he’s even stolen a few drawings from my notebook, had them framed, and hung them in our bedroom. His support? It’s something I never even knew I needed. Seriously, I love this man.
“Don’t worry. I’m not letting you go anywhere,” I murmur.
“Good.” He kisses my nose, then lifts my mug into the air. “To Christmas.”