Page 101 of Dear John
Though, I highly doubted anyone would hear us. I’d been straining to hear anything outside and had yet to hear a thing. It seemed unlikely that whoever took us would put us somewhere we could be found.
She shivered, rubbing her hands together. “Let’s go make some noise. I’m ready to get out of here.”
I didn’t have the heart to tell her that it was unlikely we’d get out of here—not when there was still a smile on her face. “Yeah, let’s get out of here.”
Hours had passed.
Both of us were freezing and hungry. We’d given up banging on the door about twenty minutes ago. I could see it in her eyes, the hope slowly draining as she realized no one was outside and coming to save us. But there was no way I was going to sit down and give up, not when I could keep a smile on her face for a little longer.
“Come on. Let’s pull out some of those decorations.”
“What’s the point?” she asked, rubbing her hands together.
I strode over to her, taking her hands in mine. I rubbed them, trying to work some warmth into them. When she still shivered, I brought her hands to my mouth and blew into them, then pulled her into my arms. She wrapped her arms around my back, holding me tight. I ran my hands up and down her back, trying to keep her warm.
“We should keep moving so the cold doesn’t get to us.”
“Fine,” she grumbled. “But if you find a mistletoe, I’m not kissing you to stay warm.”
“We don’t have to kiss to stay warm.” I didn’t mean for it to slip out, but ever since that night she stayed with me—when shewore my shirt and I felt her smooth skin against my fingertips—that was all I could think about. I took her home to get rid of her, not because she was ready to leave. Because I knew that if she stayed with me, I wouldn’t be able to keep my hands to myself.
So, when she buried her face in my chest, I held her tight and imagined what it would be like if she wasn’t clinging to me for warmth and comfort, but because she wanted me. The moment she pulled away, I knew it was all a really fucking good dream that would never come true, especially considering the circumstances we were in.
“Okay, let’s see if we can cheer this place up a little,” she smiled, avoiding my eyes.
I followed her over to the boxes and helped her pull out the garland and lined it along the walls on the floor. Without the lights, it left a lot to be desired, but Isla made the best of it and placed the tea lights in the garland for added effect.
“There. What do you think?”
“It’s nice. I like it.”
“Should we put up the tree?” she asked, pulling out the connecting branches.
“Yeah, why not.”
She started handing me things, but I didn’t have the first fucking clue what to do. When I just stood there holding all the pieces, she quirked an eyebrow at me. “You can start putting it together.”
I shifted uncomfortably, for the first time in my life feeling completely out of my element. “Uh…I don’t actually know how to do this.”
“Do what?”
“Any of this.”
“You’ve never put up a tree?”
I shrugged like it wasn’t a big deal. “Never had one.”
“At all?” she asked, her jaw dropping in shock.
“Is that a big deal?”
“Well, are you Jewish or something?”
“Nope. Just never had a tree.” There was so much she didn’t know about me, but that wasn’t unusual. I didn’t get close to anyone. I didn’t like people seeing the real me, and not because I was afraid of relationships or anything like that, but because I played a good game. I was really a shell of a man—a hollow human form with no real connection to anyone or anything.
She skipped over the obvious questions and took the pieces of the tree from me, walking over to the wall near some of the garland she had spread out. “The tree stand goes first.”
“Obviously,” I grinned at her.