Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 95559 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 478(@200wpm)___ 382(@250wpm)___ 319(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95559 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 478(@200wpm)___ 382(@250wpm)___ 319(@300wpm)
The door swings open, and laughter fills the house. Thea and Millie are home. They come into the living room and stand by the tree.
“Wow, everything looks great in here and smells fabulous. Are you baking?” Thea asks me.
I want to bend over with laughter because me, cook? I mean, I could probably put something together but let’s be honest here, aside from Thanksgiving dinner, the only thing I can make and not burn is a sandwich. I lose my train of thought when making macaroni and cheese, and if I don’t set my timer, the noodles will stick to the pan.
“No, I bought a candle the other day. Smells pretty good, huh?”
“Smells amazing,” Millie says as she walks toward it. “I’m going to have to remember this brand because the aroma is spot on.”
I beam with pride. Who knew I could pick the right candle to make the occasion? While the girls continue to fuss, Jude, Nolan, and Devon arrive home. Devon announces he has to take a shit and heads up the stairs. Jude yells at him for being crude, and Nolan comes into the living room and stands next to Millie. I haven’t quite figured out what’s going on with them, but there’s something there. Not that it’s any of my business, but if Nolan thinks he’s sneaky, he should probably know he’d never make a very good spy.
“Okay, cookies are in the oven. They’ll be done in ten minutes. We’ll start then,” Thea says to us. I stay where I am, hoping Millie and Nolan will take their non-love fest to another room so I can be alone with Thea, even if nothing will happen. Just being in her presence calms me. But no, the “not” love birds stay where they are, and Thea joins them, leaving me to myself. It’s awkward standing around and doing nothing, so I volunteer to make anyone my famous hot cocoa—the one other thing I can’t burn.
“No thanks,” Nolan says, as does Millie.
“I’ll take a cup,” Thea says. I nod and head toward the kitchen, only to find her hot on my heels. I look at her from over my shoulder. “My cookies are about done.”
“Oh, right.”
Thea and me in the kitchen in one thing, but put Thea and me in the kitchen, working next to each other and it’s a whole different ball game. We bump arms, slide next to each other, share an oven mitt, and when I need something over her head, she happens to turn and bump into my chest.
“Sorry,” she says quietly.
“You have nothing to be sorry for.”
“Come on, let’s open presents,” Devon yells before there’s a loud thump.
“Christ,” I say.
“How many steps do you think he jumped?” Thea asks.
“At least five. He’s lucky he doesn’t break something.”
“Boys,” Thea says and then sighs. She’s right. We’re about as dumb as a box of rocks.
Thea carries her plate of warm cookies, and I follow behind her with four mugs in my hand. I never got an answer from Jude, and with Devon busy doing his business, I figured I’d make two extras and if they want them, they can have them.
When we get into the living room, Millie instructs us to sit on the floor. Not ideal, but the furniture doesn’t allow us to gather around the tree comfortably. I’m a sucker for punishment and choose to sit next to Thea. I want as much of her as I can get before she goes home. Part of me is fearful she will reconnect with Adam. Sadly, for me, there isn’t anything I can do about it. For all I know, they’re talking and fixing their relationship. It would make sense because they’ve been together for so long. Selfishly, I want her to be with me, even though I’m the last distraction she needs in her life. So, I’ll pine away from her from afar and cherish moments like this when she’s sitting next to me.
Millie tells us we’ll each pick a present and hand it to whoever it belongs to. I don’t know why we don’t pick the ones we wrapped, but whatever. This is her event, so she can do it however she pleases.
Devon sits next to me and picks the package I put under the tree for Millie. He reads the tag, “For Millie.” He hands it to her.
She rips open the wrapping and pauses when she gets to another set of paper. This time, she reads, “Merry Christmas, Millie. I’m really glad you’re part of the house now. From your Secret Santa, Kyler.”
“Your gift tag was a really nice touch,” Thea says to me quietly.
“Awe, Kyler. You’re going to make my dead heart beat,” Millie says.
“I’ll stop,” I say and hold up my hand. “I wouldn’t want to be responsible for something like that.” Everyone laughs. Millie is far from heartless. She’s been a best friend to Thea from the moment they met.