Page 205 of How My Neighbour Stole Christmas
But it’s hard.
And I don’t handle my emotions well.
My anger.
The grief in my life.
And before I can stop myself, I storm up to the pink house, Max trailing behind me. I pound on the front door with my fist and wait.
It takes a few minutes, but when the door opens and Storee’s face comes into view, I feel a wave of emotion hit me all at once.
I…I like her.
Hell, I more than like her.
I think I love her.
Yet to her, I was just a chess piece to be moved for her benefit.
She was using me.
Abusing my heart.
And then she just took everything she wanted and needed, leaving me feeling…fucking shattered.
“Cole…what are you doing here?”
I feel my body go still.
My throat clamps down on me.
Thankfully, Max presses his hand to my shoulder. “Cole’s been through a lot, Storee. More than any person should ever have to go through, and for you to just use him like that, to play with his emotions, and then when you think the time is right, strike, well…it’s all kinds of fucked up.”
Her brow creases, and she looks toward me. “What is he talking about?”
I swallow the lump in my throat. “The house, Storee.”
“What about it?”
“The fucking lights!” I shout, startling her backward. “Don’t play dumb with me. You took them down last night because you were so fucking scared you weren’t going to win. You snuck out and stole them. You fucking used me this whole time, faked it, made me believe that there was something between us, only to sabotage me in the end.” I shake my head. “Who the fuck does that? What kind of heartless human are you?”
“What? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Sure,” I say with a sarcastic laugh. “Play dumb, Storee. You’ve been so good at it so far, acting like you have no idea what you’re doing in this competition, in this town, all to gain sympathy from me. Well, it worked.” I slow clap in front of her. “It fucking worked, and now you can revel in your accomplishment because I’m done.”
I turn away from her and start walking off the porch when I feel her tug on my arm.
“Hold on,” she says. “Cole, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Stop,” I yell, my voice echoing through the quiet cul-de-sac. I tear my arm away from her and stomp toward the steps. “Just fucking stop. I can’t…I can’t be near you.”
Max throws his arm over my shoulders, and together we head down the steps, across the snow, and right into my house, shutting her out.
Shutting out everything.
Storee
I stand there, stunned.
