Page 36 of Eight Days of Christmas
She groaned. “Seriously?”
“Afraid so. We’re stuck together. Again.”
Isabella threw her head back and shouted to the sky, “Why?”
This wasn’t happening.
Leo crunched through the snow, making his way toward her. “Not sure. But we’d better hurry or they’ll pick a tree without you.”
“They wouldn’t.” Though her voice wavered. And her statement sounded more like a question. They wouldn’t do that, would they?
“Why not? I gave your dad my chainsaw.” He said, passing her. “And they’ve only been doing it for the last ten years.”
“Ha, ha, ha,” she huffed sarcastically and hurried to catch up to him. “How long is everyone gonna make those remarks to me?”
“Until they stop being funny.”
She stuffed her ice-cold hands deep into the pockets of her coat, a bit relieved when she found her gloves tucked inside. She put them on. “Well, I don’t think they’re funny.”
“Or until they stop getting a rise out of you.”
“Ahh.” She focused on her boots, the snow fluttering into the air with each step. “So I need to pretend they don’t bother me?”
He turned to face her, walking backward. “You see, what I don’t get is why would you need to pretend? I don’t get how they bother you at all.”
Heat coiled through her body, and she bit the inside of her cheek. Why wouldn’t they bother me?”
“Because you’re the one who chose not to come home.” Leo pulled his beanie tighter over his ears, turning back around.
Anger pricked her skin. “I didn’t just choose to stay away. It’s not like I wanted to.”
“But you did. You had the choice, and you chose to stay away.”
“Forget it,” she huffed, clenching her hands into fists inside the fuzzy gloves. “I don’t expect you to understand.”
“Try me.” Not looking at her, he slowed until she was alongside him and matched his pace to hers.
“You act like I hate my family. Like I didn’t miss them. Like every year when day one of Eight Days of Christmas rolled around, I didn’t have the urge to go build my own snowman.” Isabella’s heart raced. Her words poured out of her. And to the wrong person. She couldn’t talk to Leo about why she never returned. He was the last person she should be telling. But she felt so enervated, she couldn’t hold it in anymore.
“I know you don’t hate them. But that’s just it. That’s what I don’t get. I know it’s the opposite. You love your family.” He threw his arms up. “So why didn’t you come back?”
She had no choice. She could continue to hold the secret in and be the bad guy. She’d been doing it for six years, what was a couple of decades more? She zipped her jacket to her chin and crammed the remorse inching up her throat back down. “Just drop it, okay?”
His stride picked up the pace, and his boots stomped louder next to her. “No. Not again. Tell me. Please.”
“Leo,” her voice cracked. She could not cry. Not here. Not now. The intense cold up in the mountains would probably freeze her tears right on her cheeks before they had the chance to fall. “Just stop,” she pleaded.
“No.” He grabbed ahold of her arm, forcing her to stop. He squared his shoulders. “Enough of this, Izzy. Come on.”
That look in his eyes, eyes she used to adore, is what broke the dam.
Tears spilled down her face. “I did come back, okay? I came back!” she shouted.
There. She’d finally said it. But now, not only would she have to live with the consequences of the confession, but so would he.
Shock played out on his expression. He shook his head in disbelief. He didn’t believe her. “When?” His question came out breathless.
She opened her mouth to speak but was unsure what she’d say. Should she explain everything now? While picking out the perfect Christmas tree with her family? Or wait until later when they could be alone?
