“Don’t jinx us.” Margo checked the time. “It’s almost midnight.”
“Happy Christmas. Wanna sneak out with me?”
She grinned. “Obviously.”
We managed to escape without drawing anyone’s attention. We walked around town in the crisp, cool darkness, hand in hand. A bell rang in the distance.
“Happy Christmas.” Margo leaned her head against my shoulder. “I had a nice night. Did you?”
“Much better than I expected. Are you tired? Want me to walk you home?”
“No. Let’s stay out a bit longer. It’s such a nice evening.”
We kept walking, but Margo soon slowed down.
“You okay?”
“My feet hurt.”
“I’ll give you a piggyback.”
“Not a chance.” She looked up at the night sky and smiled. “It smells like snow, right?”
“Not to me. Doesn’t feel like snow weather yet.”
“Pity.” She squeezed my hand. “I won’t see you tomorrow. How about the day after?”
“Definitely.” We moved into the shelter of a bus stop as the wind picked up. “I should have already invited you over for dinner.” We leaned into the corner of the bus stop, huddling together for warmth. “I had a good night.”
“I’m glad.” She pulled me closer. “We’ve barely had any time together. At least not alone.”
“We’re alone now.”
“I like this.” She slipped her arms under my jacket to wrap herself around me. “Nothing to worry about.” She pressed her lips against mine.
I sank into the kiss until I realised she was trembling from the chill in the air. I broke away. “Sorry.”
“Why?”
“We’re standing at a bus stop in the freezing cold. It’s not exactly the most romantic experience.”
She grinned. “I told you to stop watching romantic comedies.”
“They’re fun though. They make life look so easy.”
“This is probably the easiest it gets for us.” She made a face. “I wish you could come back to my house.”
I held my breath for a second. “Your parents would flip. You best believe your dad is sitting up right now, waiting for you to go home.”
She pouted. “I know. He caught you last time. He didn’t make a big thing about it, but he’s probably on high alert.”
I winced. I wanted her father to think highly of me. “We should be good for a bit.”
She nudged her cold nose against mine. “Let’s start tomorrow.”
I kissed her again, and we forgot about the cold for a while.
Christmas was quiet and calm, as usual. Perdita headed out in the afternoon for a while to see her family, while Nathan and I played video games at home. In the evening, we would have dinner with Byron, Amelia, and Ryan.