I brush my hair away from my ear and show him the dangly holly flower earrings. “And I have reindeer, Santa, Christmas trees...you get the picture.”
“You Walters are freaks.”
“We love the holidays. I’m having fun being up here, don’t get me wrong. I love the cabin and the snow, but it doesn’t feel like Christmas without being home.”
“What’s your favorite part?”
Some time while we were talking, we both angled our bodies to face each other. Teddy reaches out and takes my hands in his giant palms, then rubs lightly.
His touch throws me off for a second, and I think my brain short circuits. “Picking out the tree and then decorating it with our old ornaments. But I love other things too. Like how Dad and Felix put up lights outside, and Mom wraps all our presents in special coordinating paper. It’s different every year, but the result is a work of art. Stella and I always make a bunch of cookies and we watch the first twoHome Alonemovies together.”
“They made more than two?”
“They shouldn’t have, but yes.”
“That all sounds amazing. I was honored to be a part of it last year.”
“I know it’s silly, but I really look forward to it.”
“That isn’t silly at all, it’s beautiful.”
I want to ask him what his family does every year, and if he misses going home for the holidays, but the way he’s looking at me makes speaking impossible. His gaze darts to my lips, and when it moves back up, there’s an intensity swirling in his stare that wasn’t there a second ago.
“There you are!” Stella says, opening the front door and peering out.
I’m slow to look, still too caught up in the guy in front of me. When I do, my sister steps out and then pauses when she takes in the scene in front of her. Teddy lets our hands drop.
“Am I interrupting?”
“No, I got too warm in there. Teddy stepped out with me for some cold air and then we got to talking.”
“Oh.” Stella’s smile says way more than that one word. “Well, that was nice of you, Theodore.”
He chuckles. “I better go reclaim my spot on the Xbox.”
His eyes briefly flick to me before he heads back inside.
“You and Teddy!” Stella screeches as soon as the door closes behind him.
“No.”
She hits the brim of the hat,hishat. I feel sort of silly wearing it now, so I take it off. “We were just talking.”
“If you say so.” Stella shivers. “It’s freezing out here. We really should have brought warmer clothes.”
I follow her inside to the kitchen. Stella grabs a bag of chips from the pantry and then an entire jar of salsa. “I thought we could watch a movie in bed? I’m exhausted. Unless you want to stay up and hang out.”
I look around the party in the living room. Teddy is flocked on either side by Anna and another girl.
“A movie sounds great.”
We watchElfand eat the entire bag of chips and most of the salsa.
“I invited Beau to visit over break.”
“Here?”
“No.” She shakes her head. “After Christmas, before we go back to Valley. You’re going to love him.”