Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 84952 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 425(@200wpm)___ 340(@250wpm)___ 283(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84952 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 425(@200wpm)___ 340(@250wpm)___ 283(@300wpm)
“I’m glad.”
I nod, giving him a smile. I know this is hard for him to admit and I need to let him work this out on his own.
Because I’ve already worked it out. He came into my life like a whirlwind and flipped every script I had.
When I look into his eyes, I can see … a future. Together. The kind of life that Siggy and Rodney have.
There would be a lot to figure out. I know that. But I want to figure it out. There’s time to do that.
If only he wants to, too.
I force a swallow. “Do you feel it too?”
“I don’t know what I feel, beautiful. I know that being around you makes me want to get up in the morning. It makes everything funnier and more enjoyable.” He strokes my cheek with his thumb. “I know I look forward to seeing you. Naked.”
I laugh softly.
He grins too. “I don’t know … Maybe there’s something to be said for new years and new beginnings, right? Maybe?”
“Maybe.”
My heart swells in my chest. The room completely stills and all the sounds from below fade away. I just take in this guy that’s standing here with me and hope against all hope that it is a new beginning. For both of us. Together.
“Riss …” he says.
But before he can finish, Boone blasts my name from downstairs.
“Riss! Get down here!” he yells.
Hollis grins. He bends down and kisses me softly. I try to deepen it, but he pulls back and chuckles.
“Later, naughty girl. We have to get down there for the ball drop. I can’t fuck it all up now.”
I groan as he leads me to the staircase and down it.
We gather with my family in the dining room. The room is packed with bodies and air horns and confetti primed to be tossed. We tuck ourselves in a corner next to a giant aloe vera plant.
Hollis stands behind me with his arms over my shoulders. The ball begins to drop down the pole and everyone starts to cheer.
The room fills with shouts and premature horns and I take a moment breathe.
“Hey,” Hollis whispers in my ear.
I look up at him.
He smiles the sweetest, softest smile I’ve ever seen and it melts my heart.
The room bursts into the countdown.
5!
4!
3!
2!
1!
“Auld Lang Syne” plays over the entertainment system as everyone toots horns and shakes noisemakers.
Hollis grabs my face in his hands and kisses me.
It starts soft and sweet but gets deeper and harder as the seconds sweep by. My knees go weak from the taste of his mouth—cake mixed with beer mixed with Hollis—and the happiness at having him here.
And having him happy.
He pulls back, panting, and laughs. “Happy New Year, baby.”
I bite my lip and try not to show him how affected I am by him. “Happy New Year, Hollis.”
Colored confetti falls onto our head and Hollis wipes a piece off of my eyelashes. “You are something, you know that?”
“I’ve heard that before.”
He laughs as Boone walks by shouting, “Happy New Year!”
Hollis starts to say something else when my aunt Siggy’s traditional first song of the year starts to play. The harps and flutes float happily through the entire house and probably the yard because Aunt Siggy lives and dies by setting the year with this anthem.
“Want to get some champagne?” I ask.
His eyes dart around the room. I look to see what he’s looking at, but nothing looks amiss.
“The food will be changing to breakfast-y stuff soon, so if you want anymore pizza, we should grab … it now …” My voice trails off. “Hollis?”
His shoulders are stiff, his eyes a muddied mix of expressions.
“What song is this?” he asks, gripping the back of his neck with his hand. “I can barely hear it.”
“Oh this?” I laugh. “This is Aunt Siggy’s New Year’s theme song. She says it’s to remind everyone of their dreams and to wish on stars and … all that jazz. It’s the creative in her.”
He nods and looks around, clearly uneasy.
“Hey,” I say, touching his shoulder. “Are you okay?”
He nods again. It’s accompanied by a forced swallow. “I need to get some air. Okay?”
“Yeah,” I stammer, confused. “Want me to come with you?”
“No. I’ll be back.”
He all but storms out of the dining room and disappears in the mix.
My back hits the wall as I try to figure out what in the hell just happened.
Siggy comes up to me. Her smile slides off her face as she takes me in.
“Hey, Riss. You okay?”
“I think so?” It comes out more like a question than an answer, but it’s the best that I can give her. “Something just happened with Hollis, and I don’t know what it was.”
She looks around. “Where’d he go?”
I shrug.
“Give him a few minutes. Holidays can be a roller coaster for some people.” She kisses my cheek. “Happy New Year, my favorite niece.”