Chloe

Chloe and Margot were seated on her bed watching the clock. It was after eleven. They’d heard their parents go to bed over an hour ago. It was time.

“Ready?” Chloe asked.

Margot let out a nervous breath and nodded. “As I’ll ever be.”

Chloe pulled her into a hug. “Good luck.”

She picked up Darcy and quietly let herself out of her room to give her sister some space to talk to Owen. As Chloe made her way downstairs she repeatedly prayed Owen would take the news well. After the initial shock had worn off, Chloe couldn’t imagine him not being excited. Her sister was having Owen’s baby! Their family was growing! She was going to be an aunt!

Each thought released a euphoric burst of excitement that tightened Chloe’s chest. She knew this news would change Owen’s plans and that being a parent was a huge responsibility, but she couldn’t imagine him not wanting to do it. Especially after what Ethan told Chloe about their own lack of family.

And she’d seen the way Owen was with Margot. He looked at her like she was the sun, moon and stars. It was the same way her parents looked at each other. That had to be a good sign.

Chloe busied herself in the kitchen making hot cocoa and pulling out all the supplies for s’mores. She couldn’t believe it was almost Christmas and she hadn’t made s’mores once yet. Normally she made them every day during winter break. This had certainly been a different Christmas so far. But strangely, Chloe wouldn’t change a thing about it.

Once she had everything she needed, she grabbed a treat for Darcy and tucked him in his fluffy argyle dog bed under the Christmas tree. She was so busy gazing at how cute he looked under the tree she almost didn’t see Ethan until he was right next to her.

She grinned when she saw him. Tonight, it wasn’t a surprise to find him in the living room with her at midnight. She’d asked him to meet her. “We’ve got to stop meeting like this,” she said playfully.

Ethan snaked his hands around her waist and pulled her in close. “What if I don’t want to?” he said softly, sending waves of nervous excitement though Chloe.

Her cheeks hurt with the intensity of her smile. “I don’t want to either.”

He kissed her beneath the twinkling lights that had been strung across the ceiling and Chloe felt her whole world narrow to nothing but Ethan. She could kiss him forever, but knowing they had much to discuss she forced herself to pull away.

“Come on, I have a surprise for you,” she said taking his hand and tugging him toward the pile of pillows and blankets she’d set up in front of the fire.

There were a million things she wanted to ask Ethan. Especially now that Margot was pregnant. Chloe knew she couldn’t tell Ethan yet. But even without Margot’s exciting news, there were still so many questions Chloe wanted answered. She wanted to know everything about Ethan. But more than that, she wanted to know how he felt about her.

Ethan

“What is all this?” Ethan asked as he watched Chloe settle into a nest of plaid pillows and fleece blankets in front of the fire.

She set up a tray spilling over with marshmallows, chocolate and graham crackers, along with dozens of types of candies and cookies. Next to the tray were two mugs of hot cocoa. As Ethan joined Chloe the enticing aroma of cinnamon made his stomach growl.

“It’s your surprise,” she said. “S’mores.”

“I've never made s'mores,” Ethan replied.

His answer made Chloe grin fiendishly for some reason. “I know.”

“Oh yeah, and how’s that?”

“I asked Margot. She said Owen had never made them so I figured you hadn’t either.”

He laughed. “Well, you figured right.”

Chloe passed him his mug of cocoa. “First, you have to take a sip of this. It’s my favorite kind.”

“The horchata?” he asked.

Chloe’s delicate eyebrows rose. “You remembered?"

Chloe, I memorize everything you say. He nodded and took a sip.

A moan escaped his lips after his first taste. The flavor was exquisite.

Chloe blushed. “Do you like it?”

“I think I love it.” Just like I think I love you, Chloe. He certainly loved watching the effect he had on her. He linked his fingers with hers and let his thumb graze the back of her hand. In the firelight, her cheeks turned the color of ripe peaches.

“I can’t believe you’ve never had s’mores before.”

“Are you going to show me how to make them? Or just tease me about my insufficient knowledge of desserts?”

She grinned. “Okay,” she said putting marshmallows onto skewers. She handed him one. “Just toast these in the fire and when you’re done you put them between two graham crackers.

“That’s it?”

“Well, normally, you put a piece of chocolate on the graham crackers but you can really use anything you want. I brought, cookies, peanut butter cups, chocolate cherries . . .”

Ethan couldn’t help laughing at the excitement in Chloe’s voice as she pointed out everything on her tray.

“What?”

“I have a feeling spending a lot of time with you might result in diabetes.”

She shoved him playfully. “For your information I take health very seriously.”

“I know. You’re going to be a nurse.”

Chloe

Chloe grinned. She loved that Ethan listened to her. They’d only briefly discussed that she was planning to go to school for nursing, but he remembered. She’d known Brady practically her whole life and he repeatedly asked her what major she was selecting when they’d been filling out college applications last year.

She smiled to herself and slowly shook her head, wondering how she’d ever thought getting dumped by Brady was the end of the world. It was really just the beginning.

It was Ethan’s turn to question her. “What are you thinking?”

“Oh, just how some people fit together better than others.”

Her comment seemed to amuse him, getting one of his rare half-smirks. “Are you talking about your terrible ex-boyfriend again, Chloe? Didn’t I tell you to go easy on my ego?”

“I am talking about Brady, but what I’m trying to say is that he and I were never really a good fit. I couldn’t see that before.”

“But you see it now?” All joking had left Ethan’s voice as he stared at her with his steady green eyes.

“Yes.”

“But he clearly wants you back, Chloe.”

“He told me as much. But I made it clear that it’s not going to happen. I don’t want to go backwards.”

Ethan’s voice was stained. “What do you want, Chloe?”

“I want to move forward. With you,” she added in almost a whisper.

Ethan swallowed hard, his throat bobbing as he listened.

Chloe took a breath. “Ever since I met you, I’ve been seeing a lot of things differently.”

“How so?”

“I think we’re good for each other, Ethan,” she said quietly. “I like talking to you. I like how you really listen to me. And I really like when you open up to me. I don’t want it to end after Christmas.”

Ethan

The only sound in the room was the crackle-pop-hiss of the fire and the pounding of Ethan’s heart. Are you saying what I think you’re saying, Chloe?

Did she actually feel what he felt? Did she want to be with him?

Ethan felt breathless as joy filled his chest so completely he had trouble finding his voice. He blinked at Chloe, consumed by hope as her words took an icepick to the last frozen layer of his heart.

Tonight when she’d rushed away from him at the party he’d been gripped by unrelenting fear. He knew in that moment that his heart belonged to her but he was so terrified to let it happen that he’d let his fear cripple him. He should have ran after her. He should have made Margot wait so he could tell Chloe everything in his heart.

After Chloe had texted Ethan, he did something so uncharacteristic that he felt obscenely foolish. On his way out the door he stopped at the wish station set up next to one of the many Christmas trees and scribbled a wish down on a slim strip of paper and tied it to the tree. ‘Stop. Being. Afraid.’

They were only three little words, but they were the ones that had been holding him back his whole life. But not anymore. Not now, when he heard the words Chloe was saying.

‘I think we’re good for each other, Ethan.’

‘I don’t want this to end.’

He felt dizzy. Don’t say that, Chloe. Not unless you really mean it.

But it was too late. His heart had heard every word and it was beating against his ribs so hard he was afraid it might claw its way out just to get to her.

“Chloe . . .” Ethan breathed.

“Oh, no!” Chloe jumped up and pulled his flaming marshmallow from the fire.

In the chaos of his overwhelming emotions, Ethan had forgotten about the skewer and it caught fire. It must’ve been hot when Chloe grabbed it because she immediately flung the skewer. The marshmallow stuck to the stone hearth and the flame flickered out harmlessly, but Chloe was sucking her fingers.

Ethan was at her side. “Are you okay?”

She laughed. “Fine. Nothing a little ice and honey can’t fix.”