Christmas was the absolute worst holiday of them all. Each year, I'd get a headache the moment Last Christmas first played on the radio and it would never quite let up until after the holidays were over. Naturally, this period of time became longer and longer every year, with the Christmas season starting earlier and earlier. I thought it was insanity. I admit that being abandoned on Christmas Eve when I was a child probably colored my view of the festive season, but c'mon. Christmas decorations in October? Seriously?

This year, though, I was actually kind of glad when the 24th of December finally rolled around. It meant that the holiday season was almost over, so I let myself relax. I put up the absolute minimum of Christmas decoration around my apartment—a little bit of tinsel on my coffee table, a sprig of mistletoe in my kitchen. I even put cookies in the oven so the place would smell nice. Besides, I enjoyed baking.

As I waited for the cookies to be done, I hummed the melody of Jingle Bells under my breath. I hardly recognized myself, but whatever, I was in a good mood. So what if I let myself get into the spirit of the holiday?

Thinking like that turned out to be a mistake, though.

My boyfriend Calvin and I had been going out for nearly half a year now. I was expecting him to come over that night so we could exchange presents. I was a teacher at Oceanport Elementary School, and my salary was about what you’d expect, but I was excited about the gift I'd bought for Calvin. He'd been talking about how much he hated his phone for as long as I'd known him, so I'd gotten him a shiny new one. It had cost me a pretty penny, but I figured if it made him happy, it was worth it.

Mistake number two. I should never have wasted any money on that asshole.

Not an hour before he was supposed to show up at my door, the bastard broke up with me. Via text.

Hey, Rob, it started, annoying me from the very first line. For some reason, Calvin could never remember that I hated that nickname. Not that it mattered now. Sorry, I can't make it tonight. I think maybe you and I should take a break and start seeing other people.

Other people? Oh yeah, Calvin loved seeing other people. He was always staring at the waiters when we went out. Said he couldn't help himself. Alphas were just wired to check out every unmated omega who crossed their path. I bit my teeth together, wondering if maybe I just wasn't pretty enough to keep Calvin's attention. I was blond—which he told me he liked—but it was a dirty kind of blond, and beyond that I was pretty average looking, to be honest. Calvin, on the other hand, was so alpha with his toned muscles and his chiseled jaw that I wondered why he went out with me in the first place.

That he was dumping me really shouldn't have come as a surprise. But the way he did it? On Christmas Eve? With a text message? Did I really not deserve more than that?

I couldn't tell anymore. I wanted to destroy something. Something like the stupid phone I'd bought for my stupid boyfriend who wasn't my boyfriend anymore. But no, it was too expensive. I couldn't afford to destroy it.

Eventually the beeping of the oven timer pulled me out of my thoughts–the cookies were done. Great. I pulled them out of the oven and put the cookie sheet on the counter. I'd formed Christmas shapes from the dough, wanting to surprise Calvin after I'd complained about all of the holiday stuff so much. Was it the complaining that turned him off? I had no idea, but all these Christmas tree-shaped cookies were now staring me in the face as if to mock me.

What was I going to do with them? I certainly didn't feel like eating them. An idea formed in my mind. I prepared some green icing and lovingly decorated the cookies until they looked like real little trees in cookie form. The kind of treats anyone would be happy to receive as a gift. They smelled delicious, too—like the very essence of Christmas. I’d outdone myself, really. But there was still something more I could do to perfect them. As the finishing touch, I put colorful sprinkles on my little Christmas tree cookies. Stepping back, I took a moment to admire my work.

And then I got out the hammer and pulverized them.

Maybe that would finally teach me that Christmas wasn't for me.

Once the cookies were nothing more than sad crumbs, I felt a little bit better, if not much. Letting the hammer fall to the counter, I took a deep breath. Now that I'd vented my frustration, the only feeling left inside of me was the one I hated the most. Loneliness.

Sighing, I stepped away from the cookie sheet and leaned back against the kitchen wall. It was 7pm. I still had most of Christmas Eve and all of Christmas Day in front of me. Call me weak, but I didn't want to spend all those hours by myself. Instead, I grabbed my coat and headed out the door.

I knew there was at least one person in this town who wouldn't mind if I showed up unannounced. The one alpha I could always count on. The boy who'd stolen my heart and my virginity when we were younger. My best friend.

Ben.