Will

Will was frantically searching the rooftop for Emma without any luck. He spotted her father and Tara on the dance floor but she was nowhere in sight. He knew she’d probably left. He’d seen the hurt in her eyes when she’d pulled away from him. She was probably in her apartment packing while he wasted time searching the stupid party.

Cursing himself, Will made for the exit only to run smack into Colin. “Hey, Colin. Have you seen your sister?”

“I’m right here.”

Will turned at the sound of Emma’s voice, relief flooding him to see her again. He rushed toward her, already pleading his case for forgiveness, but all he got out was her name before Emma’s lips crashed into his.

Will was so surprised by the kiss that he stumbled back a step before regaining his balance. His eyes were blown wide as he stared into Emma’s. “Em . . .” Will didn’t know what to say. He wanted to apologize for everything, but Emma’s kiss left him speechless.

“I know,” she whispered. “I know what Liz did.”

“You do?”

“I heard everything.”

Relief flooded through Will in a wave that nearly floored him.

“Oh thank God. Can you ever forgive me, Em?”

She nodded. “There’s nothing to forgive.”

Will pulled Emma into his arms, crushing her against him like he might fall apart other wise. He never wanted to let her go. He wanted to keep her this close for the rest of his life and the fear of not getting to do that was strangling him. “I’m in love with you,” he whispered.

Emma pulled back just enough to look at him. “I love you, too,” she said breathlessly.

Will felt the world still, and in that moment there wasn’t another soul on that roof top as he slowly brought his lips to Emma’s. They met with a brush of heat that felt like fireworks branding his skin. Will slid his hands up Emma’s back, wrapping one firmly in her silken hair as he kissed her the way he’d always meant to. Like breathing. Like flying. Like everything good in the world.

Emma

It happened quickly, and Emma didn’t fight it as her heart let go of all the love she’d been holding back. She curled into the warmth of Will’s embrace as the sudden realization washed over her with certainty. She was in love with Will Taylor. Always had been. Always would be.

It had taken them sixteen years of friendship, plus one broken year apart, but they’d found their way back to each other—to where they were meant to be. And as Will kissed her under the starlight winter sky, she knew she was never going to let him go.

* * *

When their public display of affection started to draw attention, Will wisely drew Emma away from center of the party to a secluded corner where they could sit and talk.

“Em?” he asked, hesitance in his eyes. “Tell me this is real.”

She glowed as she answered. “It’s real.”

Will took her hands in his. “I never stopped missing you. Not for a second.”

“Me too. I was just so afraid of getting my heart broken again,” she admitted.

“God, I’m so sorry. I feel like such an idiot. I had no idea, Emma. If I had—”

“You couldn’t have,” she interrupted. “I always knew Liz was evil, but she’s clearly insane.”

Will groaned, “I still can’t quite believe it. I wanted to kill her when I saw the photos.”

Emma grinned. “I’ve gotta say, it sorta turns me on when you get all white knight like that.”

“Oh yeah?” Will asked, the mischievous twinkle returning to his blue eyes.

Emma smirked at him. “Yeah.”

Will pulled her into his lap and dipped her into a deep, lingering kiss that left her breathless. When he pulled her back up he ran a finger down her cheek and planted a soft kiss on her forehead. “All joking aside, I don’t ever want to let a misunderstanding like that come between us again.”

“Me either,” Emma murmured.

Will exhaled and buried his face into Emma’s neck. “God, Em. When I think I might have lost you forever because of some stupid app . . .” He looked up at her suddenly. “I think it’s time I get on social media.”

Emma laughed. “We don’t need social media. We just need to stop being too scared to admit how we feel to each other.”

“I think we’re off to a pretty good start,” he said nuzzling her neck in a way that made her feel faint. “I love you, Emma Rhodes.”

She grinned. “I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of hearing you say that.”

“You better not. I’m gonna be saying it for a really long time.”

“How long?” she teased.

“I was sorta thinking the rest of my life.”

Emma’s heart did a series of backflips that left her shaking.

“Is that okay with you?” Will asked, noting her slight tremor.

“Very okay,” she said leaning in to kiss him again.

“I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of that,” he teased, breaking from her lips. “Although . . .”

“Although what?”

“It’s just funny. This wasn’t at all how I envisioned our first kiss.”

“How did you picture it?” Emma asked.

“I was sure it would be under the mistletoe,” he said nodding to boughs that hung over the dance floor.

“Well in the spirit of making dreams come true, I’m willing to have a first kiss do over with you, Will Taylor.”

Will

Will twirled Emma onto the dance floor. Her laughter filled his heart near bursting. The band struck up ‘Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas’ and Will pulled Emma into his arms. They swayed back and forth under the strands of white lights and stars. Closer and closer they crept to the center of the dance floor, where the mistletoe danced above them suspended on strands of white lights, as if they were hung from the stars.

When they were perfectly centered below the mistletoe, Will took Emma in his arms, pulling her near. He traced his hand down the smooth curve of her face, stopping when he reached her pale pink lips.

“Emma Rhodes, you are why I believe in mistletoe and miracles.”

And then he kissed her.

Emma sighed into his mouth, meeting his lips with a tenderness that filled even the deepest aches of his heart.

They danced under the starlight and mistletoe, stealing kisses and indulgent glances until Will felt a tug at his sleeve. He looked down to see Colin grinning up at them, with Tara and Emma’s father watching from a distance.

“What’s up, Colin?” Emma asked smiling down at the little boy.

“Everything worked out, didn’t it?”

Emma beamed. “Yeah, it did.”

Colin’s grin spread even wider. “I told you he loved you.”

Will barked a laugh. “I didn’t know the secret was out.”

Colin shrugged. “Oh and just so you know, mistletoe isn’t for high-fives.” His little voice dropped to a whisper. “It’s for kissing.”

Will glanced at Emma, both of them raising their eyes to the merry green sprigs bobbing above their heads. Will could barely take a breath, his chest tight with wild joy as Emma raised her face to his, dropping a tender kiss on his lips.

Colin giggled then turned to run back to Tara and Emma’s father, who waved their goodnights from across the dance floor.