Total pages in book: 32
Estimated words: 30544 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 153(@200wpm)___ 122(@250wpm)___ 102(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 30544 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 153(@200wpm)___ 122(@250wpm)___ 102(@300wpm)
Briar chuckles, the sound making the butterflies start fluttering again.
“Well, if I have to, I guess I better.”
“Guess so.” I wink.
Briar grins. “My parents…they’re great. They have this beautiful love story. I’ve always hoped to have something like that. Because I’m me and always seem to do the wrong thing when it comes to relationships, I asked my parents if I could invite the new guy I’ve been seeing. Now I’m embarrassed to go home and not only say that he said no, but that he broke up with me. Hey, Mom and Dad. It’s me. Just back to report another failed relationship. Merry Christmas and pass the mashed potatoes.”
“I mean, I’d probably tell them before Christmas dinner,” I joke, hoping to lighten the mood.
“Yeah, I’m fairly certain my invisible boyfriend will make it obvious.”
“Can’t you tell them Nathan had other plans? Then spring the breakup later?”
He draws circles around the rim of his coffee cup. “Sure. That’s probably what I’ll do. It’s just… Okay, if I tell you this, you can’t laugh at me.”
“Cross my heart.” I make the movement with the tip of my finger against my chest.
“I want to bring someone home to meet them. I want them to be proud of me. I know that’s ridiculous because my parents are great. They’re already proud of me, and my worth doesn’t lie in having a boyfriend, but…”
“But you want one,” I finish for him. And maybe Briar feels more unworthy than he lets on. He doesn’t need this for his parents. He needs it for himself, needs them to see him living his life and finding someone he loves.
“Yes. But more than that, I want one to bring home. My ex…”
Oooh. That makes sense. “Isn’t there always an ex?”
“For real.” He chuckles. “It’s my high school boyfriend, Mark. Everyone thought we were going to go away to college together and live happily ever after. It was all planned out. That didn’t happen. He dumped me two days before we were supposed to leave and went on to have all these adventures. Things he never even told me he wanted. He met the new guy right away, and they did all these fun things together, and…it hurt. Mark moved back to Bright’s Hollow and got married last spring. The petty part of me wants to go home with a partner too.” When I don’t say anything right away, he adds, “Feel free to judge me.”
“I’m not judging. I think that’s a normal human emotion. We’re not always logical with stuff like that. If this were a Christmas movie, you’d go back home and fall in love with him. His husband would be a total dick, and the two of you would live happily ever after.”
Briar snickers. “Or I’d bring someone else home and pretend he’s my boyfriend and…” His eyes widen. I turn to look behind me as if a monster popped up there.
He can’t be thinking what I think he is, right? People don’t really do what he’s maybe considering.
“It could be fun…” he continues tentatively, “and you just said you were taking the week off. You sounded really interested in Bright’s Hollow when I was talking about it. I really think you would like it there.”
I like that he recognized my interest, that he feels like he’s getting to know me well enough to judge my excitement about something. My pulse speeds up, my skin feeling tingly. I do love small towns at Christmas, but can I do this? Do I want to do this? Is it terrible to go with Briar when I didn’t go with Nathan? Then again, Miami and the beach at Christmas with all his friends just isn’t my thing.
“What exactly are you asking me here, Briar?”
“No idea.” He laughs. “I guess…come home with me and pretend to be my boyfriend? God, that sounds silly. I can’t believe I asked you that. You can ignore me.”
“So I’d have to pretend my name is Nathan and that I work in marketing?” I’m not sure how I would feel about pretending to be my brother.
“No, no. I haven’t told them I was seeing anyone ahead of time because…well, reasons. So they didn’t know anything about him when I asked to bring someone home for the holidays.”
That does make things easier. It’s one thing to pretend I’m his boyfriend, but something else entirely to fake a whole other person.
“I’m sorry. Like I said, I shouldn’t have asked. Pretend I didn’t—”
“Yes,” I interrupt. Why I’m agreeing to this, I have no idea. Partly because of my ridiculous crush on this man, of course, but the other part…I’ve never done something like this before. I figure most people can say that when it comes to pretending to be someone’s boyfriend, but being this spontaneous isn’t me. That’s Nathan. This is why so many people love him. He’s up for anything, while I’m always the one playing it safe. I don’t want to play it safe anymore.